The Iowa Jungle Scene

<===Ragin' Vege down at The Camp's south side.

I got out for a bit on the Lynskey Performance titanium single speed Sunday on the Camp's south side. It was a really nice day, but in the woods the plants have definitely taken over. I see where some mowing has been started though, so I suspect that it may not stay overgrown for long!

The nettles are alive though. My stinging legs let me know that much!




<===I think I have it figured out now.

I have got to say that this titanium frame is a hoot to ride. I love hammering out of the saddle on it, and down hills are so fun, even though it is rigid up front.

One thing that has haunted me though is a "pop" that happens when I am hammering uphill. I suspected too much flex, slipping drop outs, and a bad chain, all of which I had eliminated from the equation. Today, the "pop" came back. I looked and looked it over, trying to diagnose the noise.

Well, I guess I overlooked something I thought I checked and eliminated earlier. The chainline is slightly off. Just enough that when I do hammer and flex the frame just so, the chain binds and pops. Well, I guess I know how to fix that, but not in the field, and certainly not with all the mosquitoes that were flying around out there.

So I went out and did some gravel hills and then called it a day. A good outing though. I felt the best I have in over two weeks with the sinus clearing up.....finally!

Tour Divide Leaderboard Update Link: Don't forget to keep up with all the TD action. Check it out here.

The Iowa Jungle Scene

<===Ragin' Vege down at The Camp's south side.

I got out for a bit on the Lynskey Performance titanium single speed Sunday on the Camp's south side. It was a really nice day, but in the woods the plants have definitely taken over. I see where some mowing has been started though, so I suspect that it may not stay overgrown for long!

The nettles are alive though. My stinging legs let me know that much!




<===I think I have it figured out now.

I have got to say that this titanium frame is a hoot to ride. I love hammering out of the saddle on it, and down hills are so fun, even though it is rigid up front.

One thing that has haunted me though is a "pop" that happens when I am hammering uphill. I suspected too much flex, slipping drop outs, and a bad chain, all of which I had eliminated from the equation. Today, the "pop" came back. I looked and looked it over, trying to diagnose the noise.

Well, I guess I overlooked something I thought I checked and eliminated earlier. The chainline is slightly off. Just enough that when I do hammer and flex the frame just so, the chain binds and pops. Well, I guess I know how to fix that, but not in the field, and certainly not with all the mosquitoes that were flying around out there.

So I went out and did some gravel hills and then called it a day. A good outing though. I felt the best I have in over two weeks with the sinus clearing up.....finally!

Tour Divide Leaderboard Update Link: Don't forget to keep up with all the TD action. Check it out here.

GTDRI 09: Recon Report

<===Cool Barn Door

Well, I got out for just a bit to drive some of the northern part of the loop for the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational yesterday.

I had to find a good road to connect with a section over in Clayton County I want to use. I think this will be suitable!

This road runs about 25 miles from Echo Valley State Park over to Elkader. It follows the Turkey River for most of that distance.



<===The Turkey River and the road get mighty cozy in a few spots!

Being a Northeast Iowa river valley, the scenes are pretty to look at. The grade as I drove it, is mostly downhill, although there are a couple of rollers to start things out. I was going to use this as the return route, but I am very tempted to use it as the starting of the ride. We'll see....

This is a county road, so traffic may help in that decision too.





<===Silos that look like they are right in the road.

There are a lot of scenic views of farms, the river, and of the valley itself. It would be cool to see this going either way, so I am not going to fret too much about the way I choose to run it.

Either way, it'll be hilly, not perfectly flat, and very twisty turny.






<===Headed down into the river valley and Elgin, Iowa.

One thing to think about is that after a long day in the saddle it might be nice to have some shade and protection from any potential south winds coming back in my original plan. Coming back the other way? Yeah.....it will be really hilly!

But, we will be coming up from the south if we do that clockwise rotation.





The road not far from Echo Valley.

Well, I still have to do some reconnoitering, but this should come together fairly well. Lots of little towns this year, and hardly any roads "on the grid" at all. Many ups, downs, twists, and turns.

Stay tuned! More will be getting posted in a week or so.

GTDRI 09: Recon Report

<===Cool Barn Door

Well, I got out for just a bit to drive some of the northern part of the loop for the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational yesterday.

I had to find a good road to connect with a section over in Clayton County I want to use. I think this will be suitable!

This road runs about 25 miles from Echo Valley State Park over to Elkader. It follows the Turkey River for most of that distance.



<===The Turkey River and the road get mighty cozy in a few spots!

Being a Northeast Iowa river valley, the scenes are pretty to look at. The grade as I drove it, is mostly downhill, although there are a couple of rollers to start things out. I was going to use this as the return route, but I am very tempted to use it as the starting of the ride. We'll see....

This is a county road, so traffic may help in that decision too.





<===Silos that look like they are right in the road.

There are a lot of scenic views of farms, the river, and of the valley itself. It would be cool to see this going either way, so I am not going to fret too much about the way I choose to run it.

Either way, it'll be hilly, not perfectly flat, and very twisty turny.






<===Headed down into the river valley and Elgin, Iowa.

One thing to think about is that after a long day in the saddle it might be nice to have some shade and protection from any potential south winds coming back in my original plan. Coming back the other way? Yeah.....it will be really hilly!

But, we will be coming up from the south if we do that clockwise rotation.





The road not far from Echo Valley.

Well, I still have to do some reconnoitering, but this should come together fairly well. Lots of little towns this year, and hardly any roads "on the grid" at all. Many ups, downs, twists, and turns.

Stay tuned! More will be getting posted in a week or so.

This Makes Me Smile

I don't remember how long ago it was, but perhaps it was at Trek World last August. But anyway, I had a conversation with a Bontrager dude, or maybe it was somebody else with Trek. At any rate, I do remember telling these guys that they needed to tweak out something on their time trial bikes that just didn't ever make any sense to me.

Now you can say this story is B.S., or that I am looking for a pat on the back, or that I made this up, but whatever. I mean, I don't give a rip anyway, and why would it matter to me? I'm about as likely to ride a time trial bike as I am to drive a NASCAR race. So take this for what it's worth. It made me smile, and that's the point.

I told the guys at the Trek Show that they needed to hide the brakes in the fork blades. I thought it was nuts that it hadn't ever been tried before, since aerodynamics were so important, yet the calipers on the fancy TT machines were always kind of just after thoughts. Bolted on however they could to "hide" them from the wind. So I figured, why not really hide them? Put them inside the fork blades and make them hydraulic. Better to get rid of those pesky cables after all.

Well low and behold, lookee here.

Now I ain't sayin' I had anything to do with this. But I got a kick out of it.

It's about time, I say!

This Makes Me Smile

I don't remember how long ago it was, but perhaps it was at Trek World last August. But anyway, I had a conversation with a Bontrager dude, or maybe it was somebody else with Trek. At any rate, I do remember telling these guys that they needed to tweak out something on their time trial bikes that just didn't ever make any sense to me.

Now you can say this story is B.S., or that I am looking for a pat on the back, or that I made this up, but whatever. I mean, I don't give a rip anyway, and why would it matter to me? I'm about as likely to ride a time trial bike as I am to drive a NASCAR race. So take this for what it's worth. It made me smile, and that's the point.

I told the guys at the Trek Show that they needed to hide the brakes in the fork blades. I thought it was nuts that it hadn't ever been tried before, since aerodynamics were so important, yet the calipers on the fancy TT machines were always kind of just after thoughts. Bolted on however they could to "hide" them from the wind. So I figured, why not really hide them? Put them inside the fork blades and make them hydraulic. Better to get rid of those pesky cables after all.

Well low and behold, lookee here.

Now I ain't sayin' I had anything to do with this. But I got a kick out of it.

It's about time, I say!

Tour Divide Starts Today!

Special Bonus Post: Today at 9:00am Mountain Standard Time the Tour Divide kicks off from Banf, Alberta Canada. This race is an outgrowth of the Great Divide Race, which will also be starting soon from the point where the Tour Divide route crosses the Canadien/U.S. border.

This year's Tour Divide includes several notable folks including Iowa's own Steve McGuire and Trans Iowa winner Joe Meiser. Popular Blogger from Alaska, Jill Homer is also entered into the event.

You can catch up with the whereabouts, leaders, and stories that will be coming out of this event at Tour Divide's Spot Leader Board site. There are links for each individual racer on the right margin there, plus a bunch of info on the event, the route, and the racers in this years edition.

Curiously, T.I.V5 winner Joe Meiser isn't listed on that site, but no worries! Since Joe works for Salsa Cycles, he has his own Spot Tracker page and coverage on Salsa Cycle's blog. They have posted a "Where's Joe?" link on the right margin of the Amigo's Blog there.

Have fun, track the progress of the event, and imagine what it might be like riding rough back roads and dodging snow, bears, and mechanical troubles for 20 days or so from the comfort of home. Tour Divide will be going on for the next three weeks plus!

Tour Divide Starts Today!

Special Bonus Post: Today at 9:00am Mountain Standard Time the Tour Divide kicks off from Banf, Alberta Canada. This race is an outgrowth of the Great Divide Race, which will also be starting soon from the point where the Tour Divide route crosses the Canadien/U.S. border.

This year's Tour Divide includes several notable folks including Iowa's own Steve McGuire and Trans Iowa winner Joe Meiser. Popular Blogger from Alaska, Jill Homer is also entered into the event.

You can catch up with the whereabouts, leaders, and stories that will be coming out of this event at Tour Divide's Spot Leader Board site. There are links for each individual racer on the right margin there, plus a bunch of info on the event, the route, and the racers in this years edition.

Curiously, T.I.V5 winner Joe Meiser isn't listed on that site, but no worries! Since Joe works for Salsa Cycles, he has his own Spot Tracker page and coverage on Salsa Cycle's blog. They have posted a "Where's Joe?" link on the right margin of the Amigo's Blog there.

Have fun, track the progress of the event, and imagine what it might be like riding rough back roads and dodging snow, bears, and mechanical troubles for 20 days or so from the comfort of home. Tour Divide will be going on for the next three weeks plus!

Getting Back Into The Groove

Well it is Friday again. Wahoo! Time to look at what is goin down for the weekend and beyond.....

GTDRI Recon: I got out of a responsibility for Saturday morning/early afternoon, so I think I really need to get some recon of the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational out of the way. I know my planned route, and I can't wait to actually ride the thing. It should be awesome. Here's some tasty tid bits of what it will be.....

Echo Valley State Park will be the launching off point. Then we will be following parts of the T.I.V4 and T.I.V3 routes going by the Volga Recreation Area, and then on into Wadena, Ia. From there I plan on going through Volga, Iowa- still on the T.I.V4 route, and then veering off to Strawberry Point. From there I want to go up through Edgewood, Bixby State Preserve, and northwards to Garber. This part of the route will be on roads reconned for T.I.V4 that were not used due to the shortened course that year, or were edited out before the final route was chosen that year. Then I plan on going over some "virgin gravel", heading westward back to Echo Valley State Park and the end of the ride.

So, that's the plan, but plans can change, so stay tuned!

Trying To Find Some Time: Okay, can I say that June will be gone in a flash? Sheesh! I have a lot going on this month, and stuff to get done around the house that has been neglected since who knows when. I have to get riding again on a normal schedule, and doing web work. Nuts I say! Plain craziness.

Vacation was fun. It was needed. But getting back into the groove after that disruption is tough. I hope I can find the rhythm again, 'cause I need to get crackin'!

Well, I hope ya'all have a great weekend, and ride those bicycles!

Getting Back Into The Groove

Well it is Friday again. Wahoo! Time to look at what is goin down for the weekend and beyond.....

GTDRI Recon: I got out of a responsibility for Saturday morning/early afternoon, so I think I really need to get some recon of the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational out of the way. I know my planned route, and I can't wait to actually ride the thing. It should be awesome. Here's some tasty tid bits of what it will be.....

Echo Valley State Park will be the launching off point. Then we will be following parts of the T.I.V4 and T.I.V3 routes going by the Volga Recreation Area, and then on into Wadena, Ia. From there I plan on going through Volga, Iowa- still on the T.I.V4 route, and then veering off to Strawberry Point. From there I want to go up through Edgewood, Bixby State Preserve, and northwards to Garber. This part of the route will be on roads reconned for T.I.V4 that were not used due to the shortened course that year, or were edited out before the final route was chosen that year. Then I plan on going over some "virgin gravel", heading westward back to Echo Valley State Park and the end of the ride.

So, that's the plan, but plans can change, so stay tuned!

Trying To Find Some Time: Okay, can I say that June will be gone in a flash? Sheesh! I have a lot going on this month, and stuff to get done around the house that has been neglected since who knows when. I have to get riding again on a normal schedule, and doing web work. Nuts I say! Plain craziness.

Vacation was fun. It was needed. But getting back into the groove after that disruption is tough. I hope I can find the rhythm again, 'cause I need to get crackin'!

Well, I hope ya'all have a great weekend, and ride those bicycles!

Single Speed Sickness

<===Yes. It's true. I like single speed bikes!

Way back when I got my first mountain bike, (An 18 speed!), I had a gal friend that liked to ride bicycles and she always admonished me for not shifting. You know, I would just find a gear that felt right and mash it! She said I wasn't being efficient. I said I just needed to pedal harder.

Hrumpf! It's no wonder we're not together today!
(ha ha!) Well.........anyway....I just was raised on single speed bicycles. Those shifty bits were foreign stuff to my mind of one gear.

Of course, over time I realized that gears were okay. I managed to come to embrace that part of cycling too. But......there's just something about a single speed. I'm not going to try to write what a million other passionate single speeders have tried to write for decades about the "one gear thing". Nope! I just am going to say, I've got the single speed sickness. I just like them, and that's that.


<===Just to prove that I ain't agin it.....

So, I put the Dos Niner back together again. It's been in various states of disassembly for months now, but here it is. A 2 X 9 actually. I put on an Origin 8 crank, a new product, and thought I'd see if the 2 X 9 thing was any good for me.

So far it seems as though it might be a good thing. The lack of the really low granny gear will not be too big of a deal, I don't think. I have a low of 29 X 34 right now, so that should suffice for most climbs around here.

Of course, if I get into that really low gear and find I am starting to grind, I'll just have to go into single speed mode! Ha ha!

Seriously though, unless I'm tapped out, this should work fine around here. It has a 44T big ring too, and that sits in the spot on the crank where the middle ring would be on most mountain crank sets. It allows you to use the full cassette in the rear with decent chain line. Of course, that means the inner 29T ring is in the normal "granny" position, and you start to get some cross chain, derailleur rub issues if you shift into the higher range of the cassette. But.....you probably should be back in the big ring for those gears any way, eh? We'll see once I get this rig out to the Camp.

Anyway, if you run a single speed, geared, or both types of bikes, it is all good. I'm just partial to my single speed 29"ers, that's all.

Single Speed Sickness

<===Yes. It's true. I like single speed bikes!

Way back when I got my first mountain bike, (An 18 speed!), I had a gal friend that liked to ride bicycles and she always admonished me for not shifting. You know, I would just find a gear that felt right and mash it! She said I wasn't being efficient. I said I just needed to pedal harder.

Hrumpf! It's no wonder we're not together today!
(ha ha!) Well.........anyway....I just was raised on single speed bicycles. Those shifty bits were foreign stuff to my mind of one gear.

Of course, over time I realized that gears were okay. I managed to come to embrace that part of cycling too. But......there's just something about a single speed. I'm not going to try to write what a million other passionate single speeders have tried to write for decades about the "one gear thing". Nope! I just am going to say, I've got the single speed sickness. I just like them, and that's that.


<===Just to prove that I ain't agin it.....

So, I put the Dos Niner back together again. It's been in various states of disassembly for months now, but here it is. A 2 X 9 actually. I put on an Origin 8 crank, a new product, and thought I'd see if the 2 X 9 thing was any good for me.

So far it seems as though it might be a good thing. The lack of the really low granny gear will not be too big of a deal, I don't think. I have a low of 29 X 34 right now, so that should suffice for most climbs around here.

Of course, if I get into that really low gear and find I am starting to grind, I'll just have to go into single speed mode! Ha ha!

Seriously though, unless I'm tapped out, this should work fine around here. It has a 44T big ring too, and that sits in the spot on the crank where the middle ring would be on most mountain crank sets. It allows you to use the full cassette in the rear with decent chain line. Of course, that means the inner 29T ring is in the normal "granny" position, and you start to get some cross chain, derailleur rub issues if you shift into the higher range of the cassette. But.....you probably should be back in the big ring for those gears any way, eh? We'll see once I get this rig out to the Camp.

Anyway, if you run a single speed, geared, or both types of bikes, it is all good. I'm just partial to my single speed 29"ers, that's all.

The "Oh-So-Pro" Edition

It isn't often that I get the chance to be part of something slick and polished- "professional" one might say. Something that looks like folks knew what they wanted, knew how to do it, and pull it off in a way that rises above mere mortal accomplishments. I get to experience that on a musical level in the band I play in for my church on occasion. It's a joy that is rare for a greasy mechanic like me.

Well, not long before Trans Iowa V5 I was asked by Jason Mahokey, (He of Soiled Chamois fame), if I would file a post race report on the event that he could publish in his new web-zine called "XXC". I told him yes, and afterwards I filed the report as it appears on the T.I.V5 site and threw in some pics by myself, The Blue Colnago , and Corey, "Cornbread" Godfrey. Well, what resulted was nothing short of fantastic. Go download it now here.

Besides the piece I helped with, there is good stuff from lots of other folks that you need to check out. Jason did a fantastic job putting together Issue #2, and the contributors all did top notch work. I am honored to be amongst such heady company in XXC.

So there is is, a jumble of words, a few pics, and it gets assembled into something that is more than a sum of its parts by a brilliant guy running his own web-zine show. Thanks to Jason Mahokey, Paul Buchanan, Corey Godfrey, the riders quoted in the article from T.I.V5, and everyone involved in the event. Thanks to all the contributors in Issue #2 of XXC mag. I am humbled and proud to be a part of this. Thank you all!

The "Oh-So-Pro" Edition

It isn't often that I get the chance to be part of something slick and polished- "professional" one might say. Something that looks like folks knew what they wanted, knew how to do it, and pull it off in a way that rises above mere mortal accomplishments. I get to experience that on a musical level in the band I play in for my church on occasion. It's a joy that is rare for a greasy mechanic like me.

Well, not long before Trans Iowa V5 I was asked by Jason Mahokey, (He of Soiled Chamois fame), if I would file a post race report on the event that he could publish in his new web-zine called "XXC". I told him yes, and afterwards I filed the report as it appears on the T.I.V5 site and threw in some pics by myself, The Blue Colnago , and Corey, "Cornbread" Godfrey. Well, what resulted was nothing short of fantastic. Go download it now here.

Besides the piece I helped with, there is good stuff from lots of other folks that you need to check out. Jason did a fantastic job putting together Issue #2, and the contributors all did top notch work. I am honored to be amongst such heady company in XXC.

So there is is, a jumble of words, a few pics, and it gets assembled into something that is more than a sum of its parts by a brilliant guy running his own web-zine show. Thanks to Jason Mahokey, Paul Buchanan, Corey Godfrey, the riders quoted in the article from T.I.V5, and everyone involved in the event. Thanks to all the contributors in Issue #2 of XXC mag. I am humbled and proud to be a part of this. Thank you all!

The Race Against Death Tour: Day Three- Over The Border Part III

The "Race Against Death Tour" stops for the night in Wynot, Nebraska........

When we pulled into the small town of Wynot, we saw a little town square, if it could be called such. It was basically a poor excuse for a park with a central restroom facility, a couple of weathered old picnic tables, and a swing set swaying gently in the breeze. Along the western side of the main street there were a row of low buildings that served as business fronts for the post office and two small bars, along with some other non-descript buildings.

We spied the park as a place to set up tents and hit the hay. Troy went in to ask to see if this was okay at the bar. We followed in behind, but we were redirected down the street to another place to get "official" blessing. On the way down, an old man hailed us, and began to get into a conversation with Troy, but he quickly passed him off to Ryan and I.

Well, this old man was either half crazy, drunk, or both. (I vote for both), and he proceeded to try to talk to us in half sentences, ravings, and unintelligible bursts of sound. Ryan about busted a gut several times, but managed to keep it together. I never really did get the gist of what the old fella was saying, but Ryan seemed to tap into some of his verbiage, as he would oft repeat snippets of it afterwards, much to Troy's and my delight.

 This fellow helped us give rise to the concept of "V.I.P" that we instigated for folks of this sort the rest of the trip. We dubbed these folks "VIP's", but "very important person" wasn't really what we meant. We were to meet several more similar folks along our road.

Now that Troy had the "official" blessing, we could set up camp in the town square. We made quick work of our setting up, having had enough practice now to be really good at it. We discovered that the rest room had a central drain, so we took a big pot that Ryan had brought and used it to fill with water from the faucet and pour over our heads to take make shift showers.

After getting cleaned up, we hit the bar we had walked into earlier. Calling it a "bar" is a bit unfair, I guess. It was basically a restaurant with a bar in the corner. Anyway, they had a board above the back counter with the menu on it. They had about every fried concoction available and known to mankind. Fried cauliflower baskets, fried mushroom baskets, fried cheese curd baskets, you name it, they had it. And........we ordered it! We filled our round table with fried food baskets and looked at it all with wide eyes. We were amazed at the volume of food. But you know what? We ate every last morsel!

After retiring to our patch of grass, we took to a lone picnic table and faced the lowering sun that was lighting up the clouds on the western horizon. It looked like some thunderheads were coming our way. But now everything was peaceful and relaxing. Troy said he wanted to go into the bar to ask to use the phone to make a collect call to his wife. (Amazing that we used to do this!) He was gone long enough that Ryan and I made note of it, thinking, and hoping nothing was seriously wrong. When Troy came out, it was apparent that the news from home was not good.

Thoughts ran across my mind of what it could be, but it wasn't "close to home" bad news. We found out from Troy that his wife had told him the news that Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead had died. Troy, being a huge fan, was devastated by this. We all sat on that picnic table for several minutes in silence, staring as the sun went down in a red and orange haze.

After some conversation we finally hit the hay and settled in for the night. I could hear the distant thunder and the flashes of lightning grew closer. I lay unable to sleep as a storm rolled up on Wynot, Nebraska that night, wondering what the following days might bring.

Next week: A Ride In Jo's Big Truck

The Race Against Death Tour: Day Three- Over The Border Part III

The "Race Against Death Tour" stops for the night in Wynot, Nebraska........

When we pulled into the small town of Wynot, we saw a little town square, if it could be called such. It was basically a poor excuse for a park with a central restroom facility, a couple of weathered old picnic tables, and a swing set swaying gently in the breeze. Along the western side of the main street there were a row of low buildings that served as business fronts for the post office and two small bars, along with some other non-descript buildings.

We spied the park as a place to set up tents and hit the hay. Troy went in to ask to see if this was okay at the bar. We followed in behind, but we were redirected down the street to another place to get "official" blessing. On the way down, an old man hailed us, and began to get into a conversation with Troy, but he quickly passed him off to Ryan and I.

Well, this old man was either half crazy, drunk, or both. (I vote for both), and he proceeded to try to talk to us in half sentences, ravings, and unintelligible bursts of sound. Ryan about busted a gut several times, but managed to keep it together. I never really did get the gist of what the old fella was saying, but Ryan seemed to tap into some of his verbiage, as he would oft repeat snippets of it afterwards, much to Troy's and my delight.

 This fellow helped us give rise to the concept of "V.I.P" that we instigated for folks of this sort the rest of the trip. We dubbed these folks "VIP's", but "very important person" wasn't really what we meant. We were to meet several more similar folks along our road.

Now that Troy had the "official" blessing, we could set up camp in the town square. We made quick work of our setting up, having had enough practice now to be really good at it. We discovered that the rest room had a central drain, so we took a big pot that Ryan had brought and used it to fill with water from the faucet and pour over our heads to take make shift showers.

After getting cleaned up, we hit the bar we had walked into earlier. Calling it a "bar" is a bit unfair, I guess. It was basically a restaurant with a bar in the corner. Anyway, they had a board above the back counter with the menu on it. They had about every fried concoction available and known to mankind. Fried cauliflower baskets, fried mushroom baskets, fried cheese curd baskets, you name it, they had it. And........we ordered it! We filled our round table with fried food baskets and looked at it all with wide eyes. We were amazed at the volume of food. But you know what? We ate every last morsel!

After retiring to our patch of grass, we took to a lone picnic table and faced the lowering sun that was lighting up the clouds on the western horizon. It looked like some thunderheads were coming our way. But now everything was peaceful and relaxing. Troy said he wanted to go into the bar to ask to use the phone to make a collect call to his wife. (Amazing that we used to do this!) He was gone long enough that Ryan and I made note of it, thinking, and hoping nothing was seriously wrong. When Troy came out, it was apparent that the news from home was not good.

Thoughts ran across my mind of what it could be, but it wasn't "close to home" bad news. We found out from Troy that his wife had told him the news that Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead had died. Troy, being a huge fan, was devastated by this. We all sat on that picnic table for several minutes in silence, staring as the sun went down in a red and orange haze.

After some conversation we finally hit the hay and settled in for the night. I could hear the distant thunder and the flashes of lightning grew closer. I lay unable to sleep as a storm rolled up on Wynot, Nebraska that night, wondering what the following days might bring.

Next week: A Ride In Jo's Big Truck

Monday News And Views

Lots of stuff has been going down since I have been gone vacationing. Here's a recap of some of that and some commentary to boot.

Chris King Does Another Food Gig: From the lovely state of Oregon comes news of Chris King’s plans to host another event involving food. (For those of you that don’t know, Chris King is a food aficionado of the highest order, and a pretty dang good cook to boot!) For the rest of that story hit this link.

Nomination Papers: A while back, I was tabbed by some "wily coyotes" to help craft the skeleton of a nomination submission to induct Mike Curiak into the Mountain Bike Hall Of Fame. You can find the text of the article here. Keep in mind, I basically drew up a template and the other fellows added and subtracted stuff at will, so this should be seen as a collaborative effort, even though my name is attached to it. Only MBHOF members can vote, so if you wanna vote, ya gotta join up. There.....that's all I gotta say about that!

Top 50 Cycling Blog: Some nutter in the U.K. decided to compile a "Top 50 Cycling Blogs" post and in a stroke of pure luck, "Guitar Ted Productions" came in 26th amongst some truly worthy blogs/sites that deserved it more than I do for my work. At any rate, it seems that some obvious omissions were made, which I thought was kind of funny in a way.

Discussions About Fun, Beer, and Bicycles: During the ride in Platte River State Park, on more than one occasion we stopped to discuss the Big Wheeled Ballyhoo and what we were going to do to make it a memorable, fun event. We concluded that just getting bikes, folks, and beer together ought to pretty much take care of that. But to that end we are planning demo rides from potentially six different 29"er purveyors, music, games, a hand made brew down/tasting contest, and some killer rides including a Fargo Gravel Adventure Ride which will give a few lucky folks a taste of what it is like to ride a Fargo in the environment it was designed for. The Big Wheeled Ballyhoo should be a great time and will kick off on October 10th near Brady, Nebraska.

One More Time.... I wanted to underscore the experience in Nebraska I had on the great trails that I got to sample out there. Really, these are killer single track trails not to be missed. It seems from their own descriptions of the parks, especially Swanson and Jewel Parks, that the trails are somewhat "lame". Nothing could be further from the truth. These trails, if they were in Iowa, would be lauded as some of the best in the state. Heck, they have races at Swanson, so you know it isn't a pansy course. It is just that Platte River is so much more. When you gauge these Bellvue parks against that backdrop, well.....maybe you can see why the descriptions are what they are. I just do not agree at all with the way they are presented, and I wanted to put the word out- Go to Nebraska and ride these trails! They are waaay worth your time and effort.

Monday News And Views

Lots of stuff has been going down since I have been gone vacationing. Here's a recap of some of that and some commentary to boot.

Chris King Does Another Food Gig: From the lovely state of Oregon comes news of Chris King’s plans to host another event involving food. (For those of you that don’t know, Chris King is a food aficionado of the highest order, and a pretty dang good cook to boot!) For the rest of that story hit this link.

Nomination Papers: A while back, I was tabbed by some "wily coyotes" to help craft the skeleton of a nomination submission to induct Mike Curiak into the Mountain Bike Hall Of Fame. You can find the text of the article here. Keep in mind, I basically drew up a template and the other fellows added and subtracted stuff at will, so this should be seen as a collaborative effort, even though my name is attached to it. Only MBHOF members can vote, so if you wanna vote, ya gotta join up. There.....that's all I gotta say about that!

Top 50 Cycling Blog: Some nutter in the U.K. decided to compile a "Top 50 Cycling Blogs" post and in a stroke of pure luck, "Guitar Ted Productions" came in 26th amongst some truly worthy blogs/sites that deserved it more than I do for my work. At any rate, it seems that some obvious omissions were made, which I thought was kind of funny in a way.

Discussions About Fun, Beer, and Bicycles: During the ride in Platte River State Park, on more than one occasion we stopped to discuss the Big Wheeled Ballyhoo and what we were going to do to make it a memorable, fun event. We concluded that just getting bikes, folks, and beer together ought to pretty much take care of that. But to that end we are planning demo rides from potentially six different 29"er purveyors, music, games, a hand made brew down/tasting contest, and some killer rides including a Fargo Gravel Adventure Ride which will give a few lucky folks a taste of what it is like to ride a Fargo in the environment it was designed for. The Big Wheeled Ballyhoo should be a great time and will kick off on October 10th near Brady, Nebraska.

One More Time.... I wanted to underscore the experience in Nebraska I had on the great trails that I got to sample out there. Really, these are killer single track trails not to be missed. It seems from their own descriptions of the parks, especially Swanson and Jewel Parks, that the trails are somewhat "lame". Nothing could be further from the truth. These trails, if they were in Iowa, would be lauded as some of the best in the state. Heck, they have races at Swanson, so you know it isn't a pansy course. It is just that Platte River is so much more. When you gauge these Bellvue parks against that backdrop, well.....maybe you can see why the descriptions are what they are. I just do not agree at all with the way they are presented, and I wanted to put the word out- Go to Nebraska and ride these trails! They are waaay worth your time and effort.

The Nebraska Report

<===Roller-coaster type single track in Swanson Park, Bellevue, Nebraska.

I spent the greater part of my vacation in Bellevue, Nebraska with friends. On Thursday I was unexpectedly blessed with the chance to hit up nearby Swanson Park. It has a perfect course for single speeding, and the track is a blast to ride. So much so, I did it twice!






<===Tall grass prairie on the Fargo in Swanson Park.

The trail winds its way up on to this reclaimed dump that was turned into tall grass prairie.
It was a cool contrast to the heavily wooded single track elsewhere in the park.

The loop was fairly well marked and was about six miles in length. Nothing too technical, mostly fast, flowy single track. The down hill off the prairie hill is a treat and the back half of the loop is roller coaster trail heaven. Fun!

I was supposed to wait and hit this up with MG, as I posted on Friday, but I couldn't wait, and it actually opened up an opportunity to hit up another local "gem" of single track. So, on Friday, after MG actually found me, (a whole 'nuther story there!), we decided to go look for Jewel Park in Bellevue.



<===Parked part way up a switch backed, tight turned climb in Jewel Park.

After wandering around for an hour and a half, (really!) MG and I decided to stop doing the manly thing and we broke down and called in for directions. Once back on track, we found the park entrance, downed some grub, got dressed and hit the single track........up!

Jewel Park kicks off with a steep, tight, switchback-like climb that puts you up on top of a big hill. Then you are off camber, running in and out of ravines, and negotiating tight corners with short steeps and a plentiful helping of roots. This short, four plus mile loop reminded me a ton of Decorah, Iowa with it's toughness. It really worked me over, and I begged off after one lap knowing we had the main course on tap yet for later in the afternoon.


<===Deep inside the shadowy canopy of Platte River State Park's great trails.

MG had in mind to take me to Platte River State Park about a half an hour south of Bellevue along the sandy Platte River. We arrived shortly before our meet up with Kyle from the parts of Nebraska where the next Big Wheeled Ballyhoo will be held.

He pulled out his beautiful Turner Sultan and we set out to see what Platte River was all about. There was a bit of everything, and a lot more climbing too! It seemed that there was nothing flat out here at all. The trail was well marked, cleared, and tough as nails. Lots of punchy climbs, fast technical descents laced with roots and drop offs. Of course, the rigidness that is a Fargo may not have been the best choice for this, but it did the job, and it was all I had!

<=== MG surveys the thin thread that is set out before us.

The trails were tough, but this single track is a blast to ride. It will call up all the skills you have to make it through. Climbing, descending, picking the correct lines, cornering, and just being "on your game" will all be skills that you will hone if you ride here. I will come back some time, because this trail will definitely make me- or anyone- a better rider. I know I'm better for having been on it.

It was a thick aired, warm, sunny, perfect day to ride. We stopped in some open prairie for a bit to hash over some stuff concerning the Ballyhoo, and we headed out for the final sections of single track that would lead us out to the cars. On the way, there was a tricky ascent that made MG hesitate at just the precise moment I needed him to clear the space he was in. I stopped, tried to catch my balance, and went over to my left, falling about 7 feet into a hidden log right on my left arm. MG and Kyle quickly extricated me from my bike and the underbrush. I had merely bruised myself, but it wouldn't be until the next day that I discovered I tweaked my back a bit in this fall.

I should be okay, it's just real sore! Well, with that accident, we headed out with no other issues and made it back to the cars and some well deserved beverages.

<====The moon comes up over Platte River State Park after a glorious day of riding Nebraska single track.

MG, Kyle, and I had a great time, great conversation, and were totally worked over after a great day of riding. If you think Nebraska is flat and boring, you are totally missing it. The three places I rode are not even the total amount of trails in the area either. There is more, and some day I'm going back to bag some more killer Nebraska single track.

Thanks go out to The Dettmer Family for hosting my family, Matt Gersib, Kyle Vincent, THOR, and anyone else involved in the trail maintenance out there. Last but not least, thanks to Mrs. Guitar Ted for letting me do this on our family vacation.

The Nebraska Report

<===Roller-coaster type single track in Swanson Park, Bellevue, Nebraska.

I spent the greater part of my vacation in Bellevue, Nebraska with friends. On Thursday I was unexpectedly blessed with the chance to hit up nearby Swanson Park. It has a perfect course for single speeding, and the track is a blast to ride. So much so, I did it twice!






<===Tall grass prairie on the Fargo in Swanson Park.

The trail winds its way up on to this reclaimed dump that was turned into tall grass prairie.
It was a cool contrast to the heavily wooded single track elsewhere in the park.

The loop was fairly well marked and was about six miles in length. Nothing too technical, mostly fast, flowy single track. The down hill off the prairie hill is a treat and the back half of the loop is roller coaster trail heaven. Fun!

I was supposed to wait and hit this up with MG, as I posted on Friday, but I couldn't wait, and it actually opened up an opportunity to hit up another local "gem" of single track. So, on Friday, after MG actually found me, (a whole 'nuther story there!), we decided to go look for Jewel Park in Bellevue.



<===Parked part way up a switch backed, tight turned climb in Jewel Park.

After wandering around for an hour and a half, (really!) MG and I decided to stop doing the manly thing and we broke down and called in for directions. Once back on track, we found the park entrance, downed some grub, got dressed and hit the single track........up!

Jewel Park kicks off with a steep, tight, switchback-like climb that puts you up on top of a big hill. Then you are off camber, running in and out of ravines, and negotiating tight corners with short steeps and a plentiful helping of roots. This short, four plus mile loop reminded me a ton of Decorah, Iowa with it's toughness. It really worked me over, and I begged off after one lap knowing we had the main course on tap yet for later in the afternoon.


<===Deep inside the shadowy canopy of Platte River State Park's great trails.

MG had in mind to take me to Platte River State Park about a half an hour south of Bellevue along the sandy Platte River. We arrived shortly before our meet up with Kyle from the parts of Nebraska where the next Big Wheeled Ballyhoo will be held.

He pulled out his beautiful Turner Sultan and we set out to see what Platte River was all about. There was a bit of everything, and a lot more climbing too! It seemed that there was nothing flat out here at all. The trail was well marked, cleared, and tough as nails. Lots of punchy climbs, fast technical descents laced with roots and drop offs. Of course, the rigidness that is a Fargo may not have been the best choice for this, but it did the job, and it was all I had!

<=== MG surveys the thin thread that is set out before us.

The trails were tough, but this single track is a blast to ride. It will call up all the skills you have to make it through. Climbing, descending, picking the correct lines, cornering, and just being "on your game" will all be skills that you will hone if you ride here. I will come back some time, because this trail will definitely make me- or anyone- a better rider. I know I'm better for having been on it.

It was a thick aired, warm, sunny, perfect day to ride. We stopped in some open prairie for a bit to hash over some stuff concerning the Ballyhoo, and we headed out for the final sections of single track that would lead us out to the cars. On the way, there was a tricky ascent that made MG hesitate at just the precise moment I needed him to clear the space he was in. I stopped, tried to catch my balance, and went over to my left, falling about 7 feet into a hidden log right on my left arm. MG and Kyle quickly extricated me from my bike and the underbrush. I had merely bruised myself, but it wouldn't be until the next day that I discovered I tweaked my back a bit in this fall.

I should be okay, it's just real sore! Well, with that accident, we headed out with no other issues and made it back to the cars and some well deserved beverages.

<====The moon comes up over Platte River State Park after a glorious day of riding Nebraska single track.

MG, Kyle, and I had a great time, great conversation, and were totally worked over after a great day of riding. If you think Nebraska is flat and boring, you are totally missing it. The three places I rode are not even the total amount of trails in the area either. There is more, and some day I'm going back to bag some more killer Nebraska single track.

Thanks go out to The Dettmer Family for hosting my family, Matt Gersib, Kyle Vincent, THOR, and anyone else involved in the trail maintenance out there. Last but not least, thanks to Mrs. Guitar Ted for letting me do this on our family vacation.