Friday News And Views

Spring Cleaning

Practical Cycling:

One of my favorite things to do is to figure out how I can use my bicycles for ordinary tasks. You know, like getting a gallon of milk. Grab the "townie" and pack the jug of moo juice home in a pannier. That sort of thing, but even on larger scales.So when Mrs. Guitar Ted said she had many bags of clothes to donate to Goodwill, I said that I would take care of that task. It was a perfect task for my Xtracycle.

One of my favorite things about the Xtracycle is that, if you put your mind to it, you can usually figure out how to carry some ridiculous loads. The one thing I hate about my Xtracycle is that those loads push it way beyond its practical capabilities.

See! This is why I need a Big Dummy! 

I know, I know..... "just go get one already!" I hear ya, but my "practical thinking mind" says that I already own such a beast, and that the wobbling, snaking down the road, flexy wheeled, poor braking beast is enough for me and my needs. Gah! I drive myself crazy with the back and forth of it all. Sometimes I wish the damn thing would just break, then my mind would be made up for me. Ha! Trouble is that this rig is like a cockroach. I cannot kill it. It isn't like I don't try to though......

How kingly art thou?

A Pretentious Name:

I got a pair of new tires for the Standard Rando to try out. When I first got the bike, almost a year ago now, to test for RidingGravel.com, it came shod with the narrower, 32mm Panaracer Gravel King tires. They weren't much fun on Iowa gravel, so off they went and I never looked back again at those tires. I knew at the time Panaracer was planning a 40mm version of the tire, so I held out until that tire was available, and here it is.

The really ironic thing about the whole Gravel King line up is that when it was introduced, the first tire was a smooth 28mm skinny-minnie that wouldn't do squat on gravel we have here but maybe cause you to work way too hard and pinch flat. "Some 'gravel king' that tire is!", I thought. Then the 32mm with tread appeared, and, well, that was another fail, at least here. So, now we have a 35mm, which I wanted to try, but was unavailable at this time, and this 40, which I expect to be more than capable. The testing will commence soon and be reported here and on RidingGravel.com.

The thing is, gravel isn't the same everywhere, but here is my point. Gravel tires should be such that you can tackle anything and do it with relative ease. A 28mm tire is not a gravel tire you can take anywhere. No......fat road tire? Maybe. Heck, it is almost a "normal width" for a pavement road bike tire now. Now, a 35-40mm tire? Yes...now we're talking. Is that overkill for some places? Sure it is, but you won't be wanting when you do go to those "other places". And....if your bike can handle big tires, you can always mount skinnier ones. Try that on your Trek Madone.  Okay, that's my rant on the name. It is silly, it doesn't make sense across the range, but whatever. It is what it is......

Trans Iowa v12 Update: 

This past week was spent mostly on dialing in cue sheets. The mileage, which we strive to get right, was off in one, small section, and it would seem to be easy to fix. However; you underestimate the complexity and enormity of the task if you think that.

With several turns, this way and that, markers for road crossings, and name changes, the mileages pile up. Figures differing only one digit or two are common, and it gets to be really easy to mis-transcribe numbers. However; what got us screwed up was our mapping program, which wanted to route back and forth over itself unless you dialed up the resolution on the map to the point you couldn't see the forest for the trees, so to speak. I missed one spot after map clean up and it made the route in one section a quarter mile longer than it should have been. Why the route making program didn't reconfigure the entire route a quarter mile longer, I don't know. I have a way of messing up these sorts of things.

The point is, finally we got the thing straightened out. It went back and forth over the period of a day, but between Jeremy and I, we got it. Now we just have to verify the route via recon the week before Trans Iowa, and print the cues, and..... Whew!

I've gotten a few drop out notices from riders, thanks! It saves us work on our end if we know ahead of time that you cannot make T.I.v12. 

New Logo from the RidingGravel.com Facebook Page

 RidingGravel.com Logo:

We've been working on a new look for RidingGravel.com lately, and we have been coming up with some awesome ideas. Sometimes though, the simplest idea can be way better than anything else you have been looking at.

Case in point: The traffic sign logo that my partner, Ben, came up with, is just killer. In fact, it was so good that he went right ahead and made it our Facebook page avatar. I think it is brilliant.

Now, this doesn't mean that our other ideas went in the circular file. No- It just means that this is the perfect way for us to depict what it is to be riding gravel. Rural, somewhat dangerous, and it is eye catching in a super simple format. I don't know- maybe I am all wrong here- but I like this and I think it fits really well. What do you think?



That's a wrap! Have a fantastic weekend and keep the rubber side down.

Friday News And Views

Spring Cleaning

Practical Cycling:

One of my favorite things to do is to figure out how I can use my bicycles for ordinary tasks. You know, like getting a gallon of milk. Grab the "townie" and pack the jug of moo juice home in a pannier. That sort of thing, but even on larger scales.So when Mrs. Guitar Ted said she had many bags of clothes to donate to Goodwill, I said that I would take care of that task. It was a perfect task for my Xtracycle.

One of my favorite things about the Xtracycle is that, if you put your mind to it, you can usually figure out how to carry some ridiculous loads. The one thing I hate about my Xtracycle is that those loads push it way beyond its practical capabilities.

See! This is why I need a Big Dummy! 

I know, I know..... "just go get one already!" I hear ya, but my "practical thinking mind" says that I already own such a beast, and that the wobbling, snaking down the road, flexy wheeled, poor braking beast is enough for me and my needs. Gah! I drive myself crazy with the back and forth of it all. Sometimes I wish the damn thing would just break, then my mind would be made up for me. Ha! Trouble is that this rig is like a cockroach. I cannot kill it. It isn't like I don't try to though......

How kingly art thou?

A Pretentious Name:

I got a pair of new tires for the Standard Rando to try out. When I first got the bike, almost a year ago now, to test for RidingGravel.com, it came shod with the narrower, 32mm Panaracer Gravel King tires. They weren't much fun on Iowa gravel, so off they went and I never looked back again at those tires. I knew at the time Panaracer was planning a 40mm version of the tire, so I held out until that tire was available, and here it is.

The really ironic thing about the whole Gravel King line up is that when it was introduced, the first tire was a smooth 28mm skinny-minnie that wouldn't do squat on gravel we have here but maybe cause you to work way too hard and pinch flat. "Some 'gravel king' that tire is!", I thought. Then the 32mm with tread appeared, and, well, that was another fail, at least here. So, now we have a 35mm, which I wanted to try, but was unavailable at this time, and this 40, which I expect to be more than capable. The testing will commence soon and be reported here and on RidingGravel.com.

The thing is, gravel isn't the same everywhere, but here is my point. Gravel tires should be such that you can tackle anything and do it with relative ease. A 28mm tire is not a gravel tire you can take anywhere. No......fat road tire? Maybe. Heck, it is almost a "normal width" for a pavement road bike tire now. Now, a 35-40mm tire? Yes...now we're talking. Is that overkill for some places? Sure it is, but you won't be wanting when you do go to those "other places". And....if your bike can handle big tires, you can always mount skinnier ones. Try that on your Trek Madone.  Okay, that's my rant on the name. It is silly, it doesn't make sense across the range, but whatever. It is what it is......

Trans Iowa v12 Update: 

This past week was spent mostly on dialing in cue sheets. The mileage, which we strive to get right, was off in one, small section, and it would seem to be easy to fix. However; you underestimate the complexity and enormity of the task if you think that.

With several turns, this way and that, markers for road crossings, and name changes, the mileages pile up. Figures differing only one digit or two are common, and it gets to be really easy to mis-transcribe numbers. However; what got us screwed up was our mapping program, which wanted to route back and forth over itself unless you dialed up the resolution on the map to the point you couldn't see the forest for the trees, so to speak. I missed one spot after map clean up and it made the route in one section a quarter mile longer than it should have been. Why the route making program didn't reconfigure the entire route a quarter mile longer, I don't know. I have a way of messing up these sorts of things.

The point is, finally we got the thing straightened out. It went back and forth over the period of a day, but between Jeremy and I, we got it. Now we just have to verify the route via recon the week before Trans Iowa, and print the cues, and..... Whew!

I've gotten a few drop out notices from riders, thanks! It saves us work on our end if we know ahead of time that you cannot make T.I.v12. 

New Logo from the RidingGravel.com Facebook Page

 RidingGravel.com Logo:

We've been working on a new look for RidingGravel.com lately, and we have been coming up with some awesome ideas. Sometimes though, the simplest idea can be way better than anything else you have been looking at.

Case in point: The traffic sign logo that my partner, Ben, came up with, is just killer. In fact, it was so good that he went right ahead and made it our Facebook page avatar. I think it is brilliant.

Now, this doesn't mean that our other ideas went in the circular file. No- It just means that this is the perfect way for us to depict what it is to be riding gravel. Rural, somewhat dangerous, and it is eye catching in a super simple format. I don't know- maybe I am all wrong here- but I like this and I think it fits really well. What do you think?



That's a wrap! Have a fantastic weekend and keep the rubber side down.

Wish List

This wheel with a Rohloff Speed Hub came in for re-lacing recently

Every cyclist has a "wish list". A set of components or bicycles that, if say- you won the lottery today- you'd run out and buy for yourself. I am no different in that department, so I figured, hey! Why not just put it out there. It could be fun, and who knows? They say if you write down your dreams, they are more likely to come true. So, here ya go......

Heading up my "wish list" is a component that I've been intrigued with for several years now. The Rohloff Speed Hub is an internal gear hub featuring 14 speeds. It isn't some gimmicky piece of bicycle engineering either, these hubs have been proven to be a working, reliable, durable component. It would essentially replace the drive train on one of my bicycles and I already have one in mind for this sort of hub. By that I mean that I already have the bicycle I would put one of these on, well......actually two! Why not? I mean, heck......it's a wish list, fer cryin' out loud. One would be a fat bike. The other is currently a drop bar single speed bike. At approximately $1500.00 plus to almost $1800.00 for a hub alone, (depends upon the exact model you want), this hub is a lot of money up front for something I'd just like to give a try. I mean, I may not like it, because I've never ridden one. So, it remains a wish list item to this day.....

That said, the benefits to fat biking and mucky-muck gravel road riding are plain to see. No derailleur to rip off, and a single speed chain, a rear driver cog, and a chain ring will go through a whole lot of stuff a derailleur drive train will not. The wide gearing range is there, so it makes a lot of sense. On a fat bike you get a better tire clearance with the chain to boot. No worries about dragging a chain on the rear tire in low gear there.

Still, that hub price! Ouch!

Big Dummy. Image courtesy of Surly Bikes

Next up would be a Surly Big Dummy frame and fork. I have had an 80's era Schwinn mountain bike set up with an XtraCycle long tail add on for a long time, and I love being able to carry almost anything with the set up, however, it has its drawbacks. For one thing, my set up is a bike + add on, which makes for flexy flying under heavy loads. Not to mention the weak brakes, and limited tire clearances. I would use this more if it were a turnkey, integrated long tail solution, which is what the Big Dummy frame and fork is. I don't really need a complete Big Dummy, but hey! This is a wish list, so.... But my thoughts were that, ya know, I do have plenty of spare parts and I could almost kit out a full build for a Big Dummy with just what I have laying about.

That would leave me with a much stiffer, better braking, better handling cargo bike that I would use a lot more than my current XtraCycled Schwinn I have now. In fact, it probably would replace my current townie bike as well. The frame and fork, for me, aren't out of the realm of purchasing, but other small projects in my cycling world tend to push this back on the back burner too often.

These would be the kind of wheels I would put on a Big Dummy

Finally, for this edition of the "Wish List", I would add the Surly Extraterrestrial tires mounted to Velocity Blunt 35 rims,  and a set of disc brake hubs of some sort. Those would go on the above Big Dummy frame and fork.

My Project 1X1 Surly bike has similar wheels, only with the Velocity Cliff Hanger rims, and this wheel set up is a phenomenally great ride and would be perfect for a Big Dummy, in my opinion. You'd get a tubeless set up for worry free urban riding, a cushy ride feel, and those big fat meats just are awesome looking on a bike. That's an important technical consideration, by the way.

Well, that's maybe not the list you might expect me to write up, and certainly, if I really thought I was going to win the lottery, (which I will not, since I don't play it), I would really shoot for the moon. No, this is a "wish list" based somewhat on reality! Reality and practicality. It would be stuff I really would put to good use, and would allow me to accomplish leaving the car/truck at home even more often than I do already. It is a list of stuff I have been thinking about for a long, long time. Maybe, as I stated above, since I've written about it, I will be more focused on actually doing something about it. Maybe.....

But then there are things like $1250.00 timing belt jobs for the "Truck With No Name" that need to be done sooner than later, house maintenance stuff I need to spend some money to get done, and more. Not to mention getting that Twin Six bike up and running, fixing the Vaya so I can ride it, and getting that bottom bracket out of that Karate Monkey, which I've written about several times here.

On second thought, that Karate Monkey reminds me that writing about stuff doesn't really help get things done after all. It's all just wishful thinking, I suppose!

Wish List

This wheel with a Rohloff Speed Hub came in for re-lacing recently

Every cyclist has a "wish list". A set of components or bicycles that, if say- you won the lottery today- you'd run out and buy for yourself. I am no different in that department, so I figured, hey! Why not just put it out there. It could be fun, and who knows? They say if you write down your dreams, they are more likely to come true. So, here ya go......

Heading up my "wish list" is a component that I've been intrigued with for several years now. The Rohloff Speed Hub is an internal gear hub featuring 14 speeds. It isn't some gimmicky piece of bicycle engineering either, these hubs have been proven to be a working, reliable, durable component. It would essentially replace the drive train on one of my bicycles and I already have one in mind for this sort of hub. By that I mean that I already have the bicycle I would put one of these on, well......actually two! Why not? I mean, heck......it's a wish list, fer cryin' out loud. One would be a fat bike. The other is currently a drop bar single speed bike. At approximately $1500.00 plus to almost $1800.00 for a hub alone, (depends upon the exact model you want), this hub is a lot of money up front for something I'd just like to give a try. I mean, I may not like it, because I've never ridden one. So, it remains a wish list item to this day.....

That said, the benefits to fat biking and mucky-muck gravel road riding are plain to see. No derailleur to rip off, and a single speed chain, a rear driver cog, and a chain ring will go through a whole lot of stuff a derailleur drive train will not. The wide gearing range is there, so it makes a lot of sense. On a fat bike you get a better tire clearance with the chain to boot. No worries about dragging a chain on the rear tire in low gear there.

Still, that hub price! Ouch!

Big Dummy. Image courtesy of Surly Bikes

Next up would be a Surly Big Dummy frame and fork. I have had an 80's era Schwinn mountain bike set up with an XtraCycle long tail add on for a long time, and I love being able to carry almost anything with the set up, however, it has its drawbacks. For one thing, my set up is a bike + add on, which makes for flexy flying under heavy loads. Not to mention the weak brakes, and limited tire clearances. I would use this more if it were a turnkey, integrated long tail solution, which is what the Big Dummy frame and fork is. I don't really need a complete Big Dummy, but hey! This is a wish list, so.... But my thoughts were that, ya know, I do have plenty of spare parts and I could almost kit out a full build for a Big Dummy with just what I have laying about.

That would leave me with a much stiffer, better braking, better handling cargo bike that I would use a lot more than my current XtraCycled Schwinn I have now. In fact, it probably would replace my current townie bike as well. The frame and fork, for me, aren't out of the realm of purchasing, but other small projects in my cycling world tend to push this back on the back burner too often.

These would be the kind of wheels I would put on a Big Dummy

Finally, for this edition of the "Wish List", I would add the Surly Extraterrestrial tires mounted to Velocity Blunt 35 rims,  and a set of disc brake hubs of some sort. Those would go on the above Big Dummy frame and fork.

My Project 1X1 Surly bike has similar wheels, only with the Velocity Cliff Hanger rims, and this wheel set up is a phenomenally great ride and would be perfect for a Big Dummy, in my opinion. You'd get a tubeless set up for worry free urban riding, a cushy ride feel, and those big fat meats just are awesome looking on a bike. That's an important technical consideration, by the way.

Well, that's maybe not the list you might expect me to write up, and certainly, if I really thought I was going to win the lottery, (which I will not, since I don't play it), I would really shoot for the moon. No, this is a "wish list" based somewhat on reality! Reality and practicality. It would be stuff I really would put to good use, and would allow me to accomplish leaving the car/truck at home even more often than I do already. It is a list of stuff I have been thinking about for a long, long time. Maybe, as I stated above, since I've written about it, I will be more focused on actually doing something about it. Maybe.....

But then there are things like $1250.00 timing belt jobs for the "Truck With No Name" that need to be done sooner than later, house maintenance stuff I need to spend some money to get done, and more. Not to mention getting that Twin Six bike up and running, fixing the Vaya so I can ride it, and getting that bottom bracket out of that Karate Monkey, which I've written about several times here.

On second thought, that Karate Monkey reminds me that writing about stuff doesn't really help get things done after all. It's all just wishful thinking, I suppose!

Bike Parts Swap

Haulin' and swappin'

Yesterday was a big day of getting stuff done around the shop. I have a long, long way to go yet, don't get me wrong, but this made a big dent into a lot of what I needed to get done.

A short list then...

• Ancient late 90's Manitou Titanium Spring fork off to a new home in Illinois.
• Old Bontrager wheel set off to a new home in Cedar Falls. 
• A new-to-me fat bike wheel- (traded for the wheel set and a rigid fork)- Marge Lite, DMR hub, Bud tire. 
• Restored two wheel sets with fresh sealant.
• Tweaked the Sawyer back to B+ glory after a brief test with a different tire on its wheel. 
•  Started cleaning up the Fargo GEN 2 with a fresh set of tires and will be getting the rigid fork back on for Winter, but I didn't quite get that far.....yet!

The fat bike wheel is an interesting pick up. The wheel itself will end up on the son's bike. At some point another Marge Lite will be laced up to a rear hub in red, (his favorite color), and the front re-laced to a front brake standard red ano hub to match. (Then he can have TWO brakes!) I'll get the Bud. That's going on the Snow Dog. That bike is up for drive train updates and another matching Bud for the rear of the bike. Hopefully before the snow arrives.



 Swapping now and plans for swapping later! And then the imminent arrival of the Blackborow cannot be forgotten. It's going to be a good Winter.........

Bike Parts Swap

Haulin' and swappin'

Yesterday was a big day of getting stuff done around the shop. I have a long, long way to go yet, don't get me wrong, but this made a big dent into a lot of what I needed to get done.

A short list then...

• Ancient late 90's Manitou Titanium Spring fork off to a new home in Illinois.
• Old Bontrager wheel set off to a new home in Cedar Falls. 
• A new-to-me fat bike wheel- (traded for the wheel set and a rigid fork)- Marge Lite, DMR hub, Bud tire. 
• Restored two wheel sets with fresh sealant.
• Tweaked the Sawyer back to B+ glory after a brief test with a different tire on its wheel. 
•  Started cleaning up the Fargo GEN 2 with a fresh set of tires and will be getting the rigid fork back on for Winter, but I didn't quite get that far.....yet!

The fat bike wheel is an interesting pick up. The wheel itself will end up on the son's bike. At some point another Marge Lite will be laced up to a rear hub in red, (his favorite color), and the front re-laced to a front brake standard red ano hub to match. (Then he can have TWO brakes!) I'll get the Bud. That's going on the Snow Dog. That bike is up for drive train updates and another matching Bud for the rear of the bike. Hopefully before the snow arrives.



 Swapping now and plans for swapping later! And then the imminent arrival of the Blackborow cannot be forgotten. It's going to be a good Winter.........

Utility Bike Dreams

It ain't much, but it gets the job done!

Here's my Xtracycled Schwinn Sierra circa 1987 or so rig that I use for errands. It really isn't anything all that amazing, excepting that it is maybe the most versatile bike I have in the stable. It hauls about anything I've a mind to try to strap to it, but that's not really what makes it so useful for me.

It is perhaps the only bike, aside from my rat-rod fixie Raleigh, that I would leave unlocked anywhere around here. The thing is too ungainly, ugly, and weird for most folks here, so it provides me with an easy solution to just hop on and go down and get some milk, a pint of beer, or whatever. I have Ergon pedals on it, which I've used barefooted, (although I don't recommend doing that regularly!), so no special footwear required here. I don't hardly ever wear a helmet when I ride it, so no special head gear required. It's got some minimalistic tail lights and a head light, so I can go out at night anytime I want to run and do something quick.

So why would I want to change that? Oh........I dunno! Maybe I'm just being a bike nerd. I really should just leave well enough alone. This thing is nearly maintenance free, I got the donor bike for free, and the Xtracycle kit I traded an old touring bike for. I bought some cables and housing, used my old rear wheel from my '92 Klein Attitude, and bought a rear tire for it for under $20.00. The front tire was a cast off from my buddy Jeff Kerkove, who was sponsored by WTB about ten years ago. It's an "EpicWolf" tire, by the way. The model that Specialized made WTB change to "ExiWolf".

Maybe someday.....

So, the old Xtracycle doesn't owe me a thing, and it just keeps on keepin' on. Still, there are times when I feel like a newer, slicker rig would get me to think about using a cargo bike more. Maybe a "real" cargo bike like the Big Dummy, which I could swap my stuff over to and what I don't have, I could source from the parts bin.

Would it really be "better"? I suppose it would function better, but then I would have a bike that I wouldn't feel comfortable just parking outside the convenience store unlocked either. Hmm.............maybe not so convenient? I would have a rig that would handle heavy loads better, with better brakes and better stiffness. But I don't hardly ever use my current rig in situations where those things come up. Maybe I don't need that level of bike?

And then if I do go with a Big Dummy, I have an old, unloved Schwinn Sierra. That's not a good thing, but you know......I suppose I could find a good home for it!

Utility Bike Dreams

It ain't much, but it gets the job done!

Here's my Xtracycled Schwinn Sierra circa 1987 or so rig that I use for errands. It really isn't anything all that amazing, excepting that it is maybe the most versatile bike I have in the stable. It hauls about anything I've a mind to try to strap to it, but that's not really what makes it so useful for me.

It is perhaps the only bike, aside from my rat-rod fixie Raleigh, that I would leave unlocked anywhere around here. The thing is too ungainly, ugly, and weird for most folks here, so it provides me with an easy solution to just hop on and go down and get some milk, a pint of beer, or whatever. I have Ergon pedals on it, which I've used barefooted, (although I don't recommend doing that regularly!), so no special footwear required here. I don't hardly ever wear a helmet when I ride it, so no special head gear required. It's got some minimalistic tail lights and a head light, so I can go out at night anytime I want to run and do something quick.

So why would I want to change that? Oh........I dunno! Maybe I'm just being a bike nerd. I really should just leave well enough alone. This thing is nearly maintenance free, I got the donor bike for free, and the Xtracycle kit I traded an old touring bike for. I bought some cables and housing, used my old rear wheel from my '92 Klein Attitude, and bought a rear tire for it for under $20.00. The front tire was a cast off from my buddy Jeff Kerkove, who was sponsored by WTB about ten years ago. It's an "EpicWolf" tire, by the way. The model that Specialized made WTB change to "ExiWolf".

Maybe someday.....

So, the old Xtracycle doesn't owe me a thing, and it just keeps on keepin' on. Still, there are times when I feel like a newer, slicker rig would get me to think about using a cargo bike more. Maybe a "real" cargo bike like the Big Dummy, which I could swap my stuff over to and what I don't have, I could source from the parts bin.

Would it really be "better"? I suppose it would function better, but then I would have a bike that I wouldn't feel comfortable just parking outside the convenience store unlocked either. Hmm.............maybe not so convenient? I would have a rig that would handle heavy loads better, with better brakes and better stiffness. But I don't hardly ever use my current rig in situations where those things come up. Maybe I don't need that level of bike?

And then if I do go with a Big Dummy, I have an old, unloved Schwinn Sierra. That's not a good thing, but you know......I suppose I could find a good home for it!

Zoinked!

I guess it goes without saying that it has been incredibly hot outside of late. That has really affected me in the past few days.

First of all, it affected me in a personal/family sense when one of our A/C units went down and the upstairs of this old house of mine became unbearably hot.  I had to do something, and it happened to fall out that I was able to make a trade with a co-worker for a good, slightly used A/C unit.

I got that installed on Friday evening and the house became a bit less beastly, which made Mrs. Guitar Ted happy, and that is a good thing. Next I had the 3GR for Saturday morning, and the heat wasn't going away just yet.

The 3GR ended up being a solo ride. I decided to head out on the typical route to measure it to see how long it was, since I hadn't done that before. I followed a fellow out on the paved section that had a pretty blue road machine, and then hit the gravel. I wasn't feeling too bad going East, holding my speed and everything was working fine despite the heat. Then I turned North.

The 3GR route backwards up Streeter Road is not very smooth , with chunky gravel all the way to the county line and the hills, of course. that combined with a Northerly breeze made me work pretty hard. Okay, still not bad, but I was working hard. The hills up by the Camp weren't bad, and then I saw a few cars in the Camp's South side grassy parking area.

It was Karmen, Alan, and Paul having a little pow-wow concerning the trails. They do the oversight and maintenance up there on those trails. I decided to swing in for a chat. Then I took my leave after about 10-15 minutes and finished out the route. 26.75 miles, by the way. Knocked it out in 2 hours including chat time.

Then I decided to do an errand after lunch with my Xtracycle. The box wasn't all that heavy, and there was a nice breeze, but this was in the heat of the day, and after I got home, I was super-fatigued. I felt like I could have gone straight to sleep, but I layed down and took it easy instead. I never really did recover all the rest of the day. Definitely "zoinked" by the heat!

Zoinked!

I guess it goes without saying that it has been incredibly hot outside of late. That has really affected me in the past few days.

First of all, it affected me in a personal/family sense when one of our A/C units went down and the upstairs of this old house of mine became unbearably hot.  I had to do something, and it happened to fall out that I was able to make a trade with a co-worker for a good, slightly used A/C unit.

I got that installed on Friday evening and the house became a bit less beastly, which made Mrs. Guitar Ted happy, and that is a good thing. Next I had the 3GR for Saturday morning, and the heat wasn't going away just yet.

The 3GR ended up being a solo ride. I decided to head out on the typical route to measure it to see how long it was, since I hadn't done that before. I followed a fellow out on the paved section that had a pretty blue road machine, and then hit the gravel. I wasn't feeling too bad going East, holding my speed and everything was working fine despite the heat. Then I turned North.

The 3GR route backwards up Streeter Road is not very smooth , with chunky gravel all the way to the county line and the hills, of course. that combined with a Northerly breeze made me work pretty hard. Okay, still not bad, but I was working hard. The hills up by the Camp weren't bad, and then I saw a few cars in the Camp's South side grassy parking area.

It was Karmen, Alan, and Paul having a little pow-wow concerning the trails. They do the oversight and maintenance up there on those trails. I decided to swing in for a chat. Then I took my leave after about 10-15 minutes and finished out the route. 26.75 miles, by the way. Knocked it out in 2 hours including chat time.

Then I decided to do an errand after lunch with my Xtracycle. The box wasn't all that heavy, and there was a nice breeze, but this was in the heat of the day, and after I got home, I was super-fatigued. I felt like I could have gone straight to sleep, but I layed down and took it easy instead. I never really did recover all the rest of the day. Definitely "zoinked" by the heat!

"Pretty Smart" Bike

Sun "Atlas" Cargo Bike

I didn't do my usual routine on Saturday. Typically, I wake up, spend some time with my kids, and then go do a mountain bike ride at the Camp. Not this day though.

Mrs. Guitar Ted was out of town visiting a friend, and so I had to be "Mr. Mom" for the day until our good family friend came over and took the kids to a movie. My turn to get a quick bicycle ride in, right? Not so fast......

I actually had decided that this weekend was my very last chance to get something done that I had been putting off consistently since last summer. The sidewalk leading out from the house had "decayed" just a bit, and that issue wasn't going away. In fact, it actually had been kind of gnawing away at me of late. So, I was motivated by that and the fact that outdoors construction projects were going to be a bad idea in a matter of days.

So, I played with some cement during the afternoon. Fortunately I have plenty of previous experience with cement and my helping out with the Northfield Criterium over the 4th of July weekend had provided a bit of a refresher course in patching with Qwikrete. Job done, I cleaned up just as my kids got back from the movies.

Well, I was going to make some home-made pizza for us, so I needed a bit more shredded cheese. I decided to let the kids know I'd be gone for a little bit, then I grabbed my Xtracycled Schwinn Sierra, and I pedaled off to the convenience store.

I was waiting to pay at the counter when I excused myself and made way for an employee to walk through. She was a cute young woman, and well......that was that, I figured. I walked out with my purchase and here she was standing by my bicycle. She was unsuccessfully trying to light up a cigarette, and I met her eyes and said hello.

She could have just went on flicking that Bic, but instead she dropped her arms and said, "Is that your bike? Did you make that?" I explained that it was a kit bolted to a standard mountain bike. She asked me if someone could ride "back there", and I said yes. Then she said "That's a really smart bike." 

I was chuffed.

Well, as I rode home, I thought about the ol' Schwinn and I have been contemplating the upgrade. It could be the bike in the image above. That Atlas has a lot going for it. 4130 CroMo frame, 48 spoke rear/36 spoke frt wheels with 38mm wide rims. (!!) The back is compatible with Xtracycle bags too. However; the components are pretty cheesy. I could just ride them into the ground, and upgrade later though, so maybe.......

Hard to beat a Big Dummy though. Either way.....they are really smart bikes, aren't they?

"Pretty Smart" Bike

Sun "Atlas" Cargo Bike

I didn't do my usual routine on Saturday. Typically, I wake up, spend some time with my kids, and then go do a mountain bike ride at the Camp. Not this day though.

Mrs. Guitar Ted was out of town visiting a friend, and so I had to be "Mr. Mom" for the day until our good family friend came over and took the kids to a movie. My turn to get a quick bicycle ride in, right? Not so fast......

I actually had decided that this weekend was my very last chance to get something done that I had been putting off consistently since last summer. The sidewalk leading out from the house had "decayed" just a bit, and that issue wasn't going away. In fact, it actually had been kind of gnawing away at me of late. So, I was motivated by that and the fact that outdoors construction projects were going to be a bad idea in a matter of days.

So, I played with some cement during the afternoon. Fortunately I have plenty of previous experience with cement and my helping out with the Northfield Criterium over the 4th of July weekend had provided a bit of a refresher course in patching with Qwikrete. Job done, I cleaned up just as my kids got back from the movies.

Well, I was going to make some home-made pizza for us, so I needed a bit more shredded cheese. I decided to let the kids know I'd be gone for a little bit, then I grabbed my Xtracycled Schwinn Sierra, and I pedaled off to the convenience store.

I was waiting to pay at the counter when I excused myself and made way for an employee to walk through. She was a cute young woman, and well......that was that, I figured. I walked out with my purchase and here she was standing by my bicycle. She was unsuccessfully trying to light up a cigarette, and I met her eyes and said hello.

She could have just went on flicking that Bic, but instead she dropped her arms and said, "Is that your bike? Did you make that?" I explained that it was a kit bolted to a standard mountain bike. She asked me if someone could ride "back there", and I said yes. Then she said "That's a really smart bike." 

I was chuffed.

Well, as I rode home, I thought about the ol' Schwinn and I have been contemplating the upgrade. It could be the bike in the image above. That Atlas has a lot going for it. 4130 CroMo frame, 48 spoke rear/36 spoke frt wheels with 38mm wide rims. (!!) The back is compatible with Xtracycle bags too. However; the components are pretty cheesy. I could just ride them into the ground, and upgrade later though, so maybe.......

Hard to beat a Big Dummy though. Either way.....they are really smart bikes, aren't they?

Friday News And Views

Image credit: NCNCA CX Blog

It is cyclocross season and all over the nation folks are getting into all sorts of CX events. Typically the cyclocross season lasts from Fall through the winter months.

Originally it was a way for road bikers in Europe to engage in a winter-time competition when roads and weather were not conducive to holding typical road events. Going through little used pathways, grassy areas, or even cross country off road, the cyclocrosser was not your typical cyclist for many years. That has changed recently.

Now I hear that the Sea Otter Classic, the festival of mountain biking held near Monterey, California, is going to hold cyclocross races as part of its rather large menu of mountain bike and road racing events. Some cyclocross fanatics are aghast. Cyclocross in the spring? 

Well, if Sea Otter lives up to its reputation for wet weather, it makes perfect sense to me. Sea Otter has hills, (many of which are as steep and as long as those in the image at left), and I think a real, epic length, back-country cyclocross race would be superb out there. However; they probably will make it "spectator friendly" and have a compact course that will promote close in racing. Too bad. They could really do something unique and different out there with that layout. Fort Ord anyone?

Since Sea Otter is in spring, it makes the cyclocross season a bit more vague. Should cyclocross be done after winter is over? I guess that when cyclocross is so popular, with a huge amount of grassroots support, why not? Who knows? maybe cyclocross will become a year-round pursuit. 

Do it by bicycle!

Its been heavily promoted that most trips taken to run errands are two miles in length, or less. Because of this, bicycling advocates say that you should consider using a bicycle to do those things.

Obviously, you wouldn't be using a car, and if you did enough errand running, say half of your errands by car, you would save wear and tear on your car, save gas money, and perhaps, maybe become a bit healthier as well. Bike nerds have been saying this for years. Many non-bike nerds have thought bike nerds were "full of it" Well, there was their side and the other side, until now. A scientific side has emerged which lends some credence to what I would say is common sense, but what do I know? 

Here is an article making some grandiose claims, but I think even taken conservatively, the effects are enormous. I know that in my life, the definite "goodness" of using a bicycle is undeniable. Even when it gets cold. Really.

In fact, I can see such a benefit that I have decided to invest in better equipment to take the concept further. When I "Xtra-cycled" the Schwinn, (seen in the image here hauling the green mountain bike), it was just for kicks. I didn't think it would be something I would use as much as I ended up using it. In fact, I am amazed at how I find more ways to want to use it, but the inadequacies of the bolt on unit and old-school mtb combination have been holding me back a bit. So, I am up-grading to a Big Dummy frame this spring. 

Then we'll see some real haulin' goin on!

Trans Iowa V8 News: If you haven't already seen the T.I.V8 post concerning the "Pre-Race Meat-Up" then check it out- We're going back to the Grinnell Steakhouse again. Yup- grillin' and chillin'. I will likely do things like we have the past two years, with a 5 o'clock check in and meeting time at 7:00pm, but I will post exact details later. Just remember- this is a required meeting for anyone that wants to race in T.I.V8 that got on the roster.

Oh yeah......the roster! How do you get on it? Well, details will be posted very soon,  but know this- Black Friday will be the opening of registration for T.I.V8.

Stay tuned...........

Have a great weekend, and ride yer bicycles!

Friday News And Views

Image credit: NCNCA CX Blog

It is cyclocross season and all over the nation folks are getting into all sorts of CX events. Typically the cyclocross season lasts from Fall through the winter months.

Originally it was a way for road bikers in Europe to engage in a winter-time competition when roads and weather were not conducive to holding typical road events. Going through little used pathways, grassy areas, or even cross country off road, the cyclocrosser was not your typical cyclist for many years. That has changed recently.

Now I hear that the Sea Otter Classic, the festival of mountain biking held near Monterey, California, is going to hold cyclocross races as part of its rather large menu of mountain bike and road racing events. Some cyclocross fanatics are aghast. Cyclocross in the spring? 

Well, if Sea Otter lives up to its reputation for wet weather, it makes perfect sense to me. Sea Otter has hills, (many of which are as steep and as long as those in the image at left), and I think a real, epic length, back-country cyclocross race would be superb out there. However; they probably will make it "spectator friendly" and have a compact course that will promote close in racing. Too bad. They could really do something unique and different out there with that layout. Fort Ord anyone?

Since Sea Otter is in spring, it makes the cyclocross season a bit more vague. Should cyclocross be done after winter is over? I guess that when cyclocross is so popular, with a huge amount of grassroots support, why not? Who knows? maybe cyclocross will become a year-round pursuit. 

Do it by bicycle!

Its been heavily promoted that most trips taken to run errands are two miles in length, or less. Because of this, bicycling advocates say that you should consider using a bicycle to do those things.

Obviously, you wouldn't be using a car, and if you did enough errand running, say half of your errands by car, you would save wear and tear on your car, save gas money, and perhaps, maybe become a bit healthier as well. Bike nerds have been saying this for years. Many non-bike nerds have thought bike nerds were "full of it" Well, there was their side and the other side, until now. A scientific side has emerged which lends some credence to what I would say is common sense, but what do I know? 

Here is an article making some grandiose claims, but I think even taken conservatively, the effects are enormous. I know that in my life, the definite "goodness" of using a bicycle is undeniable. Even when it gets cold. Really.

In fact, I can see such a benefit that I have decided to invest in better equipment to take the concept further. When I "Xtra-cycled" the Schwinn, (seen in the image here hauling the green mountain bike), it was just for kicks. I didn't think it would be something I would use as much as I ended up using it. In fact, I am amazed at how I find more ways to want to use it, but the inadequacies of the bolt on unit and old-school mtb combination have been holding me back a bit. So, I am up-grading to a Big Dummy frame this spring. 

Then we'll see some real haulin' goin on!

Trans Iowa V8 News: If you haven't already seen the T.I.V8 post concerning the "Pre-Race Meat-Up" then check it out- We're going back to the Grinnell Steakhouse again. Yup- grillin' and chillin'. I will likely do things like we have the past two years, with a 5 o'clock check in and meeting time at 7:00pm, but I will post exact details later. Just remember- this is a required meeting for anyone that wants to race in T.I.V8 that got on the roster.

Oh yeah......the roster! How do you get on it? Well, details will be posted very soon,  but know this- Black Friday will be the opening of registration for T.I.V8.

Stay tuned...........

Have a great weekend, and ride yer bicycles!

Of Two Rides

Yesterday was about the difference between two rides that I took. One off road, and one on. The off road ride happened in the morning out at Camp Ingawanis. They just had a race out there Sunday, and I had heard that the trails were in great shape. So, I took out the Sawyer with the Gates Carbon Drive Center Track on it to give it another trail test.

Got a Carbon Fiber Kickstand!

The trails were really great, well........except where some big ol' tree crashed down through the canopy and blocked the trail! Right at the furthest west point as you go in, at the turn to the right, where you go down hill for a bit, there it was. It looked very odd. As far as I can tell, the tree, which was very tall and had no real lower branches to speak of, looked to have just rotted in half, with the top portion crashing down through the shorter trees, and breaking some of these off.

The blockage is immense. Not sure how that'll get dealt with, because it would be a massive job with a chainsaw as it stands now. At any rate, you have to bushwhack your way around it now. No two ways about it.

Besides this check, it was smooth sailing. Spiders are making their presence known by stringing webs across the trail again. It is that time of the year when you will get that. It wasn't very bad yesterday, but I bet it will be in the coming weeks. First guy through will get the honors each day!

It was coolish, lower humidity, and bright and clear for this ride. I got done what I needed to get done, and left for home. Legs felt great for the first time since the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. Powered up the climbs really well on the single speed. Oh! Yeah, and about that Center Track: Good stuff, performance-wise. Very nice. I'll have more to say on this soon.....

This Side Up?

The next ride was a fun, cargo bike ride. I had to box up the Airborne Goblin and send it to the bike shop so it could be picked up for shipping.

I love doing this sort of thing by bicycle. It is so much more relaxing and fun than driving my truck. There is only the issue of the "donor bike" I used to affix the Xtracycle Free Radical to.

It is an old 80's era Schwinn, and really isn't a bad bike to hitch this long tail to, but with the size of the loads I can get to carry on it, I am experiencing a lot of flexy, flapping around. Steel tubes that were never designed for this sort of loading, ya know?  I am pretty serious about committing to doing more of this sort of riding and hauling in the future, so my mind was running across the options today.

I could easily get a Surly Big Dummy or a Trek Transport. The frame for the Big Dummy would easily take the Xtracycle stuff I already have. The Trek comes with some cool features like fenders, swapable dropouts for a possible internal geared hub switch, and the side racks fold up. Plus it has a nice front rack too. Decisions...

Another idea was to look at a Surly trailer, keep the Schwinn as is for errands, groceries, and what not, and do the "heavy lifting" with the trailer, which would fit about any 29"er I have around here.

Well, at any rate, the ol' Goblin boxed up was heavy! I was swaying and wagging up hill most of the way, and then back home empty it was just peachy. Then I mowed the lawn, and that zapped the last bit of energy I had in me. By this time it was hot, and of course, that played into the feelings of wanting to sleep at 4pm quite a bit!

Ahh! All in a good day's work.....

Of Two Rides

Yesterday was about the difference between two rides that I took. One off road, and one on. The off road ride happened in the morning out at Camp Ingawanis. They just had a race out there Sunday, and I had heard that the trails were in great shape. So, I took out the Sawyer with the Gates Carbon Drive Center Track on it to give it another trail test.

Got a Carbon Fiber Kickstand!

The trails were really great, well........except where some big ol' tree crashed down through the canopy and blocked the trail! Right at the furthest west point as you go in, at the turn to the right, where you go down hill for a bit, there it was. It looked very odd. As far as I can tell, the tree, which was very tall and had no real lower branches to speak of, looked to have just rotted in half, with the top portion crashing down through the shorter trees, and breaking some of these off.

The blockage is immense. Not sure how that'll get dealt with, because it would be a massive job with a chainsaw as it stands now. At any rate, you have to bushwhack your way around it now. No two ways about it.

Besides this check, it was smooth sailing. Spiders are making their presence known by stringing webs across the trail again. It is that time of the year when you will get that. It wasn't very bad yesterday, but I bet it will be in the coming weeks. First guy through will get the honors each day!

It was coolish, lower humidity, and bright and clear for this ride. I got done what I needed to get done, and left for home. Legs felt great for the first time since the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. Powered up the climbs really well on the single speed. Oh! Yeah, and about that Center Track: Good stuff, performance-wise. Very nice. I'll have more to say on this soon.....

This Side Up?

The next ride was a fun, cargo bike ride. I had to box up the Airborne Goblin and send it to the bike shop so it could be picked up for shipping.

I love doing this sort of thing by bicycle. It is so much more relaxing and fun than driving my truck. There is only the issue of the "donor bike" I used to affix the Xtracycle Free Radical to.

It is an old 80's era Schwinn, and really isn't a bad bike to hitch this long tail to, but with the size of the loads I can get to carry on it, I am experiencing a lot of flexy, flapping around. Steel tubes that were never designed for this sort of loading, ya know?  I am pretty serious about committing to doing more of this sort of riding and hauling in the future, so my mind was running across the options today.

I could easily get a Surly Big Dummy or a Trek Transport. The frame for the Big Dummy would easily take the Xtracycle stuff I already have. The Trek comes with some cool features like fenders, swapable dropouts for a possible internal geared hub switch, and the side racks fold up. Plus it has a nice front rack too. Decisions...

Another idea was to look at a Surly trailer, keep the Schwinn as is for errands, groceries, and what not, and do the "heavy lifting" with the trailer, which would fit about any 29"er I have around here.

Well, at any rate, the ol' Goblin boxed up was heavy! I was swaying and wagging up hill most of the way, and then back home empty it was just peachy. Then I mowed the lawn, and that zapped the last bit of energy I had in me. By this time it was hot, and of course, that played into the feelings of wanting to sleep at 4pm quite a bit!

Ahh! All in a good day's work.....

A Pretty Good Day

Saturday was a pretty dang good day. one of those days you don't want to have end. The weather was top notch, and there was lots of cycling involved, of course.

It started out with sleeping in late. I know some of my friends are "early morning" types, and cherish that early morning ride. I get that, but there is something decadent about sleeping in late that I find appealing. So, my day started out with a moderate amount of that.

Then it was off to the shop on the Xtracycle to retrieve the Airborne Goblin 29 I have in for testing on Twenty Nine Inches. It took a bit of head scratching to get it on there safely, but it wasn't anything that a board, a ByKyle Simple Strap or two, and some various bungee cords couldn't fix!  A few test bumps to make sure I had everything strapped down tight, and I was off.

Once I got the Goblin 29 home, I had to take some images of it. So, I spent some time goofing around with the camera. In the meantime, I had my son come out with his bicycle. He wanted to try and ride some. Well, I figured it was time he tried a few new things. First, I had him roll over a three inch diameter branch. Then I took that away, and taught him how to stand and coast. Then I brought back the branch and showed him how to absorb the bump with his legs and arms. He felt the difference, and the lesson was successful.

The women of the house were off shopping, so we had to fend for ourselves for lunch. I took my son on the back of the Xtracycle to get some vittles which we took to a local park and had a picnic with. Then it was back home up some alleyways and finally back home.

After awhile, the women came home, and I was cleared for a shake down ride on the Goblin. The woods were filled with Bluebells and reminded me of one of my first dates with Mrs. Guitar Ted where I took her for a walk to show her the bluebells and fell head long into a mud puddle! Ah! The memories...... But I digress.

I headed back after a good hour and a half of making sure the bike was working correctly. Then I started up the grill and cooked a mess of meat up while I sipped on a cold Negro Modelo on a fine late spring evening. I looked at the westering sun and thought, "This has been a pretty good day."

Yup! One of those I'd gladly repeat. 

The next day was Mother's day, of course, and I visited my Mom and had a great time. Mostly spent the day relaxing. It was another really good day.

Hopefully your weekend went well too.

A Pretty Good Day

Saturday was a pretty dang good day. one of those days you don't want to have end. The weather was top notch, and there was lots of cycling involved, of course.

It started out with sleeping in late. I know some of my friends are "early morning" types, and cherish that early morning ride. I get that, but there is something decadent about sleeping in late that I find appealing. So, my day started out with a moderate amount of that.

Then it was off to the shop on the Xtracycle to retrieve the Airborne Goblin 29 I have in for testing on Twenty Nine Inches. It took a bit of head scratching to get it on there safely, but it wasn't anything that a board, a ByKyle Simple Strap or two, and some various bungee cords couldn't fix!  A few test bumps to make sure I had everything strapped down tight, and I was off.

Once I got the Goblin 29 home, I had to take some images of it. So, I spent some time goofing around with the camera. In the meantime, I had my son come out with his bicycle. He wanted to try and ride some. Well, I figured it was time he tried a few new things. First, I had him roll over a three inch diameter branch. Then I took that away, and taught him how to stand and coast. Then I brought back the branch and showed him how to absorb the bump with his legs and arms. He felt the difference, and the lesson was successful.

The women of the house were off shopping, so we had to fend for ourselves for lunch. I took my son on the back of the Xtracycle to get some vittles which we took to a local park and had a picnic with. Then it was back home up some alleyways and finally back home.

After awhile, the women came home, and I was cleared for a shake down ride on the Goblin. The woods were filled with Bluebells and reminded me of one of my first dates with Mrs. Guitar Ted where I took her for a walk to show her the bluebells and fell head long into a mud puddle! Ah! The memories...... But I digress.

I headed back after a good hour and a half of making sure the bike was working correctly. Then I started up the grill and cooked a mess of meat up while I sipped on a cold Negro Modelo on a fine late spring evening. I looked at the westering sun and thought, "This has been a pretty good day."

Yup! One of those I'd gladly repeat. 

The next day was Mother's day, of course, and I visited my Mom and had a great time. Mostly spent the day relaxing. It was another really good day.

Hopefully your weekend went well too.

A Bit Of Sunshine

Sun Through The Pine Trees: image by Captain Bob and Guitar Ted

The past couple of days have been highly stressful and I've been sort of a wreck. Captain Bob  got ahold of me Tuesday and asked if I would be up for a ride at The Camp on Wednesday. I took him up on the offer.

It was a much needed time on the bike with a good friend. (Thanks Captain!)

After I arrived back home, I conjured up a plan to retrieve some goods sent by Gu Nutrition for T.I.V7. I grabbed the Xtracycle and pedaled over to the shop.

And........I got loaded! 

Well, not "loaded" in the intoxicated sense, but, well....... the image says it all, really!

That's five cases of Gu Nutrition product on there folks. It was heavy! The frame was swaying all over the place and wiggling made it worse. It was like riding rollers- the calmer and smoother you rode it, the better off you were and the "quieter" the frame was.

Mashing even the least little bit on the pedals resulted in a womble that would start to resonate and I never let it get beyond that. I was afraid the frame would break!

Slow and easy was the order of the day, and I made it home without any issues in 40 minutes. Not bad for a commute that normally takes about 20 minutes at "normal" speeds.  Plus, I saved a bunch of gas money, and got a great exercise in form!

I got a few odd looks from passers-by, but as I usually find, when it comes to bicycles, only the children that noticed me were smiling and thought it was really interesting. Adults can be such a bore sometimes!

Snow Dog Down: 50 Days and counting......