Recon Ride II

d.p. said it had been waaaaay too long since we had done this. He was right. It had been! I almost forgot how to get my hack job lights set up on my bike and helmet it had been so long since I had ridden at night with anybody.

My helmet light, a Coleman LED torch, was cutting out tonight, but my Eveready handle bar lamp was doing great. I think my son has been messing with my light and perhaps the switch is messed up. Oh well! It was cheap and I know where to get another in case I need to get one.

I met d.p. at an undisclosed rural Iowa town that I had never been to before for this "Vitamin G" session. It's always fun exploring new places, even if by night.

We were out for about two hours and the gravel was fast, fun, and very, very dusty! My shoes were all white when I looked at them when I got back home.

We're pretty pumped about the stuff we're putting into the Trans Iowa V7 course.  We also discussed some logistics and some protocol for registration. look for announcements on registration and how it will be different soon!

Well, that's it for this week. I'm off to Las Vegas for Interbike on Sunday, so posts will be sporadic next week, but I should find time to post some fun things and maybe a juicy tidbit or two. Have a great weekend and go ride that bike!

Recon Ride II

d.p. said it had been waaaaay too long since we had done this. He was right. It had been! I almost forgot how to get my hack job lights set up on my bike and helmet it had been so long since I had ridden at night with anybody.

My helmet light, a Coleman LED torch, was cutting out tonight, but my Eveready handle bar lamp was doing great. I think my son has been messing with my light and perhaps the switch is messed up. Oh well! It was cheap and I know where to get another in case I need to get one.

I met d.p. at an undisclosed rural Iowa town that I had never been to before for this "Vitamin G" session. It's always fun exploring new places, even if by night.

We were out for about two hours and the gravel was fast, fun, and very, very dusty! My shoes were all white when I looked at them when I got back home.

We're pretty pumped about the stuff we're putting into the Trans Iowa V7 course.  We also discussed some logistics and some protocol for registration. look for announcements on registration and how it will be different soon!

Well, that's it for this week. I'm off to Las Vegas for Interbike on Sunday, so posts will be sporadic next week, but I should find time to post some fun things and maybe a juicy tidbit or two. Have a great weekend and go ride that bike!

First Leaves Of Fall

I rode the north side of Camp Ingawanis Wednesday on a great early fall day. Fall is definitely in the air. Leaves were gently falling, littering the trail. They were getting in between places on the frame and buzzing the tire. That's a sound I haven't heard in awhile.

I also have been getting into the nettles. Sticking to my socks, they are a sure sign that the season is changing.

It's a welcomed thing after such a long, hot summer that was pretty brutal on me. Not to mention all the wet weather, which came at intervals that seemed to always make riding out at the Camp a "no-go". Now it is dry, and the camp trails have been groomed. It was perfect!

That said, don't be going out there this weekend! The North side is closed to cyclists due to an archery shoot that will be going on.

There was enough water this year that there are some "perma-mud" holes out at the Camp now. They are all rideable, and nothing to be concerned about in terms of trail damage, but they are mucky-yucky! Pure black silt that feels like some sort of special beauty cream. (Probably does have some beneficial qualities for the skin, or at least my legs are hoping so!)

In fact, there is every kind of condition out there right now. Sand, mud, tacky clay, dry dirt, and rock hard dirt with a dusting of sandy dirt. It makes for a fun ride, and especially so when you add in the pine needle duff that you ride on through "The Pines" section. (What a clever name, eh? <===ha!)

One thing is certain- the trails won't be clear like this much longer! Leaves, and lots of them, will be snowing the trails under soon enough, and we'll be riding on a crunchy carpet of leaves that hides all the roots and other obstacles.

Oh yeah, and don't forget about nuts! This must be a banner year for acorns and walnuts. I have never seen so many on the ground, nor heard so many crashing down to the ground as I have so far this fall. Be careful out there! You might tick off a fat squirrel and  find yourself dealing with furry ball of fury!

First Leaves Of Fall

I rode the north side of Camp Ingawanis Wednesday on a great early fall day. Fall is definitely in the air. Leaves were gently falling, littering the trail. They were getting in between places on the frame and buzzing the tire. That's a sound I haven't heard in awhile.

I also have been getting into the nettles. Sticking to my socks, they are a sure sign that the season is changing.

It's a welcomed thing after such a long, hot summer that was pretty brutal on me. Not to mention all the wet weather, which came at intervals that seemed to always make riding out at the Camp a "no-go". Now it is dry, and the camp trails have been groomed. It was perfect!

That said, don't be going out there this weekend! The North side is closed to cyclists due to an archery shoot that will be going on.

There was enough water this year that there are some "perma-mud" holes out at the Camp now. They are all rideable, and nothing to be concerned about in terms of trail damage, but they are mucky-yucky! Pure black silt that feels like some sort of special beauty cream. (Probably does have some beneficial qualities for the skin, or at least my legs are hoping so!)

In fact, there is every kind of condition out there right now. Sand, mud, tacky clay, dry dirt, and rock hard dirt with a dusting of sandy dirt. It makes for a fun ride, and especially so when you add in the pine needle duff that you ride on through "The Pines" section. (What a clever name, eh? <===ha!)

One thing is certain- the trails won't be clear like this much longer! Leaves, and lots of them, will be snowing the trails under soon enough, and we'll be riding on a crunchy carpet of leaves that hides all the roots and other obstacles.

Oh yeah, and don't forget about nuts! This must be a banner year for acorns and walnuts. I have never seen so many on the ground, nor heard so many crashing down to the ground as I have so far this fall. Be careful out there! You might tick off a fat squirrel and  find yourself dealing with furry ball of fury!

Bikepacking Feedback

<==image from "Outdoor Equipment Supplier"

First of all, thanks for all the great feedback that you readers supplied me regarding the "Well, That Didn't Work Part II" post I did and specifically to the bikepacking advice I got from you in comments and e-mails. I read through all the supplied links and did even more researching through links provided to me by my writing cohort, Grannygear.

I'm about tarped/bivy'ed/tented out! All the info makes my head spin, and the prices?

You're kidding me! THAT much money for a tarp?!!

Anyway, I thought I'd get back to all of you that I mentioned I would, and give you the whole premise behind this madness. Grannygear came up with this idea, and I'd said I was interested. He calls it: "Bikepacking the Dirtbag Way". (I thought it was just being "Scottish", but hey! Who am I to say!) The premise arose out of Grannygear's experience getting a whole Carousel Designs frame bag/seat bag/bar bag set up for his Lenz Sport Leviathan full suspension device. It was costly. Well made stuff, and it works well, but whoo-boy! You'd have to forfeit a lot of money to get in on the action, and that's just frame bags. Isn't there a cheaper way to jump in? That's the idea here.

Pre-requisites for me are rain protection, wind protection, and bug protection. Humidity needs to be controlled to an extent. And finally, I really won't be in any alpine conditions, so having features that fit mountaineering don't really interest me.

By nature, this whole "Bikepacking the Dirtbag Way" fits minimalism and getting by with less. Less is cheaper, and that is important. For instance, I could get by without a stove or heat source. Shocking, I know. Especially for coffee drinkers, but here, where I'll be "doing my thing", food and drink is readily available, portable, and preserved within an inch of its life. Now maybe if I go camping in winter, I'll change my tune, but until then.....

The thing is, I have all fall and winter to sort this out, and in the meantime, I could use that "coffin I call a tent", as one e-mailer put it, and "get by" for now. I just wanted to explain this whole thing a bit more clearly and thank all of you out there who cared enough to share. It helps a lot!

Bikepacking Feedback

<==image from "Outdoor Equipment Supplier"

First of all, thanks for all the great feedback that you readers supplied me regarding the "Well, That Didn't Work Part II" post I did and specifically to the bikepacking advice I got from you in comments and e-mails. I read through all the supplied links and did even more researching through links provided to me by my writing cohort, Grannygear.

I'm about tarped/bivy'ed/tented out! All the info makes my head spin, and the prices?

You're kidding me! THAT much money for a tarp?!!

Anyway, I thought I'd get back to all of you that I mentioned I would, and give you the whole premise behind this madness. Grannygear came up with this idea, and I'd said I was interested. He calls it: "Bikepacking the Dirtbag Way". (I thought it was just being "Scottish", but hey! Who am I to say!) The premise arose out of Grannygear's experience getting a whole Carousel Designs frame bag/seat bag/bar bag set up for his Lenz Sport Leviathan full suspension device. It was costly. Well made stuff, and it works well, but whoo-boy! You'd have to forfeit a lot of money to get in on the action, and that's just frame bags. Isn't there a cheaper way to jump in? That's the idea here.

Pre-requisites for me are rain protection, wind protection, and bug protection. Humidity needs to be controlled to an extent. And finally, I really won't be in any alpine conditions, so having features that fit mountaineering don't really interest me.

By nature, this whole "Bikepacking the Dirtbag Way" fits minimalism and getting by with less. Less is cheaper, and that is important. For instance, I could get by without a stove or heat source. Shocking, I know. Especially for coffee drinkers, but here, where I'll be "doing my thing", food and drink is readily available, portable, and preserved within an inch of its life. Now maybe if I go camping in winter, I'll change my tune, but until then.....

The thing is, I have all fall and winter to sort this out, and in the meantime, I could use that "coffin I call a tent", as one e-mailer put it, and "get by" for now. I just wanted to explain this whole thing a bit more clearly and thank all of you out there who cared enough to share. It helps a lot!

Bike Shop Tales: Illicit Activities

Weird stuff happens at everybody's jobs, but here are a few things we ran across at the bike shop back in the day.....

With the amount of people and repairs we got in through Advantage Cyclery, we were bound to run into a few odd things. Certainly these I relate here today are some of the most memorable to me.

Gun Totin' Cyclists: Believe it or not, but we actually ran across some "heat" while repairing some bicycles in the shop. I remember one bicycle in particular that was outfitted with a rack and a trunk bag. The mechanic working on the rig at the time was bellowing something about the bike weighing a ton, and how he couldn't get it into the work stand without nearly getting a hernia. I didn't pay much attention, since, well......about every other bike weighed 40-50lbs! Nothing new there.

However; this one was heavier metal than most! The mechanic had to put something into the trunk bag, a set of instructions for a computer, or some other bit, and saw something shiny and black glinting inside. It was a hand gun! Well, the word went around the shop like wildfire that "Ya better watch out for "so-and-so, because he's packin' heat!"  And of course, various comments grew out of that immediately. Well, Tom was wandering through later and caught wind of this. He wasn't at all amused.

He arranged to meet with the customer to discuss "the piece" and that he didn't really appreciate that a hand gun was left in the shop's care. The customer apologized, and explained that since he rode through what he felt were unsavory parts of the city, he needed to have some "protection", but he was not going to leave the gun in his trunk bag if he dropped the bicycle off again. He didn't either.....well, most of the time!  We always checked the bag every time he dropped the rig off after that, and he was like anybody else. He forgot once in awhile!

Ya Put Yer Weed In There! Of course, there are a lot of cyclists that smoke the "mary-jane" and of course, we would smell it on the bikes, or come across "the leavins" in bags and what not while we did repairs. We even found pills and some other funny business on rare occasions. No surprise there, as it was well known at Advantage Cyclery that certain middle aged men would gather on their bikes, hit up the shop just before closing time on Friday night, head over to "Mainly Lou's" to get a little "lubed up", and then head out to Black Hawk Park for "the illegal stuff". Funny thing about that is a couple of these fellows are now "public servants".  (No names here!) Most of that circle of miscreants were steady Advantage Cyclery customers back in the day.

Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette! The last story here isn't so much about illegal substances, or bad behavior that would land you in jail, or even about concealed weapons, but was notorious for a similar reason. We had a customer with a mail order tandem that reeked so badly of cigarette smoke we actually parked it outside the entire time we were open just to air it out and keep it from stinking up the shop. The bike earned the captain the nickname of "Smoker", as he was known to ride and toke at the same time. I don't think I can stress to much how bad this ashtray of a bike reeked. Really. It was absolutely amazing, and yes, the guy had a heart attack and still rides and smokes to this day. Weird.

Next week, I'll be at Interbike in Lost Wages, Nevada, so Bike Shop Tales will be on hiatus until the last week of this month.

Bike Shop Tales: Illicit Activities

Weird stuff happens at everybody's jobs, but here are a few things we ran across at the bike shop back in the day.....

With the amount of people and repairs we got in through Advantage Cyclery, we were bound to run into a few odd things. Certainly these I relate here today are some of the most memorable to me.

Gun Totin' Cyclists: Believe it or not, but we actually ran across some "heat" while repairing some bicycles in the shop. I remember one bicycle in particular that was outfitted with a rack and a trunk bag. The mechanic working on the rig at the time was bellowing something about the bike weighing a ton, and how he couldn't get it into the work stand without nearly getting a hernia. I didn't pay much attention, since, well......about every other bike weighed 40-50lbs! Nothing new there.

However; this one was heavier metal than most! The mechanic had to put something into the trunk bag, a set of instructions for a computer, or some other bit, and saw something shiny and black glinting inside. It was a hand gun! Well, the word went around the shop like wildfire that "Ya better watch out for "so-and-so, because he's packin' heat!"  And of course, various comments grew out of that immediately. Well, Tom was wandering through later and caught wind of this. He wasn't at all amused.

He arranged to meet with the customer to discuss "the piece" and that he didn't really appreciate that a hand gun was left in the shop's care. The customer apologized, and explained that since he rode through what he felt were unsavory parts of the city, he needed to have some "protection", but he was not going to leave the gun in his trunk bag if he dropped the bicycle off again. He didn't either.....well, most of the time!  We always checked the bag every time he dropped the rig off after that, and he was like anybody else. He forgot once in awhile!

Ya Put Yer Weed In There! Of course, there are a lot of cyclists that smoke the "mary-jane" and of course, we would smell it on the bikes, or come across "the leavins" in bags and what not while we did repairs. We even found pills and some other funny business on rare occasions. No surprise there, as it was well known at Advantage Cyclery that certain middle aged men would gather on their bikes, hit up the shop just before closing time on Friday night, head over to "Mainly Lou's" to get a little "lubed up", and then head out to Black Hawk Park for "the illegal stuff". Funny thing about that is a couple of these fellows are now "public servants".  (No names here!) Most of that circle of miscreants were steady Advantage Cyclery customers back in the day.

Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette! The last story here isn't so much about illegal substances, or bad behavior that would land you in jail, or even about concealed weapons, but was notorious for a similar reason. We had a customer with a mail order tandem that reeked so badly of cigarette smoke we actually parked it outside the entire time we were open just to air it out and keep it from stinking up the shop. The bike earned the captain the nickname of "Smoker", as he was known to ride and toke at the same time. I don't think I can stress to much how bad this ashtray of a bike reeked. Really. It was absolutely amazing, and yes, the guy had a heart attack and still rides and smokes to this day. Weird.

Next week, I'll be at Interbike in Lost Wages, Nevada, so Bike Shop Tales will be on hiatus until the last week of this month.

Recon Ride

I got out this weekend and drove to an undisclosed rural Iowa location for some Trans Iowa V7 recon. I usually don't get to do recon by bicycle, but the weather this weekend was awesome, and I needed a ride in the country badly, so I took the Fargo and had an adventure on some roads I had never been on before.

Some of the roads I saw won't be on Trans Iowa V7, but were so cool looking I had to go down them and have a look see anyway. It is a blast to go off in any direction you want with little to no agenda. Be that as it may, I did try to maintain focus!

Some of the ride was pretty brutal. Roller coaster-like hills that made my heart rate skyrocket. I worked pretty hard up against some steep hills and some wind.

Not that I am complaining, mind you. The scenery was spectacular and the day was perfect. I didn't even get chased by a dog! Now that's saying something! The dust was all beaten down by some showers that passed through the area, and the dirt I rode was spectacularly smooth and fast.

Not that the dirt will be this way come April 2011! Maybe it will be, but it may not, and then it will suck. Who knows what the weather will be like then? It sure was the furthest thing from my mind while I pedaled away the miles.

I am excited for this section to become part of the course. It will be a big challenge. There is one wee bit o dirt, but a whole lotta hills, and great scenery. d.p. and I have discussed the course and a rough draft is being formulated. We're planning some more "recon by bike" sessions, and I will be really looking forward to that. It's a whole different way of doing things than we have done before, but changes are good, and this change is fun. I wish we could do the whole course on bicycle, but that is unlikely. Still, we have done a fair bit of it already by bicycle, so I am happy about that much. 

Stay tuned for more recon reports and registration announcements soon.

Recon Ride

I got out this weekend and drove to an undisclosed rural Iowa location for some Trans Iowa V7 recon. I usually don't get to do recon by bicycle, but the weather this weekend was awesome, and I needed a ride in the country badly, so I took the Fargo and had an adventure on some roads I had never been on before.

Some of the roads I saw won't be on Trans Iowa V7, but were so cool looking I had to go down them and have a look see anyway. It is a blast to go off in any direction you want with little to no agenda. Be that as it may, I did try to maintain focus!

Some of the ride was pretty brutal. Roller coaster-like hills that made my heart rate skyrocket. I worked pretty hard up against some steep hills and some wind.

Not that I am complaining, mind you. The scenery was spectacular and the day was perfect. I didn't even get chased by a dog! Now that's saying something! The dust was all beaten down by some showers that passed through the area, and the dirt I rode was spectacularly smooth and fast.

Not that the dirt will be this way come April 2011! Maybe it will be, but it may not, and then it will suck. Who knows what the weather will be like then? It sure was the furthest thing from my mind while I pedaled away the miles.

I am excited for this section to become part of the course. It will be a big challenge. There is one wee bit o dirt, but a whole lotta hills, and great scenery. d.p. and I have discussed the course and a rough draft is being formulated. We're planning some more "recon by bike" sessions, and I will be really looking forward to that. It's a whole different way of doing things than we have done before, but changes are good, and this change is fun. I wish we could do the whole course on bicycle, but that is unlikely. Still, we have done a fair bit of it already by bicycle, so I am happy about that much. 

Stay tuned for more recon reports and registration announcements soon.

From The Fire Into The Frying Pan

<===The view from Circus Circus in '09

Interbike decided to stop going to Las Vegas.

My first reaction is "Awesome!" I am not at all a fan of Las Vegas and what it represents. Call me crazy, but I always feel slimy and spent in spirit once I leave the place. It isn't at all pleasant.

No offense to the residents there, and I will admit, if you get away from "The Strip" it becomes much like any other Southwestern desert town, but Interbike is held in the heart of "The Strip". When you attend the show, you are swimming in the cesspool of what I feel is the worst part about Las Vegas. Again, that's maybe just me, your mileage may vary.

Of course, if Interbike is leaving Las Vegas, it has to go somewhere. They were thinking of either Salt Lake City or Anaheim, California. I've been to both places. They both could work for holding a bicycle trade show. Maybe logistically SLC has a bit of a disadvantage with the demo area being so far away. (Admittedly, I don't know where the demo area is at Anaheim).

Well, they chose Anaheim. Let's just look at that for a second. Dealers didn't really warm up to being in Las Vegas, saying it was "anti-bike culture" and well, I've a feeling a lot of folks were feeling the "slime", just like I did. However; if Las Vegas isn't "bike culture, (and make no mistake, it isn't), then how can going into the heart of "car culture" be more appealing? (Shrugging shoulders) That's just odd.

Now let's look at something else they did. Interbike changed the dates for the show. Feeling pressure from Eurobike, brands holding dealer camps, and from some new start ups, (Dealer Camp, Outerbike), I think Interbike's think tank decided a date change was necessary. They went to an earlier date of August 1st-2nd for the Outdoor Demo and August 3rd-5th for the show indoors. Bottom line: Bad idea for a lot of  independant bicycle dealers. They are still in the thick of selling season at this time. Do you think an owner, managers, or staff will be able to go frolic amongst the cars and smog of the LA basin during early August?

I don't think so, and these are the folks that Interbike needs to have come to the show.

On one hand I'm glad this is the last trip to Vegas for Interbike, but on the other hand, I am not very convinced they made good moves with regards to the place and dates for Interbike 2011.

From The Fire Into The Frying Pan

<===The view from Circus Circus in '09

Interbike decided to stop going to Las Vegas.

My first reaction is "Awesome!" I am not at all a fan of Las Vegas and what it represents. Call me crazy, but I always feel slimy and spent in spirit once I leave the place. It isn't at all pleasant.

No offense to the residents there, and I will admit, if you get away from "The Strip" it becomes much like any other Southwestern desert town, but Interbike is held in the heart of "The Strip". When you attend the show, you are swimming in the cesspool of what I feel is the worst part about Las Vegas. Again, that's maybe just me, your mileage may vary.

Of course, if Interbike is leaving Las Vegas, it has to go somewhere. They were thinking of either Salt Lake City or Anaheim, California. I've been to both places. They both could work for holding a bicycle trade show. Maybe logistically SLC has a bit of a disadvantage with the demo area being so far away. (Admittedly, I don't know where the demo area is at Anaheim).

Well, they chose Anaheim. Let's just look at that for a second. Dealers didn't really warm up to being in Las Vegas, saying it was "anti-bike culture" and well, I've a feeling a lot of folks were feeling the "slime", just like I did. However; if Las Vegas isn't "bike culture, (and make no mistake, it isn't), then how can going into the heart of "car culture" be more appealing? (Shrugging shoulders) That's just odd.

Now let's look at something else they did. Interbike changed the dates for the show. Feeling pressure from Eurobike, brands holding dealer camps, and from some new start ups, (Dealer Camp, Outerbike), I think Interbike's think tank decided a date change was necessary. They went to an earlier date of August 1st-2nd for the Outdoor Demo and August 3rd-5th for the show indoors. Bottom line: Bad idea for a lot of  independant bicycle dealers. They are still in the thick of selling season at this time. Do you think an owner, managers, or staff will be able to go frolic amongst the cars and smog of the LA basin during early August?

I don't think so, and these are the folks that Interbike needs to have come to the show.

On one hand I'm glad this is the last trip to Vegas for Interbike, but on the other hand, I am not very convinced they made good moves with regards to the place and dates for Interbike 2011.

Well, That Didn't Work! Part II

<===We were extremely excited to see that the nylon sarcophagus was nearly 100% intact, even after all these hours!

Okay, here's the lowdown on my tent/bivy experience. I tried it the other night after the kids went to bed and everything had settled down. I said goodnight to Mrs. Guitar Ted and sauntered out into the back yard with my ThermoRest, down bag, and an LED torch lighting the way.

I was planning on using the empty stuff sack for my down bag and my Marmot PreCip jacket, all rolled up inside of it, as a pillow. I figured this would be the most likely scenario if I was on a "real" bikepacking trip.

<====After breaking the Eternal Seals, we were amazed at the interior of the sarcophagus. How could such a man of International Intrigue fit into such a tiny death bed? 

Anyway,  I "slid" into the tent, (and I mean slid!), zipped up, and settled in for the night. It didn't really seem all that bad at first. I had a decent flow of air over me, and I was coolish, which I took to be a good sign.

I did have a bit of trouble falling asleep though, drat that cup of late night coffee! I should know better! But, I did eventually nod off. It wasn't feeling all that great in terms of the pillow idea though. It was woefully undersized for where I like to place it and how high I like my head up. Still, I did actually fall completely asleep.

Then, at about 2:30am, I woke up with a start. I had the sensation of being under a cover and suffocating. I wasn't, but my heart was pounding and I was damp with sweat. The air in the tent was stifling and I needed to open the door up. I decided to prop the outer door up and allow the air to get in there as well. This felt much better, but by this time, I was fed up with the pillow deal, and I needed to relieve myself anyway. I bailed out at 3am and went into the house.

Okay, so I needed a better pillow and better ventilation. But here is the rub: It was 57 degrees out last night. 57! If it were summer, this tent would be waaay too hot. I can't imagine using it during a summer like we just had. High humidity, low winds, and high temps would be no good for this tent and I.

I will be trying it some more, but I am hoping for some colder weather as well. For warmer temps? I'm thinking a tarp tent. But what about bugs?

Got any recommendations folks?

Well, That Didn't Work! Part II

<===We were extremely excited to see that the nylon sarcophagus was nearly 100% intact, even after all these hours!

Okay, here's the lowdown on my tent/bivy experience. I tried it the other night after the kids went to bed and everything had settled down. I said goodnight to Mrs. Guitar Ted and sauntered out into the back yard with my ThermoRest, down bag, and an LED torch lighting the way.

I was planning on using the empty stuff sack for my down bag and my Marmot PreCip jacket, all rolled up inside of it, as a pillow. I figured this would be the most likely scenario if I was on a "real" bikepacking trip.

<====After breaking the Eternal Seals, we were amazed at the interior of the sarcophagus. How could such a man of International Intrigue fit into such a tiny death bed? 

Anyway,  I "slid" into the tent, (and I mean slid!), zipped up, and settled in for the night. It didn't really seem all that bad at first. I had a decent flow of air over me, and I was coolish, which I took to be a good sign.

I did have a bit of trouble falling asleep though, drat that cup of late night coffee! I should know better! But, I did eventually nod off. It wasn't feeling all that great in terms of the pillow idea though. It was woefully undersized for where I like to place it and how high I like my head up. Still, I did actually fall completely asleep.

Then, at about 2:30am, I woke up with a start. I had the sensation of being under a cover and suffocating. I wasn't, but my heart was pounding and I was damp with sweat. The air in the tent was stifling and I needed to open the door up. I decided to prop the outer door up and allow the air to get in there as well. This felt much better, but by this time, I was fed up with the pillow deal, and I needed to relieve myself anyway. I bailed out at 3am and went into the house.

Okay, so I needed a better pillow and better ventilation. But here is the rub: It was 57 degrees out last night. 57! If it were summer, this tent would be waaay too hot. I can't imagine using it during a summer like we just had. High humidity, low winds, and high temps would be no good for this tent and I.

I will be trying it some more, but I am hoping for some colder weather as well. For warmer temps? I'm thinking a tarp tent. But what about bugs?

Got any recommendations folks?

Friday News And Views

Rawland Asks Your Opinion: Rawland Cycles is asking for input on a re-design of the Sogn. Check out the blog here and weigh in. The re-design is going to focus on a non-mountain bikish, rig that would be a different rig than the current offerings that Rawland has.

I will say that since Rawland started out as a 650B specific company, you'll run into a lot of 650B banter in the comments, but don't let that stop ya! I have to ask though, "What does a 650B tire, in any size/width, on a more road-ish bike, do better than a 700c one, other than be different for different's sake? Maybe someone could chime in here on that. It would seem that the road going brethren have chosen 700c as the optimal size, but maybe I'm reading this all wrong.

I'll say one thing, I don't know that I've ever seen one single 650B bike at a gravel event that I've put on, or attended. Mountain bikes, yeah....that's a different story, but not on a "rough road" bike.   Anyway.....

Bikepacking: So this has been too long in coming, but I have finally gotten my mitts on a proper bicycling/camping tent. This is a Topeak "Bikamper" tent/bivy dealio. It is a bit unique in that it is held up with a combination of stakes, guy lines, and bicycle tubes. (You could use a 26" front wheel on the "big" end, but I don't have bikes that fit those wheels) The thing with the tubes is kind of cool, but also a bit puzzling, since the "little" end uses a 16" tube, which you might have on a trailer, but still. Weird.

I have not spent any time to speak of in such a tiny tent since my youth when I had a "pup tent". This is, by far, even smaller than that. Very cozy! I'll do some following up on this experiment, but I may be looking into something else later.

So I will now have to do some other gear experimentation, but it is looking as though I am finally going to start doing this. It's been a long time coming. Too long!

Trans Iowa V7- Floating Some Ideas: I have been kicking around a few ideas on the course and for registration with d.p. via e-mail. We're forging a clearer picture of T.I.V7 now  and I hope to make an announcement concerning the registration process soon. We've got a lot of options on the table for completing the "big assed loop", much of it already figured out, but we also have quite a ways to go concerning the details. So far, we've got one, possibly two, checkpoints arranged and at least the first third of the route drafted out. My hope is that d.p. and I can arrange for some more night time gravel grinding "think tank-recon rides" to fine tune things further.

I think the roster size will be tried at 100 to start out with. Keep in mind that traditionally, we've been lucky to get over 50 people to show up on average for all the versions that we've done, even with T.I.V3's "unlimited" roster limit. My sincere feeling is that if we get 75-80 folks in the end it will be a miracle, and that would most likely be the most we'd ever get even if we said, "Come one, come all". (Which we are not going to do, for several reasons)

Have a great weekend and ride yer bicycle somewhere!

Friday News And Views

Rawland Asks Your Opinion: Rawland Cycles is asking for input on a re-design of the Sogn. Check out the blog here and weigh in. The re-design is going to focus on a non-mountain bikish, rig that would be a different rig than the current offerings that Rawland has.

I will say that since Rawland started out as a 650B specific company, you'll run into a lot of 650B banter in the comments, but don't let that stop ya! I have to ask though, "What does a 650B tire, in any size/width, on a more road-ish bike, do better than a 700c one, other than be different for different's sake? Maybe someone could chime in here on that. It would seem that the road going brethren have chosen 700c as the optimal size, but maybe I'm reading this all wrong.

I'll say one thing, I don't know that I've ever seen one single 650B bike at a gravel event that I've put on, or attended. Mountain bikes, yeah....that's a different story, but not on a "rough road" bike.   Anyway.....

Bikepacking: So this has been too long in coming, but I have finally gotten my mitts on a proper bicycling/camping tent. This is a Topeak "Bikamper" tent/bivy dealio. It is a bit unique in that it is held up with a combination of stakes, guy lines, and bicycle tubes. (You could use a 26" front wheel on the "big" end, but I don't have bikes that fit those wheels) The thing with the tubes is kind of cool, but also a bit puzzling, since the "little" end uses a 16" tube, which you might have on a trailer, but still. Weird.

I have not spent any time to speak of in such a tiny tent since my youth when I had a "pup tent". This is, by far, even smaller than that. Very cozy! I'll do some following up on this experiment, but I may be looking into something else later.

So I will now have to do some other gear experimentation, but it is looking as though I am finally going to start doing this. It's been a long time coming. Too long!

Trans Iowa V7- Floating Some Ideas: I have been kicking around a few ideas on the course and for registration with d.p. via e-mail. We're forging a clearer picture of T.I.V7 now  and I hope to make an announcement concerning the registration process soon. We've got a lot of options on the table for completing the "big assed loop", much of it already figured out, but we also have quite a ways to go concerning the details. So far, we've got one, possibly two, checkpoints arranged and at least the first third of the route drafted out. My hope is that d.p. and I can arrange for some more night time gravel grinding "think tank-recon rides" to fine tune things further.

I think the roster size will be tried at 100 to start out with. Keep in mind that traditionally, we've been lucky to get over 50 people to show up on average for all the versions that we've done, even with T.I.V3's "unlimited" roster limit. My sincere feeling is that if we get 75-80 folks in the end it will be a miracle, and that would most likely be the most we'd ever get even if we said, "Come one, come all". (Which we are not going to do, for several reasons)

Have a great weekend and ride yer bicycle somewhere!

Thursday News And Views

No Crashing Report: Sorry to report that I rode yesterday and no crashes happened. So.....move along now! There's nothing to see here!

Ha! Well, I didn't ride all that long, because my wife, who is a Registered Nurse, (Now with a Bachelor's Degree!) said that I had deep tissue bruising, and that I needed to take it easy. Boy Howdy! She was right. I could only ride for a short period before my shoulder really started to feel weakened and sore. Good thing I stopped when I did. It'll be awhile before I can put in a long, rough ride.

<==image credit: "c_g"- From Twenty Nine Inches

Eurobike reports continue to trickle in and I must say that it would seem that everybody has some sort of carbon fiber 29"er in their line up. It will be very interesting to see how these big wheeled rigs with their longer tube sections and longer forks survive over the coming, (hopefully), years.

I happen to be riding a carbon fiber hard tail from time to time, and it appears to be very robust. I had big rocks bouncing off the thing in Texas, and mud and whatever else I throw at it hasn't phased it yet, but they say that when this stuff fails, it goes all at once, and that's the part that is worrisome. Still, from the sheer numbers of examples already in use, it would appear that carbon seems up to the task.

Speaking of Eurobike, and Niner Bikes, you might want to check out "c_g"'s report on Twenty Nine Inches.

Thoughts On Trans Iowa V7: So we're thinking about the roster and how many folks we want to let in. It seems that the dynamic around a big chunk of the gravel grinding scene has changed. More folks are wanting in on many of the events these days. However; we at Trans Iowa are not fully convinced this means us. Trans Iowa is, well.........pretty dang stupid really!  Yeah, so Almanzo gets 400 plus riders, (yet it is a hundy, so..), and the Dirty Kanza 200 sold out and expanded to 200 riders, (and as the name suggests, it is a 200 miler), but Trans Iowa is 300 PLUS miles and comes really early in the year.

It is my belief that there is only a limited number of insane people out there that would willingly train their arses off all winter to slog through 300 plus miles of Iowa gravel and mud in the early spring. Maybe I'm wrong, but I need to hear some convincing arguments. Otherwise I think we will only be adding 25 to our limit, bringing it up to a nice, round number of 100.

Thursday News And Views

No Crashing Report: Sorry to report that I rode yesterday and no crashes happened. So.....move along now! There's nothing to see here!

Ha! Well, I didn't ride all that long, because my wife, who is a Registered Nurse, (Now with a Bachelor's Degree!) said that I had deep tissue bruising, and that I needed to take it easy. Boy Howdy! She was right. I could only ride for a short period before my shoulder really started to feel weakened and sore. Good thing I stopped when I did. It'll be awhile before I can put in a long, rough ride.

<==image credit: "c_g"- From Twenty Nine Inches

Eurobike reports continue to trickle in and I must say that it would seem that everybody has some sort of carbon fiber 29"er in their line up. It will be very interesting to see how these big wheeled rigs with their longer tube sections and longer forks survive over the coming, (hopefully), years.

I happen to be riding a carbon fiber hard tail from time to time, and it appears to be very robust. I had big rocks bouncing off the thing in Texas, and mud and whatever else I throw at it hasn't phased it yet, but they say that when this stuff fails, it goes all at once, and that's the part that is worrisome. Still, from the sheer numbers of examples already in use, it would appear that carbon seems up to the task.

Speaking of Eurobike, and Niner Bikes, you might want to check out "c_g"'s report on Twenty Nine Inches.

Thoughts On Trans Iowa V7: So we're thinking about the roster and how many folks we want to let in. It seems that the dynamic around a big chunk of the gravel grinding scene has changed. More folks are wanting in on many of the events these days. However; we at Trans Iowa are not fully convinced this means us. Trans Iowa is, well.........pretty dang stupid really!  Yeah, so Almanzo gets 400 plus riders, (yet it is a hundy, so..), and the Dirty Kanza 200 sold out and expanded to 200 riders, (and as the name suggests, it is a 200 miler), but Trans Iowa is 300 PLUS miles and comes really early in the year.

It is my belief that there is only a limited number of insane people out there that would willingly train their arses off all winter to slog through 300 plus miles of Iowa gravel and mud in the early spring. Maybe I'm wrong, but I need to hear some convincing arguments. Otherwise I think we will only be adding 25 to our limit, bringing it up to a nice, round number of 100.

Wednesday News And Views

Bike Shop Tales: So yesterday was Tuesday, but it probably felt like Monday to a lot of you, so today I'm putting an abbreviated "Bike Shop Tales" up for your reading pleasure.

Back in 1995, I bought an old, used Schwinn Voyaguer from Advantage Cyclery that I had convinced a fellow to trade in on a new Bianchi. That Schwinn was then sold to a fellow that did one of the "big" self-supported tours I wrote about in my "Touring Tuesdays" series a year or so ago. (You can enter "Touring Tuesdays" in the search box to read some of those posts)

Anyway, the blue beauty shown here is what has become of that bike. For more on how an old, beat up maroon Voyaguer became this beauty, see my old co-worker "A-Lo's" blog here for "the rest of the story".

Getting It Dialed: The Origin 8 Scout dumped me last weekend and I figured part of the problem was me, part was the conditions, and part of it was the set up. Well, I could do something about the set up!

I swapped out the Origin 8 stem for a longer stem, lowered that stem on the steer tube, and tweaked the "attitude" of the Carnegie's Bar. Bingo! I rode it again Monday afternoon and I could feel a big change to the positive in the handling. Now with some weight on that front wheel, I'll be good to go in that department.

Some readers may also remember that I had problems with the tensioners coming loose and the wheel getting wonky on me. Well, I believe that issue was solved with a Ny-loc nut on the threaded tensioner screw which is acting as a jamb nut against the front of the drop out. So far, so good. The test ride went well. The bike is comfortable, handles well with the new set up, and did what I expected of it. Only one downer: I took the saddle's nose in the "nether regions" and suffered a bit of intense pain for a while. Not unlike biting into a habanero, only "down there". Yeah......

Wha-Ohh!: I was riding the XT Dyna-Sys equipped Specialized yesterday. I decided to roll down to Lower Hartman on my way home for a quick bit of twisty single track. The drop in to Lower Hartman is paved, but it is pretty steep and does a nice right hand to left hand curve in the middle where you gain a ton of speed.

On the way in, I saw another cyclist, and that thing I despise about myself kicked in. You know- I just had to pass this guy. I hung back about 50 yards, following him into the approach to the downhill. Then I saw that he braked going into the right hander. That was it. I never touched the brakes. I caught him and dropped him like he was standing still. I flew the rest of the way down, made it on to the gravel road, and dove into the grass trail.

I didn't realize it until later, but I was in the big ring, so I carried a lot of speed into the single track. It felt good. I was getting a little too cocky though, and I ended up getting served my just desserts.  Around a sharp left hander I saw a huge blow down blocking the trail. I was startled by it, and I stabbed my brakes. Well, XT brakes are not very forgiving! I locked the front up, and the tire slid out, knocking the bead loose from the rim. This being a tubeless set up, I lost all the air, and really hit the deck hard again.....you guessed it- on my left knee and shoulder. Three times in the span of a week!

They say bad things come in threes, right?

Well, it wasn't all over yet for me. I had a tube, I had a pump, but I didn't have a way to loosen the overtightened Presta valve nut on the tubeless valve stem. Rats! I sat in the bright sunlight thinking. Frogs leapt about all around me, I was so quiet and still as I thought. I fiddled with a couple of ideas but to no avail. Then, in a last ditch effort, I searched my cavernous messenger bag again. 

Bingo! I found a tiny end cutter tool. I applied pressure very carefully, and got a good purchase on the nut. I was victorious! Ha ha! (Funny how such a little thing can become such a huge mountain, and when you remove it, you get all euphoric.)

Well, the tire got repaired, and I made it home, albeit about 45 minutes later than I should have. Mrs. Guitar Ted re-dressed the wound I biffed again, and life was good.

But I gotta get this crashing outta my system!

Wednesday News And Views

Bike Shop Tales: So yesterday was Tuesday, but it probably felt like Monday to a lot of you, so today I'm putting an abbreviated "Bike Shop Tales" up for your reading pleasure.

Back in 1995, I bought an old, used Schwinn Voyaguer from Advantage Cyclery that I had convinced a fellow to trade in on a new Bianchi. That Schwinn was then sold to a fellow that did one of the "big" self-supported tours I wrote about in my "Touring Tuesdays" series a year or so ago. (You can enter "Touring Tuesdays" in the search box to read some of those posts)

Anyway, the blue beauty shown here is what has become of that bike. For more on how an old, beat up maroon Voyaguer became this beauty, see my old co-worker "A-Lo's" blog here for "the rest of the story".

Getting It Dialed: The Origin 8 Scout dumped me last weekend and I figured part of the problem was me, part was the conditions, and part of it was the set up. Well, I could do something about the set up!

I swapped out the Origin 8 stem for a longer stem, lowered that stem on the steer tube, and tweaked the "attitude" of the Carnegie's Bar. Bingo! I rode it again Monday afternoon and I could feel a big change to the positive in the handling. Now with some weight on that front wheel, I'll be good to go in that department.

Some readers may also remember that I had problems with the tensioners coming loose and the wheel getting wonky on me. Well, I believe that issue was solved with a Ny-loc nut on the threaded tensioner screw which is acting as a jamb nut against the front of the drop out. So far, so good. The test ride went well. The bike is comfortable, handles well with the new set up, and did what I expected of it. Only one downer: I took the saddle's nose in the "nether regions" and suffered a bit of intense pain for a while. Not unlike biting into a habanero, only "down there". Yeah......

Wha-Ohh!: I was riding the XT Dyna-Sys equipped Specialized yesterday. I decided to roll down to Lower Hartman on my way home for a quick bit of twisty single track. The drop in to Lower Hartman is paved, but it is pretty steep and does a nice right hand to left hand curve in the middle where you gain a ton of speed.

On the way in, I saw another cyclist, and that thing I despise about myself kicked in. You know- I just had to pass this guy. I hung back about 50 yards, following him into the approach to the downhill. Then I saw that he braked going into the right hander. That was it. I never touched the brakes. I caught him and dropped him like he was standing still. I flew the rest of the way down, made it on to the gravel road, and dove into the grass trail.

I didn't realize it until later, but I was in the big ring, so I carried a lot of speed into the single track. It felt good. I was getting a little too cocky though, and I ended up getting served my just desserts.  Around a sharp left hander I saw a huge blow down blocking the trail. I was startled by it, and I stabbed my brakes. Well, XT brakes are not very forgiving! I locked the front up, and the tire slid out, knocking the bead loose from the rim. This being a tubeless set up, I lost all the air, and really hit the deck hard again.....you guessed it- on my left knee and shoulder. Three times in the span of a week!

They say bad things come in threes, right?

Well, it wasn't all over yet for me. I had a tube, I had a pump, but I didn't have a way to loosen the overtightened Presta valve nut on the tubeless valve stem. Rats! I sat in the bright sunlight thinking. Frogs leapt about all around me, I was so quiet and still as I thought. I fiddled with a couple of ideas but to no avail. Then, in a last ditch effort, I searched my cavernous messenger bag again. 

Bingo! I found a tiny end cutter tool. I applied pressure very carefully, and got a good purchase on the nut. I was victorious! Ha ha! (Funny how such a little thing can become such a huge mountain, and when you remove it, you get all euphoric.)

Well, the tire got repaired, and I made it home, albeit about 45 minutes later than I should have. Mrs. Guitar Ted re-dressed the wound I biffed again, and life was good.

But I gotta get this crashing outta my system!