Wednesday News And Views

Cycling? What's That?: You may have noticed that I have not posted about riding lately. That's because- let's just get this out of the way- it has been a brutal winter. We just got dumped on again last night with at least 4-5 inches of pow-pow. Seriously.......down hill skiers would kill for this stuff. Why do we have it? I guess we have it so I can cross train. Then the cold. We're supposed to approach 20 degrees below zero tonight! Thankfully we are supposed to get into the upper 20's by the weekend.

Dirty Kanza 200: Allrighty then. I got into this dealio again. I made a family vacation plan that includes this. Unless something drastic happens, I'll be there. Otherwise, I am not going to say much about this. No "training updates", no plans hashed and rehashed on this site ad nauseum. Why? Personally, I don't want to raise my expectations to a point and have them dashed like last year, and it would be boring reading. Oh............I suppose there might be an off hand mention here and there. But now you know I'm going, and that's the main thing. Don't expect a whole lot more until I get to the event and afterwards. Over and out!

The Times They Are A Changin': Besides the obvious reference, I mentioned not long ago that there were some big changes coming for me. Well, here's a bit of an update: It's happening now. Over the course of the next couple of weeks I suspect that the changes will all be in place and then I will be free to make an announcement. Suffice it to say, it is a big deal!

Okay..........I get to stay with my kids all day. School is out due to the snow. Yahoooooo!!!!

Wednesday News And Views

Cycling? What's That?: You may have noticed that I have not posted about riding lately. That's because- let's just get this out of the way- it has been a brutal winter. We just got dumped on again last night with at least 4-5 inches of pow-pow. Seriously.......down hill skiers would kill for this stuff. Why do we have it? I guess we have it so I can cross train. Then the cold. We're supposed to approach 20 degrees below zero tonight! Thankfully we are supposed to get into the upper 20's by the weekend.

Dirty Kanza 200: Allrighty then. I got into this dealio again. I made a family vacation plan that includes this. Unless something drastic happens, I'll be there. Otherwise, I am not going to say much about this. No "training updates", no plans hashed and rehashed on this site ad nauseum. Why? Personally, I don't want to raise my expectations to a point and have them dashed like last year, and it would be boring reading. Oh............I suppose there might be an off hand mention here and there. But now you know I'm going, and that's the main thing. Don't expect a whole lot more until I get to the event and afterwards. Over and out!

The Times They Are A Changin': Besides the obvious reference, I mentioned not long ago that there were some big changes coming for me. Well, here's a bit of an update: It's happening now. Over the course of the next couple of weeks I suspect that the changes will all be in place and then I will be free to make an announcement. Suffice it to say, it is a big deal!

Okay..........I get to stay with my kids all day. School is out due to the snow. Yahoooooo!!!!

Touring Tuesdays: Day Four: Wet, Wild, Wonderful! PartII

Today the "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour" is mired in wet weather and sheltering in a college town bar. We pick up the action there, but first: Today's photo is from The Old Barn campground again. Troy and Steve are getting ready to hit the hay.

The Steven's Point Debacle. Yeah, this part of the story could stand on its own. It was the defining moment of the tour. A point where we all found out some things about each other.

It all started in that college town bar, the name of which isn't recorded. It was as different from The Cranberry Inn as night is from day. We all felt much more at "home" here, that's for sure. It was still early in the evening, so the place was pretty empty. We learned about the special where if you drank six pitchers of beer, the seventh was free. (Gotta love college town marketing!) We said we'd go for it. I'm sure that the bartender didn't think the three of us could pull it off, but he didn't know us!

About six o'clock, and well on our way to pitcher number six, it was determined that we should eat something. The kitchen was closed, however, so we asked the bartender to allow us to order in pizza from Domino's. Now I was sure that this wasn't right, not until I saw the astonished pizza delivery man drop off our steaming hot pie! Weird!

After the pizza was long gone, and we had triumphantly polished off the free seventh pitcher of brew, we decided we had better find a place to stay the night! It was getting busier in the bar by now, and Steve had a mind to hang out longer. Troy and I had concerns about lodging; however, so we set out to do our own "information gathering" without Steve. We ambled out of the door into the dank, wet night. We found our bicycles, mounted up, and headed off in the direction we thought was most likely for finding lodging.

The street was strangely devoid of traffic, quiet, and the night sky was black. Suddenly a strange higher pitched rumble could be heard in the distance. I looked up to see a figure piloting a skateboard with a backpack on. The individual was going right up the middle of the street towards us. As the skateboarder approached, I heard a voice hail us, and we stopped. It was a young college aged guy. He asked us what we were doing, and when we said that we were bicycle touring to Canada, he was impressed. Troy asked him about hotels, and he said that we should follow him to another local hangout, where he might score us free lodging. He said his name was Dave, and took off down the road with us in tow.

The joint was called The Mission Coffee House, and it was full of college aged people. Inside we were met with lots of friendly smiles and questions about our trip. Our "host", Dave the Skateboarder was busy trying to secure lodging. We were busy chatting in our alcohol induced hazes. We were oblivious to the outside world and enjoying ourselves immensely.

Now I'm not going to pretend to know the details of this time at The Mission Coffee House. I will say that for whatever reason, it was as if we had walked into a modern day Never-Never Land. We lost all semblance of responsibility and time stood still.....or it seemed to. I have no idea how long we were there, but it seemed like a very long time. Without scoring any overnight accommodations, we thought we should go get Steve and bring him back to The Mission Coffee House because it was such a cool place. So we took our leave of Dave the Skateboarder and our new acquaintances with a promise that we would be back with our traveling companion.

Next week: The final installment of Wet, Wild, Wonderful! where we narrowly avoid disaster only to lose one of the crew!

Touring Tuesdays: Day Four: Wet, Wild, Wonderful! PartII

Today the "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour" is mired in wet weather and sheltering in a college town bar. We pick up the action there, but first: Today's photo is from The Old Barn campground again. Troy and Steve are getting ready to hit the hay.

The Steven's Point Debacle. Yeah, this part of the story could stand on its own. It was the defining moment of the tour. A point where we all found out some things about each other.

It all started in that college town bar, the name of which isn't recorded. It was as different from The Cranberry Inn as night is from day. We all felt much more at "home" here, that's for sure. It was still early in the evening, so the place was pretty empty. We learned about the special where if you drank six pitchers of beer, the seventh was free. (Gotta love college town marketing!) We said we'd go for it. I'm sure that the bartender didn't think the three of us could pull it off, but he didn't know us!

About six o'clock, and well on our way to pitcher number six, it was determined that we should eat something. The kitchen was closed, however, so we asked the bartender to allow us to order in pizza from Domino's. Now I was sure that this wasn't right, not until I saw the astonished pizza delivery man drop off our steaming hot pie! Weird!

After the pizza was long gone, and we had triumphantly polished off the free seventh pitcher of brew, we decided we had better find a place to stay the night! It was getting busier in the bar by now, and Steve had a mind to hang out longer. Troy and I had concerns about lodging; however, so we set out to do our own "information gathering" without Steve. We ambled out of the door into the dank, wet night. We found our bicycles, mounted up, and headed off in the direction we thought was most likely for finding lodging.

The street was strangely devoid of traffic, quiet, and the night sky was black. Suddenly a strange higher pitched rumble could be heard in the distance. I looked up to see a figure piloting a skateboard with a backpack on. The individual was going right up the middle of the street towards us. As the skateboarder approached, I heard a voice hail us, and we stopped. It was a young college aged guy. He asked us what we were doing, and when we said that we were bicycle touring to Canada, he was impressed. Troy asked him about hotels, and he said that we should follow him to another local hangout, where he might score us free lodging. He said his name was Dave, and took off down the road with us in tow.

The joint was called The Mission Coffee House, and it was full of college aged people. Inside we were met with lots of friendly smiles and questions about our trip. Our "host", Dave the Skateboarder was busy trying to secure lodging. We were busy chatting in our alcohol induced hazes. We were oblivious to the outside world and enjoying ourselves immensely.

Now I'm not going to pretend to know the details of this time at The Mission Coffee House. I will say that for whatever reason, it was as if we had walked into a modern day Never-Never Land. We lost all semblance of responsibility and time stood still.....or it seemed to. I have no idea how long we were there, but it seemed like a very long time. Without scoring any overnight accommodations, we thought we should go get Steve and bring him back to The Mission Coffee House because it was such a cool place. So we took our leave of Dave the Skateboarder and our new acquaintances with a promise that we would be back with our traveling companion.

Next week: The final installment of Wet, Wild, Wonderful! where we narrowly avoid disaster only to lose one of the crew!

Too Much White? How About Some Green!

<===It won't be long and I'll be bashing through the vege again on my mountain bike.
photo: Gnat

Okay, I was going through some photos this weekend and came across these. Wow! I miss "green". In fact, these photos just jumped at me with their "green-ness'. I guess you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

And today we're looking at more snow and then into the deep freeze for the rest of the week.




<===photo: Gnat

It's weird to think that in just a few short months we'll be right back to this sort of scenery. Buff trails, warm weather, and blue skies. I can't wait! I guess that's what winter is for. It makes you appreciate the rest of the year all the more. I know I sure do.

In the meantime I suppose winter does have its own charm. I mean, I got out this past Saturday on a crazy bright, clear blue sky day to sled with my son. We went up and down that hill until we were both clapped out, frozen, and covered in ice and snow. Good times for sure!








<===photo: Gnat

But right about now I was wanting to think about green instead of white. About riding in the woods, and not about shoveling more snow from out around the cars again.

Oh well, I suppose when it is 90 degrees in the shade and the humidity is about 80% I'll look back on some pictures from this winter and be hoping for some white stuff!

Isn't that the way it goes?

Too Much White? How About Some Green!

<===It won't be long and I'll be bashing through the vege again on my mountain bike.
photo: Gnat

Okay, I was going through some photos this weekend and came across these. Wow! I miss "green". In fact, these photos just jumped at me with their "green-ness'. I guess you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

And today we're looking at more snow and then into the deep freeze for the rest of the week.




<===photo: Gnat

It's weird to think that in just a few short months we'll be right back to this sort of scenery. Buff trails, warm weather, and blue skies. I can't wait! I guess that's what winter is for. It makes you appreciate the rest of the year all the more. I know I sure do.

In the meantime I suppose winter does have its own charm. I mean, I got out this past Saturday on a crazy bright, clear blue sky day to sled with my son. We went up and down that hill until we were both clapped out, frozen, and covered in ice and snow. Good times for sure!








<===photo: Gnat

But right about now I was wanting to think about green instead of white. About riding in the woods, and not about shoveling more snow from out around the cars again.

Oh well, I suppose when it is 90 degrees in the shade and the humidity is about 80% I'll look back on some pictures from this winter and be hoping for some white stuff!

Isn't that the way it goes?

Gravel Grinder News

Dirty Kanza 200 Registration Open! The very fine event run by Heartland Racing, The Dirty Kanza 200 had its registration open at 8:00am this morning with spots available for 100 lucky folks. Hurry up and enter this late May event, as last year they filled up the roster pretty quickly.

I've done this event before and it comes highly recommended by me. The terrain is beautiful and the folks that put this on are top notch. You won't be disappointed if you go, and I personally guarantee that!

New Michigan Gravel Grinder Event: A new Michigan based gravel grinder event bows in March of this year. Called the "Barry-Roubaix", it is a two lap event over a mostly gravel based course measuring approximately 31 miles. An option to sign up for two laps exists making the total for the top classes 62 miles. The event, which takes place Saturday, March 28th, is based out of Middleville, Michigan which is located about 25 miles South-southeast of Grand Rapids. Registration is open now for this new event online. For more information, check out the website for the event here.

Gravel Grinder News

Dirty Kanza 200 Registration Open! The very fine event run by Heartland Racing, The Dirty Kanza 200 had its registration open at 8:00am this morning with spots available for 100 lucky folks. Hurry up and enter this late May event, as last year they filled up the roster pretty quickly.

I've done this event before and it comes highly recommended by me. The terrain is beautiful and the folks that put this on are top notch. You won't be disappointed if you go, and I personally guarantee that!

New Michigan Gravel Grinder Event: A new Michigan based gravel grinder event bows in March of this year. Called the "Barry-Roubaix", it is a two lap event over a mostly gravel based course measuring approximately 31 miles. An option to sign up for two laps exists making the total for the top classes 62 miles. The event, which takes place Saturday, March 28th, is based out of Middleville, Michigan which is located about 25 miles South-southeast of Grand Rapids. Registration is open now for this new event online. For more information, check out the website for the event here.

Friday News And Views

Ritchey Design Sponsors Trans Iowa: As many of you know, Ritchey Design is sponsoring T.I.V5 with tubes and rim strips for the participants. I want to thank Ritchey, and the 17 guys that have responded to my call for your tire/wheel size. The rest of you guys need to get on the stick here! Let me know by e-mail what wheel size, ( ie: 26", 700c), and what tire size you plan on running at T.I.V5 so you will have a tube and rim strip awaiting you at the race packet pick up. (Details on the pickup to be posted later.) If you don't get me your tire size/wheel size in by the end of the month, I am just going to tell Ritchey to supply the non-responders with 700X35mm tubes and rim strips to fit a 700c wheel. (That seems to be the going size so far)

Once again: Thanks to Ritchey Design!

How Low Can You Go?: Once again, the subject of low, low gears on a 29"er has been broached on mtbr.com. Click the link and gaze at the 39T rear cog in that cassette. Yes....39T!! It is pretty amazing that the derailleur will work on that dog, but apparently it does. Although a 39T rear cog is total overkill for most Mid-West riding, I am still intrigued by this. It would be cool just to get one and make it work.

However; I can certainly see where the 36, 38, and yes, maybe even a 39T cassette cog would be worth while. Last fall riding at the Interbike Outdoor Demo, I rode a fire road back up into Bootleg Canyon which was an ever increasing grade as you went on.........and on........and on, for well over a mile! The fire road wasn't very technical, but imagine riding technical single track like that for more than a mile. How about miles? Yes, they have climbs like that out there. Apparently, so do they that live amongst the Alps. So, as "clown-bike" as it looks, this idea has legitimate reasons to be. Look for Shimano, (or someone else) to be making a 12-36T cassette sooner than later.

Save Me From The Tweakers!: Obviously, the weather sucks for riding across much of North America. How do I know this? By the increase in inner-web tweakers. The forums are full of these nincompoops that are splitting hairs and declaring their psuedo-knowledge as infallible truths. If you do not agree, you are castigated as worse than a leper and are designated as a target for unwarranted personal attacks. Nice!

While these tweakers are always there, it seems that the disease is spreading now that ice and snow have rendered much of our trails unrideable. Rain and dreary conditions have conspired to make many of us into these ogres of the net. So, let's all hope for some better weather and that folks can get out there and ride instead of pounding out inane drivel on their keyboards. It will make for a much better world. Trust me!

Okay, that's it for this week folks! I gotta go out and shovel snow. Yay me!

Ride a bike if you can!

Friday News And Views

Ritchey Design Sponsors Trans Iowa: As many of you know, Ritchey Design is sponsoring T.I.V5 with tubes and rim strips for the participants. I want to thank Ritchey, and the 17 guys that have responded to my call for your tire/wheel size. The rest of you guys need to get on the stick here! Let me know by e-mail what wheel size, ( ie: 26", 700c), and what tire size you plan on running at T.I.V5 so you will have a tube and rim strip awaiting you at the race packet pick up. (Details on the pickup to be posted later.) If you don't get me your tire size/wheel size in by the end of the month, I am just going to tell Ritchey to supply the non-responders with 700X35mm tubes and rim strips to fit a 700c wheel. (That seems to be the going size so far)

Once again: Thanks to Ritchey Design!

How Low Can You Go?: Once again, the subject of low, low gears on a 29"er has been broached on mtbr.com. Click the link and gaze at the 39T rear cog in that cassette. Yes....39T!! It is pretty amazing that the derailleur will work on that dog, but apparently it does. Although a 39T rear cog is total overkill for most Mid-West riding, I am still intrigued by this. It would be cool just to get one and make it work.

However; I can certainly see where the 36, 38, and yes, maybe even a 39T cassette cog would be worth while. Last fall riding at the Interbike Outdoor Demo, I rode a fire road back up into Bootleg Canyon which was an ever increasing grade as you went on.........and on........and on, for well over a mile! The fire road wasn't very technical, but imagine riding technical single track like that for more than a mile. How about miles? Yes, they have climbs like that out there. Apparently, so do they that live amongst the Alps. So, as "clown-bike" as it looks, this idea has legitimate reasons to be. Look for Shimano, (or someone else) to be making a 12-36T cassette sooner than later.

Save Me From The Tweakers!: Obviously, the weather sucks for riding across much of North America. How do I know this? By the increase in inner-web tweakers. The forums are full of these nincompoops that are splitting hairs and declaring their psuedo-knowledge as infallible truths. If you do not agree, you are castigated as worse than a leper and are designated as a target for unwarranted personal attacks. Nice!

While these tweakers are always there, it seems that the disease is spreading now that ice and snow have rendered much of our trails unrideable. Rain and dreary conditions have conspired to make many of us into these ogres of the net. So, let's all hope for some better weather and that folks can get out there and ride instead of pounding out inane drivel on their keyboards. It will make for a much better world. Trust me!

Okay, that's it for this week folks! I gotta go out and shovel snow. Yay me!

Ride a bike if you can!

Odds And Ends

Here are some tidbits I've got to clear outta my brain today. Have fun with this stuff!

Trans Iowa V5: Go to the Trans Iowa site and check out the post from 1/7/09 and read carefully. We need your assistance in getting a sponsor some info for your schwag bag. (I know, I know! Just yesterday I said schwaggage was going to suck this year, but not at Trans Iowa apparently!)

Big Wheel Deals: Got the itch to upgrade your wagon wheels? Building up a 29"er and need something special in some hoops? Go here and look around. Big Wheel Deals is Mike Curiak's "sale blog" where you will find wheels that need homes from overstock, show bikes, and even some super cool, proto stuff that Mike is through with from time to time. In fact, right now there is a set of cool snow goin' 29"er wheels with tires. Getcher self sum!

Ergon Introduces The BC3 Back Pack: Finally, Ergon has released the waterproof, live-outta-it-fer-days back pack for you back country bicycling adventurers. I wrote up a post on it over at The Bike Lab. I will say here that it looks pretty well thought out with better access to pockets, what looks like a redone sternum strap anchor, and they even threw in a built in emergency whistle on that sternum strap. You could even use it for commuting, especially now that the fabric is waterproof, and you can get a whole shower inside of the thing. Well, maybe not a whole shower, but a whole change of clothes and some Irish Spring for sure! . J-kove must be influencing the designs over there at Ergon now because the BC3 is in "Kerkove Nation" approved black.

Okay, that's all I got today. I hope your area is rideable and warmer than here!

Odds And Ends

Here are some tidbits I've got to clear outta my brain today. Have fun with this stuff!

Trans Iowa V5: Go to the Trans Iowa site and check out the post from 1/7/09 and read carefully. We need your assistance in getting a sponsor some info for your schwag bag. (I know, I know! Just yesterday I said schwaggage was going to suck this year, but not at Trans Iowa apparently!)

Big Wheel Deals: Got the itch to upgrade your wagon wheels? Building up a 29"er and need something special in some hoops? Go here and look around. Big Wheel Deals is Mike Curiak's "sale blog" where you will find wheels that need homes from overstock, show bikes, and even some super cool, proto stuff that Mike is through with from time to time. In fact, right now there is a set of cool snow goin' 29"er wheels with tires. Getcher self sum!

Ergon Introduces The BC3 Back Pack: Finally, Ergon has released the waterproof, live-outta-it-fer-days back pack for you back country bicycling adventurers. I wrote up a post on it over at The Bike Lab. I will say here that it looks pretty well thought out with better access to pockets, what looks like a redone sternum strap anchor, and they even threw in a built in emergency whistle on that sternum strap. You could even use it for commuting, especially now that the fabric is waterproof, and you can get a whole shower inside of the thing. Well, maybe not a whole shower, but a whole change of clothes and some Irish Spring for sure! . J-kove must be influencing the designs over there at Ergon now because the BC3 is in "Kerkove Nation" approved black.

Okay, that's all I got today. I hope your area is rideable and warmer than here!

Winter Blahs

<====Notice the rack? It's a hint as to what is coming in the spring....

Okay, the monkey is off my back now. I actually rode in 2009. Yes........it took five days to get that done! Circumstances being what they were, it was actually my first chance to ride, and I wasn't going to pass it up, not even due to ice.

Yes, our area is covered in a thin sheet of ice, although it is receding somewhat. I did get slammed yesterday in an alley coming to work. Boy! Do I feel it this morning, Can you say "stiff"?

The Fargo has a rack now, which is a portent of things to come. I am slowly getting that plan together. More on that stuff later though.....

I see gas prices are creeping back up towards $2.00 a gallon. We didn't think it would stay cheap forever, did we? At least I didn't think it would stay there. It makes me wonder, with all of this economic turmoil, what we will see in terms of cycling for 2009. Here's a couple things I think might happen......

#1: Less attendance at races. Let's face it, a lot of people are going to "pull in their horns" this year. Cutting expenses where they can will mean less attendance at races all across America. Gas prices will have an effect here too.

#2: Less schwag in the bag: I fore see less of the goodies in race packets due to marketing budgets getting hacked. I also wonder about beer. (Yes.....I really do!) Beer gets tossed around a bit at events I go to. Less free beer and less premium brews will be seen in 2009 at events is my prediction. It'll be more like, "That'll be $2.50 for the PBR sir."

#3: More fixing up old bikes, less buying new ones: Along with the reduced spending, I see bicycle sales taking a hit too. I don't think repairs will suffer though. I think that will still be at a high level, just as it has been for the past couple of years. Repairs will be one of very few bright spots for bicycle shops this year, I think.

So those are a few things I see as distinct possibilities for '09. Well, that and Lance getting spanked on the roads of Italy this spring. I think his comeuppance is due.

You see, these are the things I think of if I don't get to ride! I suppose I need to move to Lincoln Nebraska. People are losing their technology and riding all the time. Sounds like Paradise to me!

Winter Blahs

<====Notice the rack? It's a hint as to what is coming in the spring....

Okay, the monkey is off my back now. I actually rode in 2009. Yes........it took five days to get that done! Circumstances being what they were, it was actually my first chance to ride, and I wasn't going to pass it up, not even due to ice.

Yes, our area is covered in a thin sheet of ice, although it is receding somewhat. I did get slammed yesterday in an alley coming to work. Boy! Do I feel it this morning, Can you say "stiff"?

The Fargo has a rack now, which is a portent of things to come. I am slowly getting that plan together. More on that stuff later though.....

I see gas prices are creeping back up towards $2.00 a gallon. We didn't think it would stay cheap forever, did we? At least I didn't think it would stay there. It makes me wonder, with all of this economic turmoil, what we will see in terms of cycling for 2009. Here's a couple things I think might happen......

#1: Less attendance at races. Let's face it, a lot of people are going to "pull in their horns" this year. Cutting expenses where they can will mean less attendance at races all across America. Gas prices will have an effect here too.

#2: Less schwag in the bag: I fore see less of the goodies in race packets due to marketing budgets getting hacked. I also wonder about beer. (Yes.....I really do!) Beer gets tossed around a bit at events I go to. Less free beer and less premium brews will be seen in 2009 at events is my prediction. It'll be more like, "That'll be $2.50 for the PBR sir."

#3: More fixing up old bikes, less buying new ones: Along with the reduced spending, I see bicycle sales taking a hit too. I don't think repairs will suffer though. I think that will still be at a high level, just as it has been for the past couple of years. Repairs will be one of very few bright spots for bicycle shops this year, I think.

So those are a few things I see as distinct possibilities for '09. Well, that and Lance getting spanked on the roads of Italy this spring. I think his comeuppance is due.

You see, these are the things I think of if I don't get to ride! I suppose I need to move to Lincoln Nebraska. People are losing their technology and riding all the time. Sounds like Paradise to me!

Touring Tuesdays: Day Four: Wet, Wild, Wonderful!

Now entering Day Four, The "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour" awakes to a soggy situation....

Today's picture is of Troy checking out his parking job at the Old Barn campground at the end of Day One.

Sometime during the night, I sort of realized in a sleeping stupor that I was getting rained on. I moved towards the wall of the church. Ahh! Then about an hour later, I had to move again. No big deal. Then about another hour later, I had to move again! Up against the wall now, no more room to move! I kept scooching up against the wall until it was useless, and I got up to check on Troy. Thunder could be heard in the distance. It was raining heavily now with the wind blowing steadily out of the East, right into the wall of the church.

Steve heard me stirring and stuck his head out of his tent. "Sucker!", he said sardonically as he darted back into the dry confines of his tent. Troy got up then and we went about packing up our soggy sleeping bags for our days trip. At least our bikes were dry for the moment, and our tents were too.

Finally the rain gave way, although the skies remained gray and menacing. It didn't look promising, but we decided to get going as soon as possible, since we had no idea how long we had until it started in raining again.

Well, we didn't have long to wait for that answer as it started in raining again just as we were pulling out of Nekoosa. Then before long, we were all soaked. Well, I am one to think that once you are soaked, you can't get any wetter, so I was good to go. Not so with Troy and Steve though. They were not happy campers! As soon as we entered Wisconsin Rapids, not more than seven miles up the road, we halted where Troy and Steve had spotted a shelter house in a park by the Wisconsin River. It was cold, we were wet, and not motivated to move anytime real soon. The rain fell so hard here that the sky looked all grey and we couldn't see across the river.

After awhile, the charm of the park grew old and we knew we had to move on. The rain seemed to have let up. We saddled up with the goal of finding some food. Not far up the road we found a busy little restaurant where we were seated as far back by the kitchen as the wait staff could get us. I didn't blame them at all since we were all wet and dressed rather oddly.

After some good grub, (even Troy was pleased!), and a laugh or two, we found our way to a local bike shop where Steve wanted to buy some full finger gloves for his shivering hands. At the shop we asked about our route. Green Bay would be the shortest distance, but it would also have the worst possible traffic. It was decided that we should bear north of there to Marinette which would take us through quieter back roads.

Leaving Wisconsin Rapids, we were told to go out on Highway 34 to a cut off to a County P. Then it was about 17 miles to Stevens Point. Well, we were a little fuzzy on the distance to the cut off. We got to a point that made us feel we were too far down the road, so we turned back to look for the turn off. We ended up back in town and we were getting panicky. I got separated from Troy and Steve at one point and thought I had lost them. Finally, we got turned around, went a little further up the road, and found the turn off. We were all feeling some pressure to salvage what we could of a "wasted day" in terms of miles, so we pressed on hard now. We had only put in about 20 miles. It had quit raining for the time being, and we had a clear path in front of us.

That enthusiasm was dashed when it started in raining again. Troy and Steve were dejected. I actually found myself leading them for much of this stretch. I thought it pretty amazing since these guys were seasoned cyclists. Here I was, leading them up the road, and at a pretty decent clip too. I think rain doesn't quite have the effect on me that it does on others, but who knows?

I do know that Steve and Troy were really glad to roll across that bridge into Stevens Point. They both were frustrated and were ready to stop. It was around 4pm when we spied a corner bar, and it was agreed, even by Troy, that we should stop and go in. Apparently, beer was the antidote for a bad day on the bike. We found a safe place to park our bikes and walked in hoping to assuage our sullen countenances.

Stay tuned for Part II of Wet, Wild, and Wonderful next week!

Touring Tuesdays: Day Four: Wet, Wild, Wonderful!

Now entering Day Four, The "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour" awakes to a soggy situation....

Today's picture is of Troy checking out his parking job at the Old Barn campground at the end of Day One.

Sometime during the night, I sort of realized in a sleeping stupor that I was getting rained on. I moved towards the wall of the church. Ahh! Then about an hour later, I had to move again. No big deal. Then about another hour later, I had to move again! Up against the wall now, no more room to move! I kept scooching up against the wall until it was useless, and I got up to check on Troy. Thunder could be heard in the distance. It was raining heavily now with the wind blowing steadily out of the East, right into the wall of the church.

Steve heard me stirring and stuck his head out of his tent. "Sucker!", he said sardonically as he darted back into the dry confines of his tent. Troy got up then and we went about packing up our soggy sleeping bags for our days trip. At least our bikes were dry for the moment, and our tents were too.

Finally the rain gave way, although the skies remained gray and menacing. It didn't look promising, but we decided to get going as soon as possible, since we had no idea how long we had until it started in raining again.

Well, we didn't have long to wait for that answer as it started in raining again just as we were pulling out of Nekoosa. Then before long, we were all soaked. Well, I am one to think that once you are soaked, you can't get any wetter, so I was good to go. Not so with Troy and Steve though. They were not happy campers! As soon as we entered Wisconsin Rapids, not more than seven miles up the road, we halted where Troy and Steve had spotted a shelter house in a park by the Wisconsin River. It was cold, we were wet, and not motivated to move anytime real soon. The rain fell so hard here that the sky looked all grey and we couldn't see across the river.

After awhile, the charm of the park grew old and we knew we had to move on. The rain seemed to have let up. We saddled up with the goal of finding some food. Not far up the road we found a busy little restaurant where we were seated as far back by the kitchen as the wait staff could get us. I didn't blame them at all since we were all wet and dressed rather oddly.

After some good grub, (even Troy was pleased!), and a laugh or two, we found our way to a local bike shop where Steve wanted to buy some full finger gloves for his shivering hands. At the shop we asked about our route. Green Bay would be the shortest distance, but it would also have the worst possible traffic. It was decided that we should bear north of there to Marinette which would take us through quieter back roads.

Leaving Wisconsin Rapids, we were told to go out on Highway 34 to a cut off to a County P. Then it was about 17 miles to Stevens Point. Well, we were a little fuzzy on the distance to the cut off. We got to a point that made us feel we were too far down the road, so we turned back to look for the turn off. We ended up back in town and we were getting panicky. I got separated from Troy and Steve at one point and thought I had lost them. Finally, we got turned around, went a little further up the road, and found the turn off. We were all feeling some pressure to salvage what we could of a "wasted day" in terms of miles, so we pressed on hard now. We had only put in about 20 miles. It had quit raining for the time being, and we had a clear path in front of us.

That enthusiasm was dashed when it started in raining again. Troy and Steve were dejected. I actually found myself leading them for much of this stretch. I thought it pretty amazing since these guys were seasoned cyclists. Here I was, leading them up the road, and at a pretty decent clip too. I think rain doesn't quite have the effect on me that it does on others, but who knows?

I do know that Steve and Troy were really glad to roll across that bridge into Stevens Point. They both were frustrated and were ready to stop. It was around 4pm when we spied a corner bar, and it was agreed, even by Troy, that we should stop and go in. Apparently, beer was the antidote for a bad day on the bike. We found a safe place to park our bikes and walked in hoping to assuage our sullen countenances.

Stay tuned for Part II of Wet, Wild, and Wonderful next week!

To "B" Or Not To "B"? What's Up with 650B?

This Origin 8 brand 650B prototype was reportedly scuttled due to lack of interest. Could the whole 650B movement suffer the same fate?

In a recent thread on mtbr.com, a poster posed the question, "What's up with the 650b movement, or lack there of?"

Noting that he hadn't seen much about Haro's Beasley 650B bike, he began poking around and found out that there wasn't much "buzz" going on with 650B at all. Well, I guess I would have to agree with his assessment.

Engaging some of the 650B proponents on the thread, I found that they had a ton of passion, enthusiasm, and reasons why 650B should be, but no one really had an answer for the original posters questions, until this was posted up by the head honcho of Spooky Bikes, who is a big proponent of the B sized wheels: "650b stuff is still super rare. There are maybe a few hundred people worldwide riding 650b stuff. Almost all of them post on MTBR.com Almost all of them heard about 650b stuff via MTBR. Hell, I make 650b stuff and I heard about it via mtbr!"

So the easy answer would be that you have to be a visitor of mtbr.com, or you will almost assuredly miss the 650B bandwa.......er.......cart! Well, it may be said that mtbr.com is the "epicenter" of all that is 650B, but that would be a bit naive. There are several sites related to this wheel size and I think that the numbers of folk that have at least heard of 650B is actually quite large. Probably much larger than what is suggested by the quote above, albeit he is most likely referring to Pacenti tire equipped 650B bikes. In that case, maybe. But still doubtful.

So leaving out roadies, tourists, and whole foreign countries that have large amounts of 650B cyclists, we'll focus on the fat tired set here. And back to that question, eh? Why aren't we hearing more?

Well, it is really hard to say. 650B proponents say "wait.....it's going to happen" with fingers pointed across the ponds at companies that have promised 650B treads, including Schwalbe, Kenda, IRC, and WTB- not to mention Mr. Pacenti's own brand which is expanding its offerings. Tires are coming, so when they get here, there will be more interest. That's the line from that camp.

Hmmm.......well, I'm not convinced. I don't think a slew of new tire offerings will help that much. It certainly won't hurt the cause, but I see something here that isn't being mentioned by the 650B fans. Something that's indicating that the 650B hasn't grabbed the imagination of the mountain bikers like the 29"er did. What is it? Grassroots interest, that's what. Not that 650B doesn't have a grassroots type of interest, heck...it's all grassroots interest! But 650B doesn't have the type of growth at a purely interest level that 29"ers enjoyed early on.

Let's just take Guitar Ted as an example, shall we? I heard about 29"ers around about 2000 on, of all places, mtbr.com. Okay, that was just a year after "The Tire" was introduced, which launched the modern 29"er into existence. Needless to say, there wasn't anybody selling 29"ers at the local bike shop, and getting a 29"er was akin to buying a Mountain Bike in 1979. (Yes.....Mountain Bike was actually a brand name at that time!) Did that dampen my curiosity in the format? Nope! And it didn't for a lot of other folks either. Apparently there were so many of us out there, that by the time I bought my Karate Monkey in the spring of 2003- just four years after The Tire was introduced- there was a major brand distributing 29"ers and a major warehouse distributing frames and forks. Certainly there were far more than a few hundred people on board then, and certainly there were more than a few hundred people on board with the format two years earlier, which I can vouch for, having been posting on mtbr.com's 29"er forum at that time.

Now 650B fans will say to you that the wheel size is ahead of the curve in comparison to 29"ers, or at least they used to! Folks from Kirk Pacenti on down have stated that the 650B offerings are 3-5 years ahead of where 29"ers were at this stage in the game. Now they are backing off that a bit, but in reality, this is mostly a true statement. Where 650B is behind the 29"ers at this point is in the overall interest level. Post activity on mtbr.com's Alternative Wheel Size forum, if that can be used as a gauge, is nowhere near the interest level that 29ers were enjoying in 2001/2002. So, I think it is fair to say that equipment choices are not going to help a whole lot. At least not if I can use the history of the modern 29"er as a gauge.

This 650B equipped Haro Werx Sonix was a test of 650B interest by Haro at 2007's Interbike. The platform will become officially available in 650B in 2010. Will it be too late?

What is the answer then? Why isn't there more "buzz",more grassroots interest? I can not answer that question effectively. What I can say is that I am sticking to my previously held opinion that the cycling industry and cyclists will find it hard to support three mountain bike wheel sizes. I also still think that 650B will not go away, but it will most certainly not attain the popularity that 29"ers currently enjoy without unseating 26"ers or 29"ers. 650B has been and most likely always will be an "under the radar", "mtb-geek" sort of faction, much like it is in relationship to road biking on the pavement side. That's what I think until I see some convincing evidence to the contrary, and more tires ain't it.

To "B" Or Not To "B"? What's Up with 650B?

This Origin 8 brand 650B prototype was reportedly scuttled due to lack of interest. Could the whole 650B movement suffer the same fate?

In a recent thread on mtbr.com, a poster posed the question, "What's up with the 650b movement, or lack there of?"

Noting that he hadn't seen much about Haro's Beasley 650B bike, he began poking around and found out that there wasn't much "buzz" going on with 650B at all. Well, I guess I would have to agree with his assessment.

Engaging some of the 650B proponents on the thread, I found that they had a ton of passion, enthusiasm, and reasons why 650B should be, but no one really had an answer for the original posters questions, until this was posted up by the head honcho of Spooky Bikes, who is a big proponent of the B sized wheels: "650b stuff is still super rare. There are maybe a few hundred people worldwide riding 650b stuff. Almost all of them post on MTBR.com Almost all of them heard about 650b stuff via MTBR. Hell, I make 650b stuff and I heard about it via mtbr!"

So the easy answer would be that you have to be a visitor of mtbr.com, or you will almost assuredly miss the 650B bandwa.......er.......cart! Well, it may be said that mtbr.com is the "epicenter" of all that is 650B, but that would be a bit naive. There are several sites related to this wheel size and I think that the numbers of folk that have at least heard of 650B is actually quite large. Probably much larger than what is suggested by the quote above, albeit he is most likely referring to Pacenti tire equipped 650B bikes. In that case, maybe. But still doubtful.

So leaving out roadies, tourists, and whole foreign countries that have large amounts of 650B cyclists, we'll focus on the fat tired set here. And back to that question, eh? Why aren't we hearing more?

Well, it is really hard to say. 650B proponents say "wait.....it's going to happen" with fingers pointed across the ponds at companies that have promised 650B treads, including Schwalbe, Kenda, IRC, and WTB- not to mention Mr. Pacenti's own brand which is expanding its offerings. Tires are coming, so when they get here, there will be more interest. That's the line from that camp.

Hmmm.......well, I'm not convinced. I don't think a slew of new tire offerings will help that much. It certainly won't hurt the cause, but I see something here that isn't being mentioned by the 650B fans. Something that's indicating that the 650B hasn't grabbed the imagination of the mountain bikers like the 29"er did. What is it? Grassroots interest, that's what. Not that 650B doesn't have a grassroots type of interest, heck...it's all grassroots interest! But 650B doesn't have the type of growth at a purely interest level that 29"ers enjoyed early on.

Let's just take Guitar Ted as an example, shall we? I heard about 29"ers around about 2000 on, of all places, mtbr.com. Okay, that was just a year after "The Tire" was introduced, which launched the modern 29"er into existence. Needless to say, there wasn't anybody selling 29"ers at the local bike shop, and getting a 29"er was akin to buying a Mountain Bike in 1979. (Yes.....Mountain Bike was actually a brand name at that time!) Did that dampen my curiosity in the format? Nope! And it didn't for a lot of other folks either. Apparently there were so many of us out there, that by the time I bought my Karate Monkey in the spring of 2003- just four years after The Tire was introduced- there was a major brand distributing 29"ers and a major warehouse distributing frames and forks. Certainly there were far more than a few hundred people on board then, and certainly there were more than a few hundred people on board with the format two years earlier, which I can vouch for, having been posting on mtbr.com's 29"er forum at that time.

Now 650B fans will say to you that the wheel size is ahead of the curve in comparison to 29"ers, or at least they used to! Folks from Kirk Pacenti on down have stated that the 650B offerings are 3-5 years ahead of where 29"ers were at this stage in the game. Now they are backing off that a bit, but in reality, this is mostly a true statement. Where 650B is behind the 29"ers at this point is in the overall interest level. Post activity on mtbr.com's Alternative Wheel Size forum, if that can be used as a gauge, is nowhere near the interest level that 29ers were enjoying in 2001/2002. So, I think it is fair to say that equipment choices are not going to help a whole lot. At least not if I can use the history of the modern 29"er as a gauge.

This 650B equipped Haro Werx Sonix was a test of 650B interest by Haro at 2007's Interbike. The platform will become officially available in 650B in 2010. Will it be too late?

What is the answer then? Why isn't there more "buzz",more grassroots interest? I can not answer that question effectively. What I can say is that I am sticking to my previously held opinion that the cycling industry and cyclists will find it hard to support three mountain bike wheel sizes. I also still think that 650B will not go away, but it will most certainly not attain the popularity that 29"ers currently enjoy without unseating 26"ers or 29"ers. 650B has been and most likely always will be an "under the radar", "mtb-geek" sort of faction, much like it is in relationship to road biking on the pavement side. That's what I think until I see some convincing evidence to the contrary, and more tires ain't it.

Looking Forward To......

<===I'll be getting a new camera for work and for taking better shots than I can get now, for one thing!

Well, 2009 is here and there are several things I'm shooting for and planning for the year, some of which I want to write down here. In no particular order....

#1: Riding even more than I did last year

Last year was a record year for consistent riding for me. I want to build on that for 2009. I'm not going to commit to saying "I'll do this or that" just yet, because I want to keep my options open for the time being, but suffice it to say that more dirt is on the menu for 2009!

#2: Get better writing skills and photo skills Well, this goes right along with my work, so no surprises there, but I want to be better at what I do. Better at the blog here and better at Crooked Cog stuff. Where I write, I want to do it even better than ever and when I take a picture, I want it better than I have ever done. No matter where that is. There is a lot to learn, and I'm willing to take it all in.

#3: Revive the artist part of my talents Yeah, I play guitar, but what a lot of you do not know is that I used to do painting, drawing, and jewelry work. I've let that slip over the last 15 years. Well, there is a project I agreed to doing that will help revive that end of my interests, and honestly, the photography stuff I have done helped me realize I was neglecting something I shouldn't be. Look for some tidbits on that to start creeping in from time to time.

#4: Have fun with my family and friends This may be the most important thing of all. If I can't do this, then the rest won't matter. I am also officially declaring that I am not participating in this recession/depression either. That will only get in my way of accomplishing this goal. So, if I seem a little flippant about some stuff that others are wringing their hands about, you'll know why! I'm going to enjoy my time with friends and family to the fullest extent that I can, because someday things will be different, and the time to make memories is now. So look out!

Well, that's just a taste of what will go down in 2009, and more than half of it I don't have a clue about yet. I am excited to see it all unfold, the good and the bad. Here's to a great New Year for all of you too!

Looking Forward To......

<===I'll be getting a new camera for work and for taking better shots than I can get now, for one thing!

Well, 2009 is here and there are several things I'm shooting for and planning for the year, some of which I want to write down here. In no particular order....

#1: Riding even more than I did last year

Last year was a record year for consistent riding for me. I want to build on that for 2009. I'm not going to commit to saying "I'll do this or that" just yet, because I want to keep my options open for the time being, but suffice it to say that more dirt is on the menu for 2009!

#2: Get better writing skills and photo skills Well, this goes right along with my work, so no surprises there, but I want to be better at what I do. Better at the blog here and better at Crooked Cog stuff. Where I write, I want to do it even better than ever and when I take a picture, I want it better than I have ever done. No matter where that is. There is a lot to learn, and I'm willing to take it all in.

#3: Revive the artist part of my talents Yeah, I play guitar, but what a lot of you do not know is that I used to do painting, drawing, and jewelry work. I've let that slip over the last 15 years. Well, there is a project I agreed to doing that will help revive that end of my interests, and honestly, the photography stuff I have done helped me realize I was neglecting something I shouldn't be. Look for some tidbits on that to start creeping in from time to time.

#4: Have fun with my family and friends This may be the most important thing of all. If I can't do this, then the rest won't matter. I am also officially declaring that I am not participating in this recession/depression either. That will only get in my way of accomplishing this goal. So, if I seem a little flippant about some stuff that others are wringing their hands about, you'll know why! I'm going to enjoy my time with friends and family to the fullest extent that I can, because someday things will be different, and the time to make memories is now. So look out!

Well, that's just a taste of what will go down in 2009, and more than half of it I don't have a clue about yet. I am excited to see it all unfold, the good and the bad. Here's to a great New Year for all of you too!