When Is It A Bicycle Or A Motorcycle?

<===They say it is an electric assist bicycle, I say it is a motorcycle.

There is a big problem coming down the road, around the curve on the bike path, and up your sidewalk. It's called by various names, and it comes in the guise of something good, green, and environmentally friendly. It is the electric assisted bicycle. Well........that's one of the things "they" call it!

Here's the deal: I'm going to give you the current reasons why this is said to be good, and then I'll debunk each myth afterwards. (Yes......I am not a fan! So beware!)

They say: One of the biggest reasons given for this electric motor equipped cycle as being good is that it will "get people that normally wouldn't ride a "bike" to ride and will turn more folks on to bicycling."

I say: Not in a million years! This is the biggest farce of the whole deal, (next to the fact that "they" deny these are motorcycles, but that will come in a minute...) there is no way that these will turn folks into cyclists. Why? That's easy. Number one- People are lazy. Really.......I'm sorry to bust your bubble. But it is true. Folks will run off the current available then whine when it runs out because they had to pedal the last mile home. And they will really whine when they are pedaling a 40-50lb beast that was never intended to be an efficient pedalling device in the first place. (Take a look at my random pic above if you need an example) What it will do is this: Turn folks into scooter riders, and possibly into motorcyclists. (The internal combustion type motorcyclists, that is) If you don't have to work, why would you? That's where these "non-traditional" cyclists are going to come from anyway, from cars. They will have a car mentality, not a cycling one, and therefore they will not become cyclists based upon their riding a motorcycle. Period.

They say: "They" call these "electric bikes", "electric assist bikes", "Light Electric Vehicles", or "Electric Motorized Bicycles". (Based upon a Google search of "electric assisted bicycles")

I say: Hmm.........let's see here. Electric motor + Bicycle = motorcycle. Period. It has been this way since the early 20th century folks. Where do you think motorcycles came from in the first place? From bicycles, that's where. Folks bolted an engine/motor to a bicycle because it was faster, easier, and more convenient than a bicycle. Especially when you considered longer distance travel. Again, people are inherently lazy, will take the easiest way out, and love gadgets. It's been that way for a long time, and these so called "electric assist bicycles" are nothing more than a modern re-hash of what took place over a hundred years ago. Folks will convince themselves that they are not "motorcycles" since they are not "internal combustion" powered, but I am sorry- It doesn't matter what type of motor it is, it is still a motor! Don't get sucked into thinking these are anything but motorcycles.

You might say that these rigs have pedals, and can be used as a bicycle. Uh huh.......riiiight! Can you say "moped"? We've been here already folks, and the result will be exactly the same.

They say: You will be able to use these right alongside of traditional bicycles. Municipalities will will welcome these with rights given to the electric assist cycles to ride bike paths and in bike lanes.

I say: "Impending disaster". If, (and that is a mighty big "if") these rigs are allowed onto bicycle paths and bike lanes we will see a huge increase in the accident rates with the resultant injuries these accidents will produce. Why? Because of speed, that's why. I demoed an electric assist bicycle a few years ago that had a top speed of 35mph. Now for comparison, there are not too many folks that can ride a sustained 35mph on a bicycle, and most of those that can are racing professionally. In other words, it's really rare. These electric assist bicycles will bring these speeds to bike paths and bike lanes on a regular basis that don't normally see this sort of speed with their normal user group- bicyclist. In fact, we as bicyclist ride bike paths and bike lanes to get away from speeding traffic. It's dangerous, and letting electric assisted bicycles- ie: motorcycles- on these safe havens of cycling will ruin all that we have achieved for safe cycling in the past 30 years.

And if you do not think that the riders of these electric devils on two wheels won't go at max speed, you are smoking crack. I already am hearing conversations amongst tinkerers about how they can make these rigs go even faster.

Okay, so what if we designate these to the streets? Okay, fine. What did you think the last time you saw a moped out on a busy city street? Uh huh............that's the same thing that will happen with these under powered motorcycles. Think about it..........

They say: This is "green" transportation. No gas burning. No oil usage. Friendly to the environment.

I say: Okay, to an extent, this is true. However; have you taken a look at what powers these things? Batteries, that's what. And batteries have their own dirty little secrets. Like chemicals to make the batteries and charging consumption to keep them full of energy. There's no free lunch. That energy comes at a big cost, although it is hidden well. And I won't even get into the disposal issues with batteries. Green indeed! A luminous, glowing chemical green!

So, when you hear about how great these "electric assist bicycles" are, and how they will revolutionize the way people see cycling, and how good it will be for the environment, I hope you will see through the "snake oil" and remember that nothing beats a good ol' bicycle.

Ride On!

When Is It A Bicycle Or A Motorcycle?

<===They say it is an electric assist bicycle, I say it is a motorcycle.

There is a big problem coming down the road, around the curve on the bike path, and up your sidewalk. It's called by various names, and it comes in the guise of something good, green, and environmentally friendly. It is the electric assisted bicycle. Well........that's one of the things "they" call it!

Here's the deal: I'm going to give you the current reasons why this is said to be good, and then I'll debunk each myth afterwards. (Yes......I am not a fan! So beware!)

They say: One of the biggest reasons given for this electric motor equipped cycle as being good is that it will "get people that normally wouldn't ride a "bike" to ride and will turn more folks on to bicycling."

I say: Not in a million years! This is the biggest farce of the whole deal, (next to the fact that "they" deny these are motorcycles, but that will come in a minute...) there is no way that these will turn folks into cyclists. Why? That's easy. Number one- People are lazy. Really.......I'm sorry to bust your bubble. But it is true. Folks will run off the current available then whine when it runs out because they had to pedal the last mile home. And they will really whine when they are pedaling a 40-50lb beast that was never intended to be an efficient pedalling device in the first place. (Take a look at my random pic above if you need an example) What it will do is this: Turn folks into scooter riders, and possibly into motorcyclists. (The internal combustion type motorcyclists, that is) If you don't have to work, why would you? That's where these "non-traditional" cyclists are going to come from anyway, from cars. They will have a car mentality, not a cycling one, and therefore they will not become cyclists based upon their riding a motorcycle. Period.

They say: "They" call these "electric bikes", "electric assist bikes", "Light Electric Vehicles", or "Electric Motorized Bicycles". (Based upon a Google search of "electric assisted bicycles")

I say: Hmm.........let's see here. Electric motor + Bicycle = motorcycle. Period. It has been this way since the early 20th century folks. Where do you think motorcycles came from in the first place? From bicycles, that's where. Folks bolted an engine/motor to a bicycle because it was faster, easier, and more convenient than a bicycle. Especially when you considered longer distance travel. Again, people are inherently lazy, will take the easiest way out, and love gadgets. It's been that way for a long time, and these so called "electric assist bicycles" are nothing more than a modern re-hash of what took place over a hundred years ago. Folks will convince themselves that they are not "motorcycles" since they are not "internal combustion" powered, but I am sorry- It doesn't matter what type of motor it is, it is still a motor! Don't get sucked into thinking these are anything but motorcycles.

You might say that these rigs have pedals, and can be used as a bicycle. Uh huh.......riiiight! Can you say "moped"? We've been here already folks, and the result will be exactly the same.

They say: You will be able to use these right alongside of traditional bicycles. Municipalities will will welcome these with rights given to the electric assist cycles to ride bike paths and in bike lanes.

I say: "Impending disaster". If, (and that is a mighty big "if") these rigs are allowed onto bicycle paths and bike lanes we will see a huge increase in the accident rates with the resultant injuries these accidents will produce. Why? Because of speed, that's why. I demoed an electric assist bicycle a few years ago that had a top speed of 35mph. Now for comparison, there are not too many folks that can ride a sustained 35mph on a bicycle, and most of those that can are racing professionally. In other words, it's really rare. These electric assist bicycles will bring these speeds to bike paths and bike lanes on a regular basis that don't normally see this sort of speed with their normal user group- bicyclist. In fact, we as bicyclist ride bike paths and bike lanes to get away from speeding traffic. It's dangerous, and letting electric assisted bicycles- ie: motorcycles- on these safe havens of cycling will ruin all that we have achieved for safe cycling in the past 30 years.

And if you do not think that the riders of these electric devils on two wheels won't go at max speed, you are smoking crack. I already am hearing conversations amongst tinkerers about how they can make these rigs go even faster.

Okay, so what if we designate these to the streets? Okay, fine. What did you think the last time you saw a moped out on a busy city street? Uh huh............that's the same thing that will happen with these under powered motorcycles. Think about it..........

They say: This is "green" transportation. No gas burning. No oil usage. Friendly to the environment.

I say: Okay, to an extent, this is true. However; have you taken a look at what powers these things? Batteries, that's what. And batteries have their own dirty little secrets. Like chemicals to make the batteries and charging consumption to keep them full of energy. There's no free lunch. That energy comes at a big cost, although it is hidden well. And I won't even get into the disposal issues with batteries. Green indeed! A luminous, glowing chemical green!

So, when you hear about how great these "electric assist bicycles" are, and how they will revolutionize the way people see cycling, and how good it will be for the environment, I hope you will see through the "snake oil" and remember that nothing beats a good ol' bicycle.

Ride On!

Touring Tuesdays: Day Five: Backroads and Cow Barns Part IV

The "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour" has rolled into Gillett, Wisconsin for an overnight stay.........

Just before coming out from the convenience store, Steve and Troy had made an inquiry of the cashier about potential camping spots. We weren't in too much of a hurry to find a spot, since there was enough daylight for the time being. What we didn't know was that the cashier had called the police in regards to us looking for a place to stay. So when the squad car pulled up right in front of us, and the window went down, and when the officer addressed us, well.........we thought we were in big trouble.

It turned out that the officer was merely looking out for us. He suggested we stay in the county fair grounds, which had plentiful lawn space, but not too close to the road, so as not to draw attention to ourselves. The fair grounds were right in town too, no long trip to get there. Bonus!

Well once we peeled ourselves up off the pavement and got over to take a look, we saw something much more appealing than the grassy lawn. A cattle barn, where show cows and livestock were bedded down during fair time, was all cleaned up with a nice smooth cement floor. Why set up tents when we could simply sleep in the cow barn? Troy and I laid out our sleeping pads and sleeping bags right on the concrete floor. Steve had a hammock and strung it up between two stalls across the aisle. We parked our bikes beside us, ate our meal for the evening, and settled in for a good nights sleep, just as the sun went down.

I suppose it was about 2:30-3:00am in the morning when I was suddenly aroused by Steve's sudden yelp in the dark. Troy and I sat up suddenly, gripped in fear. We were surrounded by dark figures in the night! Somebody turned on a flashlight, which blinded our eyes.

Just then a sheepish voice could be heard. It was a young boy, about 10-13 years of age. I slowly focused on him and saw that he had several friends standing with him. Apparently he had seen us at the convenience store, and knew about the plans to stay in the fairgrounds. His friends didn't believe his story, so he was simply setting the record straight by showing his friends the evidence, and scaring us half to death in the process. He was very apologetic, and his friends were obviously scared, so we chatted with them to calm them down, and sent them on their way.

In a way, it reminded me of the wandering about town I used to do as a kid with my friends in the middle of the night in my small hometown. We never meant any harm, and everything took on an air of adventure at about 2:00am in the morning. I am quite sure these kids never forgot this little adventure they had back in 1994!

We went back to sleep, although cautiously,and slept till dawn with no further incidents. Once awake, we set to packing up, and discussing our strangers in the night. Outside it was cool, and it looked like it might be foggy. The plan was to get on out of Wisconsin and in to the U.P. of Michigan. Just what lay ahead, we had no idea.

Next time: Day Six: Big Miles, Big Lake.

Touring Tuesdays: Day Five: Backroads and Cow Barns Part IV

The "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour" has rolled into Gillett, Wisconsin for an overnight stay.........

Just before coming out from the convenience store, Steve and Troy had made an inquiry of the cashier about potential camping spots. We weren't in too much of a hurry to find a spot, since there was enough daylight for the time being. What we didn't know was that the cashier had called the police in regards to us looking for a place to stay. So when the squad car pulled up right in front of us, and the window went down, and when the officer addressed us, well.........we thought we were in big trouble.

It turned out that the officer was merely looking out for us. He suggested we stay in the county fair grounds, which had plentiful lawn space, but not too close to the road, so as not to draw attention to ourselves. The fair grounds were right in town too, no long trip to get there. Bonus!

Well once we peeled ourselves up off the pavement and got over to take a look, we saw something much more appealing than the grassy lawn. A cattle barn, where show cows and livestock were bedded down during fair time, was all cleaned up with a nice smooth cement floor. Why set up tents when we could simply sleep in the cow barn? Troy and I laid out our sleeping pads and sleeping bags right on the concrete floor. Steve had a hammock and strung it up between two stalls across the aisle. We parked our bikes beside us, ate our meal for the evening, and settled in for a good nights sleep, just as the sun went down.

I suppose it was about 2:30-3:00am in the morning when I was suddenly aroused by Steve's sudden yelp in the dark. Troy and I sat up suddenly, gripped in fear. We were surrounded by dark figures in the night! Somebody turned on a flashlight, which blinded our eyes.

Just then a sheepish voice could be heard. It was a young boy, about 10-13 years of age. I slowly focused on him and saw that he had several friends standing with him. Apparently he had seen us at the convenience store, and knew about the plans to stay in the fairgrounds. His friends didn't believe his story, so he was simply setting the record straight by showing his friends the evidence, and scaring us half to death in the process. He was very apologetic, and his friends were obviously scared, so we chatted with them to calm them down, and sent them on their way.

In a way, it reminded me of the wandering about town I used to do as a kid with my friends in the middle of the night in my small hometown. We never meant any harm, and everything took on an air of adventure at about 2:00am in the morning. I am quite sure these kids never forgot this little adventure they had back in 1994!

We went back to sleep, although cautiously,and slept till dawn with no further incidents. Once awake, we set to packing up, and discussing our strangers in the night. Outside it was cool, and it looked like it might be foggy. The plan was to get on out of Wisconsin and in to the U.P. of Michigan. Just what lay ahead, we had no idea.

Next time: Day Six: Big Miles, Big Lake.

The Great Gearing Debate

<===Shimano is set to introduce this 12-36T 9 speed cassette soon. (Courtesy of terrengsykkel.no)

Recently it was revealed on a thread on mtbr.com that Shimano will introduce a cassette with a 36T low gear. There have been calls in the 29"er ranks for lower gearing, and this would seem to be a n answer to that call. However; there has been more bickering about deficiencies in weight, and of rider strength, than praise for at least an acknowledgement of the call for this lower gearing. Ah.......the wonder of the forum shows itself again!

I suppose it is too easy to say, "just don't buy it then.", since that takes away all the fun, but having said that, let's take a look at the reasons for and against such a component.



<===Shimano will also introduce a hub to go with the cassette that will feature a stronger free hub. (Courtesy of terrengsykkel.no)

First off, the weight thing. Shimano could have made it an XT level cassette, which all the weight weenies would have loved, but think about a few things here. One: Shimano needs to sell these things to folks and an XT version would have been quite expensive compared to this HG/Deore level cassette. Secondly: The XT level cassette isn't necessarily built for high torque loads, the very kind of loads that a 36T cog is going to generate. Shimano isn't going to spend the money on this (probably) low sales numbers cassette to re-engineer it to withstand those loads and be at an XT level. Not when a Deore level cassette can do he job with little to no extra cost to manufacture. The very notion that a special free hub body/hub had to be developed to accommodate the expected torque loads should be enough evidence to support my theory here.

Need. That word that some say in support of this product and some say that there is none of. Well, as I wrote on the mtbr.com thread referenced above, "I was as big a naysayer as anyone on this thread, but again: Sit down and talk with someone that rides these crazy climbs and high altitude stuff. Have an open mind, and you'll get it"

And to those who just don't get it, I say this, "Just don't worry about it. It isn't for you then. That's fine." I think a lot of folks will use it, and not just for 29"ers, and not just for mountain bikes. The low 36T gear will most certainly make it to touring bikes and tandems. Lower gears there will mean less shifting at the font derailleur, which most users will find a nice thing. Probably other unforeseen uses will come about for this cassette as well.

Crank sets: Some will argue that the 20/30/40 T crank set will eliminate the need for this 36T cassette. I would counter with the fact that those gearing choices are a much more expensive route to take to the solution than the cassette is. Especially now with the Middleburn and Surly solutions out there. Then you might just want both the cassette and the crank set, which a lot of the critics of the cassette seem to miss in this debate.

Of course, the cassette may not play well with every derailleur set up, and if you put it on a hub that isn't up to snuff in terms of torque load handling, you may end up walking anyway, but I think the 12-36T cassette is a great step in solving the gearing complaints that some have had against 29"ers since the beginning.

The Great Gearing Debate

<===Shimano is set to introduce this 12-36T 9 speed cassette soon. (Courtesy of terrengsykkel.no)

Recently it was revealed on a thread on mtbr.com that Shimano will introduce a cassette with a 36T low gear. There have been calls in the 29"er ranks for lower gearing, and this would seem to be a n answer to that call. However; there has been more bickering about deficiencies in weight, and of rider strength, than praise for at least an acknowledgement of the call for this lower gearing. Ah.......the wonder of the forum shows itself again!

I suppose it is too easy to say, "just don't buy it then.", since that takes away all the fun, but having said that, let's take a look at the reasons for and against such a component.



<===Shimano will also introduce a hub to go with the cassette that will feature a stronger free hub. (Courtesy of terrengsykkel.no)

First off, the weight thing. Shimano could have made it an XT level cassette, which all the weight weenies would have loved, but think about a few things here. One: Shimano needs to sell these things to folks and an XT version would have been quite expensive compared to this HG/Deore level cassette. Secondly: The XT level cassette isn't necessarily built for high torque loads, the very kind of loads that a 36T cog is going to generate. Shimano isn't going to spend the money on this (probably) low sales numbers cassette to re-engineer it to withstand those loads and be at an XT level. Not when a Deore level cassette can do he job with little to no extra cost to manufacture. The very notion that a special free hub body/hub had to be developed to accommodate the expected torque loads should be enough evidence to support my theory here.

Need. That word that some say in support of this product and some say that there is none of. Well, as I wrote on the mtbr.com thread referenced above, "I was as big a naysayer as anyone on this thread, but again: Sit down and talk with someone that rides these crazy climbs and high altitude stuff. Have an open mind, and you'll get it"

And to those who just don't get it, I say this, "Just don't worry about it. It isn't for you then. That's fine." I think a lot of folks will use it, and not just for 29"ers, and not just for mountain bikes. The low 36T gear will most certainly make it to touring bikes and tandems. Lower gears there will mean less shifting at the font derailleur, which most users will find a nice thing. Probably other unforeseen uses will come about for this cassette as well.

Crank sets: Some will argue that the 20/30/40 T crank set will eliminate the need for this 36T cassette. I would counter with the fact that those gearing choices are a much more expensive route to take to the solution than the cassette is. Especially now with the Middleburn and Surly solutions out there. Then you might just want both the cassette and the crank set, which a lot of the critics of the cassette seem to miss in this debate.

Of course, the cassette may not play well with every derailleur set up, and if you put it on a hub that isn't up to snuff in terms of torque load handling, you may end up walking anyway, but I think the 12-36T cassette is a great step in solving the gearing complaints that some have had against 29"ers since the beginning.

The (Un) Reality Of It All

<===The scene outside my front window this morning.

So I came home the other day to find this camping trailer and a humongous 4 X 4 parked on my street. "Oh great! There goes the parking!", I say. I get out of my car and a neighbor down the street, the one that knows if you picked your nose or if someone kicked their dog, you know..........that neighbor! Well, she says to me that my next door neighbors are on "Wife Swap". (Apparently, a reality T.V. show)

You know, I have heard of these shows. "Survivor" comes to mind, but I have never seen one and I have no idea if "Wife Swap" is really a reality T.V. show or not, but my co-workers claim they've seen bits of it aired, so I suppose..........

At any rate, here they are today outside, staging shots in 15 degree weather, the crew smoking heaters and looking uncomfortable, and my neighbors parading around in his Halloween get ups. (He runs a "haunted house" deal on the side replete with motorized monsters, ghouls, and ghosts.)

I'm not going to pass judgement on all of this, but I will say this: It's about as unreal as it gets.

I always figured those shows were staged.

The (Un) Reality Of It All

<===The scene outside my front window this morning.

So I came home the other day to find this camping trailer and a humongous 4 X 4 parked on my street. "Oh great! There goes the parking!", I say. I get out of my car and a neighbor down the street, the one that knows if you picked your nose or if someone kicked their dog, you know..........that neighbor! Well, she says to me that my next door neighbors are on "Wife Swap". (Apparently, a reality T.V. show)

You know, I have heard of these shows. "Survivor" comes to mind, but I have never seen one and I have no idea if "Wife Swap" is really a reality T.V. show or not, but my co-workers claim they've seen bits of it aired, so I suppose..........

At any rate, here they are today outside, staging shots in 15 degree weather, the crew smoking heaters and looking uncomfortable, and my neighbors parading around in his Halloween get ups. (He runs a "haunted house" deal on the side replete with motorized monsters, ghouls, and ghosts.)

I'm not going to pass judgement on all of this, but I will say this: It's about as unreal as it gets.

I always figured those shows were staged.

Random Friday-ness

<===The ice jam on the Blackhawk before it washed out on Thursday.

Well, even though the temperatures have decreased a bunch here, the after effects of the melt over the past weekend are still being felt. The Black Hawk and the Cedar were way up and flooding low lying areas around the area.

At least the moat in front of my house has moved on downstream! I don't have to wade out to the car anymore when I need to drive it.





<===Misfit Dissent out getting dirty.

I was able to find a few places where I could get in some testing on the Dissent. Not really single track mind you, but dirt and climbing were found. I just had to be creative!

The dikes on the Black Hawk make for great climbing hills, and some double track inspection road alongside the dike, along with some dirt roads in the cemetary worked to get rubber on dirt.




<===Trans Iowa will never be the same.

Garmin stepped up to support Trans iowa with the donation of this Garmin 605 unit. It's bicycle compatible, and they even sent some mapping software with it so we can plot the course and get accurate turns and most importantly mileage.

Besides this, they are also supporting he event with two more GPS units as prizing. Awesome! Now to get out there and see if I can get the whole course mapped and locked in. Should be some fun times ahead.

I hope ya'all can get some riding in this weekend. Spring is just around the corner!

Random Friday-ness

<===The ice jam on the Blackhawk before it washed out on Thursday.

Well, even though the temperatures have decreased a bunch here, the after effects of the melt over the past weekend are still being felt. The Black Hawk and the Cedar were way up and flooding low lying areas around the area.

At least the moat in front of my house has moved on downstream! I don't have to wade out to the car anymore when I need to drive it.





<===Misfit Dissent out getting dirty.

I was able to find a few places where I could get in some testing on the Dissent. Not really single track mind you, but dirt and climbing were found. I just had to be creative!

The dikes on the Black Hawk make for great climbing hills, and some double track inspection road alongside the dike, along with some dirt roads in the cemetary worked to get rubber on dirt.




<===Trans Iowa will never be the same.

Garmin stepped up to support Trans iowa with the donation of this Garmin 605 unit. It's bicycle compatible, and they even sent some mapping software with it so we can plot the course and get accurate turns and most importantly mileage.

Besides this, they are also supporting he event with two more GPS units as prizing. Awesome! Now to get out there and see if I can get the whole course mapped and locked in. Should be some fun times ahead.

I hope ya'all can get some riding in this weekend. Spring is just around the corner!

"Tease Me", He Says.....Rainier Pics

Somebody wanted some teaser pics of the Raleigh Rainier. So...........I'm obliging them.

It's not done yet, but it's getting close. I've got a couple more parts to get yet. A Salsa Crossing Guard for one thing.

The parts are a mix of new and old, with some Bontrager (gasp!) parts mixed in with ..........

...........modern carbon wizardry, and a dash of..................

...................old school Shimano Sante'.

Once I get my last few pieces of the puzzle, I'll post it all in it's single speed glory.

But for now, that's all yer gettin'!

"Tease Me", He Says.....Rainier Pics

Somebody wanted some teaser pics of the Raleigh Rainier. So...........I'm obliging them.

It's not done yet, but it's getting close. I've got a couple more parts to get yet. A Salsa Crossing Guard for one thing.

The parts are a mix of new and old, with some Bontrager (gasp!) parts mixed in with ..........

...........modern carbon wizardry, and a dash of..................

...................old school Shimano Sante'.

Once I get my last few pieces of the puzzle, I'll post it all in it's single speed glory.

But for now, that's all yer gettin'!

Ice Jams And Mud

<===This was the ice jam on the Black Hawk Creek on the morning of February 10th, 2009.

I've been around rivers all my life, but I don't think I've ever seen an ice jam. Well, I got to see one yesterday in the morning on my commute to work. It was pretty amazing with the big, busted up sheets of ice being tossed around and broken by the strength of the river's current.

The large open water area to the right is where all the water was flowing around and over the sheet ice of the creek. You can see where the ice cracked under the weight of the overflowing water and was bent down to the creek bottom. When I came back by in the afternoon, it still looked much the same.

The route was pretty soft where I cross on dirt and grass. Of course, just two days ago most of what I was riding was under about a foot of snow, so it's no wonder I was sinking in mire in places. Good thing Planet Bike makes fenders for 29"ers, that's all I can say.

The wind was fierce coming into work. Going home it was at my back, but had subsided to a great degree. Speaking of degrees, can you say "60"? That was about what it got up to yesterday. A nice taste of what spring will be like, and a far cry from the negative temperatures of just a week ago. Crazy weather for sure! Today it won't be anywhere near that warm, but hey! 40 ain't bad!

Note: If you need to ship a bike out before you come to T.I.V5, check out the site for The Latest News and read all about it.

Ice Jams And Mud

<===This was the ice jam on the Black Hawk Creek on the morning of February 10th, 2009.

I've been around rivers all my life, but I don't think I've ever seen an ice jam. Well, I got to see one yesterday in the morning on my commute to work. It was pretty amazing with the big, busted up sheets of ice being tossed around and broken by the strength of the river's current.

The large open water area to the right is where all the water was flowing around and over the sheet ice of the creek. You can see where the ice cracked under the weight of the overflowing water and was bent down to the creek bottom. When I came back by in the afternoon, it still looked much the same.

The route was pretty soft where I cross on dirt and grass. Of course, just two days ago most of what I was riding was under about a foot of snow, so it's no wonder I was sinking in mire in places. Good thing Planet Bike makes fenders for 29"ers, that's all I can say.

The wind was fierce coming into work. Going home it was at my back, but had subsided to a great degree. Speaking of degrees, can you say "60"? That was about what it got up to yesterday. A nice taste of what spring will be like, and a far cry from the negative temperatures of just a week ago. Crazy weather for sure! Today it won't be anywhere near that warm, but hey! 40 ain't bad!

Note: If you need to ship a bike out before you come to T.I.V5, check out the site for The Latest News and read all about it.

Touring Tuesdays: Day Five: Backroads and Cow Barns Part III

The members of the "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour" now stop in for a late lunch in the small Wisconsin town of Gresham......

Now Steve finally ate something and looked to be coming around to his old self again. As we munched our food under the shade of some nice hardwood trees in front of the grocery store, a kid was seen circling us on his 20 incher. Pretty soon, the expected visit came, and the regular questions were asked. Once again, kids saw in us an adventure that was exciting, adults saw us as vagrants that were scary. Oh well!

After a nice, leisurely stop, we felt the urgency to move. We mounted up, heading north through the town on the blacktop road. There was a wee bit of confusion as to where we were going, but once we got a bead on the next turn eastwards, we were good to go. The road was the typical weathered blacktop, not bad, but not really smooth. The weather had turned fine and hot by now. We were all down to our shorts and t-shirts by this point. (Cycling jerseys on tour were considered "too serious" before we left.)

Suddenly we became aware that our eastward road had turned incredibly smooth and was lined on either side by towering white pines. The cool shade was refreshing. In fact, we decided to stop for a moment to enjoy the area. Troy was in an especially playful mood here, which was unusual for him. However; after a bit we all knew it was time to motor on down this arrow straight, flat, and brand new stretch of black top.

The conversation turned to the road, as a matter of fact. Why would there be such a fine blacktop in a seemingly out of the way place? This road didn't look to be going anywhere too important, at least by the look of the maps we had. Well, after several miles, we soon found out why it was so. The intersection we were dumped out on was directing us onto a road vastly different than the one we had been on. Busy with traffic, and every tenth car or so seemed to be a law enforcement vehicle. Strange. Where were all these folks going and coming from? It was as busy as any city of larger size we had been through, maybe even more so.

I noticed a license plate: "Menominee Nation" was emblazoned across the top portion of it. In fact, every license plate I saw had that on it. Suddenly we were aware that we were in a Native American reservation. They run their territories as independent nations, (to a degree) and so the weirdness was accounted for, at least for the time being. We didn't have much time for discussion as we were busy keeping pace and watching out for ourselves on this stressful stretch of road. We went from totally peaceful relaxed riding to this frying pan in less than a block. It wasn't much fun, and we had several miles of it to endure.

Once we crossed the boundary of the Menominee Nation, we were back to a quieter, more peaceful rural Wisconsin experience. It was shocking, and almost as if we had just been in some weird time warp. However it was, it was getting late in the afternoon now, and we were putting our heads down, trying to gain as many miles as we could before packing it in for the afternoon. The next town up the road was Underhill, and I was hopeful it would be our stopping point for the day.

Well, Troy would have none of this stopping, not just yet. He had a mind to make it to the next city beyond Underhill, much to my disappointment. That city was called Gillett, and it might as well have been a hundred miles away, as far as I was concerned at the time. Those final miles into Gillett seemed like an eternity, and with Troy setting a furious pace, I was getting toasted. I don't know if Steve was going to pop or not, but I sure was about to!

Finally, we rolled off a hill in the late afternoon into Gillett and up to the nearest convenience store we could find. I was relieved and we all were pretty exhausted, by the looks of it. Right now though, all we could think about was getting some refreshments and sitting down to rest.

Next week: Strangers in the night!

Touring Tuesdays: Day Five: Backroads and Cow Barns Part III

The members of the "Beg, Borrow, and Bastard Tour" now stop in for a late lunch in the small Wisconsin town of Gresham......

Now Steve finally ate something and looked to be coming around to his old self again. As we munched our food under the shade of some nice hardwood trees in front of the grocery store, a kid was seen circling us on his 20 incher. Pretty soon, the expected visit came, and the regular questions were asked. Once again, kids saw in us an adventure that was exciting, adults saw us as vagrants that were scary. Oh well!

After a nice, leisurely stop, we felt the urgency to move. We mounted up, heading north through the town on the blacktop road. There was a wee bit of confusion as to where we were going, but once we got a bead on the next turn eastwards, we were good to go. The road was the typical weathered blacktop, not bad, but not really smooth. The weather had turned fine and hot by now. We were all down to our shorts and t-shirts by this point. (Cycling jerseys on tour were considered "too serious" before we left.)

Suddenly we became aware that our eastward road had turned incredibly smooth and was lined on either side by towering white pines. The cool shade was refreshing. In fact, we decided to stop for a moment to enjoy the area. Troy was in an especially playful mood here, which was unusual for him. However; after a bit we all knew it was time to motor on down this arrow straight, flat, and brand new stretch of black top.

The conversation turned to the road, as a matter of fact. Why would there be such a fine blacktop in a seemingly out of the way place? This road didn't look to be going anywhere too important, at least by the look of the maps we had. Well, after several miles, we soon found out why it was so. The intersection we were dumped out on was directing us onto a road vastly different than the one we had been on. Busy with traffic, and every tenth car or so seemed to be a law enforcement vehicle. Strange. Where were all these folks going and coming from? It was as busy as any city of larger size we had been through, maybe even more so.

I noticed a license plate: "Menominee Nation" was emblazoned across the top portion of it. In fact, every license plate I saw had that on it. Suddenly we were aware that we were in a Native American reservation. They run their territories as independent nations, (to a degree) and so the weirdness was accounted for, at least for the time being. We didn't have much time for discussion as we were busy keeping pace and watching out for ourselves on this stressful stretch of road. We went from totally peaceful relaxed riding to this frying pan in less than a block. It wasn't much fun, and we had several miles of it to endure.

Once we crossed the boundary of the Menominee Nation, we were back to a quieter, more peaceful rural Wisconsin experience. It was shocking, and almost as if we had just been in some weird time warp. However it was, it was getting late in the afternoon now, and we were putting our heads down, trying to gain as many miles as we could before packing it in for the afternoon. The next town up the road was Underhill, and I was hopeful it would be our stopping point for the day.

Well, Troy would have none of this stopping, not just yet. He had a mind to make it to the next city beyond Underhill, much to my disappointment. That city was called Gillett, and it might as well have been a hundred miles away, as far as I was concerned at the time. Those final miles into Gillett seemed like an eternity, and with Troy setting a furious pace, I was getting toasted. I don't know if Steve was going to pop or not, but I sure was about to!

Finally, we rolled off a hill in the late afternoon into Gillett and up to the nearest convenience store we could find. I was relieved and we all were pretty exhausted, by the looks of it. Right now though, all we could think about was getting some refreshments and sitting down to rest.

Next week: Strangers in the night!

Roller Racing Gets Its Day In The Sun

The latest issue of BRAIN, otherwise known as Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, just sent out its latest issue recently with a feature article on roller racing. If you have not ever seen such a thing, or heard of it, here is a brief description of what it is.

Several cyclists pit themselves against the clock and each other by riding timed "two mile" time trials on Kreitler rollers. The rollers are timed and the distance is recorded by a special computer program set up for the job. typically you have two sets of rollers set next to each other "drag racing" style, but this isn't always the set up at all roller races.

On one hand, it is cool that roller racing is getting its due, but I also had to laugh. I mean, this has been going on in the winter time in Iowa for at least 25 years or more. Anyway, It's cool that somebody noticed it.......finally!

I did this once. Once! Way back when I was seriously racing on this team, I gave it a go. I guess I did okay for a big guy that was really a mountain biker. At any rate, the year before I did the event in the shop I worked at, we held the event there when I wasn't so silly to think I could actually be one of these roadie dudes. I was basically the only employee on duty that cold winter day playing host to about 40-50 sweaty cyclists raging on rollers all around the shop.

Well, in the midst of all this madness a fellow comes in to "check things out". He didn't look much like a cyclist. More like an old skool farmer than anything. He was about my height, balding, bearded, and had a round pot belly stuffed into faded blue overalls. Not only that, but he had a tiny furball of a dog stuffed into the front of his bibs like some humanoid marsupial carrying around an alien spawn with brown beady eyes.

I spoke with him for a bit. He seemed all curious about the roller races, asking about the turn out, and some particular cyclists. Hmm......okay, he seemed to have some knowledge of the event and folks here, so I allowed him to stroll around the back, figuring the cyclists would get a kick out of this rustic dude and his strange way of carrying around his pet. He didn't stay long. He claimed he had a long drive ahead of him, and that he just happened to be passing through. Hrumpf! Whatever! I said goodbye and off he and his dog went.

Not long afterwards the shop owner popped in to see how things were going. When someone tipped him off that the stranger had been in, he excitedly came over and asked, "So, you got to meet Al? What'd he say?"

"Al who?!!", I exclaimed with a bewildered look.

"Al Kreitler! You know......Kreitler Rollers?!!!"

Oh! ...........yeah, ummm.........

Well, needless to say, I felt pretty dumb as my boss explained to me the whole Kreitler story and that the little "rat" dog was his famous "Killer" that was featured in all the promotional materials for the company.

I got a chance to redeem myself a couple of years later when I met Al again, recounting the story to him. He chuckled with a sparkle in his eye, and a note of sadness. Seems that "Killer" had died and he had another dog, still stuffed into the front of his overalls, named "Killer II", but he really missed the first one. We shared a few anecdotes, and then I went my way.

That was 13 years ago now, and now Al is gone too. I bet he would've chuckled at the BRAIN story too, had he seen it.

Roller Racing Gets Its Day In The Sun

The latest issue of BRAIN, otherwise known as Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, just sent out its latest issue recently with a feature article on roller racing. If you have not ever seen such a thing, or heard of it, here is a brief description of what it is.

Several cyclists pit themselves against the clock and each other by riding timed "two mile" time trials on Kreitler rollers. The rollers are timed and the distance is recorded by a special computer program set up for the job. typically you have two sets of rollers set next to each other "drag racing" style, but this isn't always the set up at all roller races.

On one hand, it is cool that roller racing is getting its due, but I also had to laugh. I mean, this has been going on in the winter time in Iowa for at least 25 years or more. Anyway, It's cool that somebody noticed it.......finally!

I did this once. Once! Way back when I was seriously racing on this team, I gave it a go. I guess I did okay for a big guy that was really a mountain biker. At any rate, the year before I did the event in the shop I worked at, we held the event there when I wasn't so silly to think I could actually be one of these roadie dudes. I was basically the only employee on duty that cold winter day playing host to about 40-50 sweaty cyclists raging on rollers all around the shop.

Well, in the midst of all this madness a fellow comes in to "check things out". He didn't look much like a cyclist. More like an old skool farmer than anything. He was about my height, balding, bearded, and had a round pot belly stuffed into faded blue overalls. Not only that, but he had a tiny furball of a dog stuffed into the front of his bibs like some humanoid marsupial carrying around an alien spawn with brown beady eyes.

I spoke with him for a bit. He seemed all curious about the roller races, asking about the turn out, and some particular cyclists. Hmm......okay, he seemed to have some knowledge of the event and folks here, so I allowed him to stroll around the back, figuring the cyclists would get a kick out of this rustic dude and his strange way of carrying around his pet. He didn't stay long. He claimed he had a long drive ahead of him, and that he just happened to be passing through. Hrumpf! Whatever! I said goodbye and off he and his dog went.

Not long afterwards the shop owner popped in to see how things were going. When someone tipped him off that the stranger had been in, he excitedly came over and asked, "So, you got to meet Al? What'd he say?"

"Al who?!!", I exclaimed with a bewildered look.

"Al Kreitler! You know......Kreitler Rollers?!!!"

Oh! ...........yeah, ummm.........

Well, needless to say, I felt pretty dumb as my boss explained to me the whole Kreitler story and that the little "rat" dog was his famous "Killer" that was featured in all the promotional materials for the company.

I got a chance to redeem myself a couple of years later when I met Al again, recounting the story to him. He chuckled with a sparkle in his eye, and a note of sadness. Seems that "Killer" had died and he had another dog, still stuffed into the front of his overalls, named "Killer II", but he really missed the first one. We shared a few anecdotes, and then I went my way.

That was 13 years ago now, and now Al is gone too. I bet he would've chuckled at the BRAIN story too, had he seen it.

Glorious Sun

<===The sun is really doing a number on the snow here.

Today was an awesome day to be out. I do not know what the temperature ended up being, but I went gloveless and wore just a thin wool pant beneath my knickers today. Awesome to be able to shed some layers. I actually got sort of hot going with the wind.






<===The east/west roads were pretty soft.

I did about two hours at a measured pace today. The wind going west was tough. But, as ol' Jeff used to say, "The wind is our mountains." So be it. I pedalled along through it all just fine.

It was just an awesome ride anyway you slice it, especially after the winter harshness we have endured here.




<===The sun felt great today.

So I toodled along in my 36T X 20T gear set up, not caring to go fast at all just yet. The fenders came in mighty handy today. I had to go through water running down the streets on my way out and back in. The water running in the ditches and drainages is amazing. It's good that it will go below freezing at night for a time, because the runoff is going to cause flooding if it doesn't get slowed up a tad.

<===Giant drifts populate the roadsides out in the country.

I saw lots of snowless field exposed, which means that the temps can get higher easier now. The drifts? Well, that's another story. Those giants will be around awhile. I saw some far bigger than I have pictured here, which was just an "average" sized pile.





<====The Monkey is needing some tweakage.

I need to somehow get that bottom bracket out of the Monkey. Last time I tried, it didn't show any signs of wanting to budge, and now the bottom bracket bearings are making some racket. It's time to pull it down, somehow! I'll wait for a bit till "fender" weather blows by, or..........put the fenders on the Fargo! But wait...........nah! I have another project that the Fargo needs to be involved in, which means I'll just have to live with the crunchy BB for a bit. It isn't terrible yet, just on its way out, that's all. I have a little time yet. Not much, but a little.

Okay, I sure hope the locals got out, and I'm sure they did. I saw at least one lonely set of tracks on Ansborough today. So, someone was out before me! Have a great weekend!

Glorious Sun

<===The sun is really doing a number on the snow here.

Today was an awesome day to be out. I do not know what the temperature ended up being, but I went gloveless and wore just a thin wool pant beneath my knickers today. Awesome to be able to shed some layers. I actually got sort of hot going with the wind.






<===The east/west roads were pretty soft.

I did about two hours at a measured pace today. The wind going west was tough. But, as ol' Jeff used to say, "The wind is our mountains." So be it. I pedalled along through it all just fine.

It was just an awesome ride anyway you slice it, especially after the winter harshness we have endured here.




<===The sun felt great today.

So I toodled along in my 36T X 20T gear set up, not caring to go fast at all just yet. The fenders came in mighty handy today. I had to go through water running down the streets on my way out and back in. The water running in the ditches and drainages is amazing. It's good that it will go below freezing at night for a time, because the runoff is going to cause flooding if it doesn't get slowed up a tad.

<===Giant drifts populate the roadsides out in the country.

I saw lots of snowless field exposed, which means that the temps can get higher easier now. The drifts? Well, that's another story. Those giants will be around awhile. I saw some far bigger than I have pictured here, which was just an "average" sized pile.





<====The Monkey is needing some tweakage.

I need to somehow get that bottom bracket out of the Monkey. Last time I tried, it didn't show any signs of wanting to budge, and now the bottom bracket bearings are making some racket. It's time to pull it down, somehow! I'll wait for a bit till "fender" weather blows by, or..........put the fenders on the Fargo! But wait...........nah! I have another project that the Fargo needs to be involved in, which means I'll just have to live with the crunchy BB for a bit. It isn't terrible yet, just on its way out, that's all. I have a little time yet. Not much, but a little.

Okay, I sure hope the locals got out, and I'm sure they did. I saw at least one lonely set of tracks on Ansborough today. So, someone was out before me! Have a great weekend!