Friday News And Views

Some Local News......

 Salsa Cycles Demo Tour:

Just another reminder concerning the shop's having the Salsa Cycles Demo Tour come through the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area a week from today, June 29th. Details....

• Time: 4:00pm - 8:00pm
• Place: George Wyth State Park at the Shelter. (Go all the way back into the park)
• Needed To Ride: Helmet, I.D./credit card, signed waiver, and your pedals if you run specific pedals on your bike that mate with your shoes.
• What: Salsa Cycles bicycles including the Fargo, Vaya, Mukluk, and Spearfish. 
• Ride On: George Wyth's dirt or paved trails. 

Bonus: There will be a mini-Fargo/Vaya Adventure Ride which will be led by me, Guitar Ted. It will go out from the demo truck and include some dirt, pavement, and back roads. The ride starts at 6:00pm sharp and should take about an hour and a half. Any cyclist is invited but you must sign a waiver and wear a helmet to join in.

Hope to have some good weather for this and to see many of you show up and test out these great bicycles.



 3GR Update:

Well, I mentioned there was a strong possibility that 3GR would get moved to Saturday and that is the case. However; there is another major change specific to this week's ride.


Sturgis Falls Celebration is going on now in Cedar Falls, Iowa. That means thousands of folks all over the place. That complicates the parking/gathering for 3GR in the Gateway Park lot. So.......this week we're moving the ride!

If you are fortunate enough to be able to make this one, it's gonna be a doozy! I am going to have the 3GR start at the convenience store on HWY 63 in Traer, Iowa. That's right.......I am going to ride some serious hills this time around! 

There will be a healthy dose of B Maintenance road as well, so if any of that appeals to your senses, head on down to Traer tomorrow morning and meet me at 8:30am on the south side of the BP convenience store. I'll be there and ready to ride, whether anyone else comes or not, but I hope that you do.

The route should be about 25 miles to 30 miles long. It'll start out relatively flat, but then the last half will kick in like a mule in the stall! The image above shows one possible hill we might ride on K Avenue, but we may ride the next one a mile westward which is even steeper, (and was featured in the trailer for the movie "300 Miles Of Gravel") Hope to see some of you there....

Mid-operation...

Fargo V1 Is Alive! (Again):

I was waiting on one final piece to the puzzle to get my Fargo V1 back together again. It finally arrived Wednesday, but I wasn't at work, so I found the Retroshift  levers when I got there yesterday.

These are new versions meant to run your linear pull, or Mountain BB-7 brakes, and are based on the excellent Tektro RL 520 model levers. (In fact, they are Tektro RL-520 levers with Retroshifts mods.) You'll notice the red anodization here. Retroshift is now offering colored bases on their levers, so you can kind of customize your look. I thought the red would be nice, but you'll see why when I post a full pic soon.

I've got the old girl back together now and I hope to ride it on the 3GR Saturday morning. It was kind of a bittersweet deal working on the bike, since much of what I removed was put there by myself, Jason Boucher, and Captain Bob one November night late at Jason's house. It was just before the first Fargo Adventure Ride, and what a weekend that was. I had fond memories welling up as I worked on the bike last night. Good times with lots of good folks.

In fact, I think that was the weekend I discovered Sriracha Hot Sauce. (Thanks Kid!)

Hope ya'all have a "hot" weekend doin' whatever it is ya'all do. Ride a bike. Take some pics!

Friday News And Views

Some Local News......

 Salsa Cycles Demo Tour:

Just another reminder concerning the shop's having the Salsa Cycles Demo Tour come through the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area a week from today, June 29th. Details....

• Time: 4:00pm - 8:00pm
• Place: George Wyth State Park at the Shelter. (Go all the way back into the park)
• Needed To Ride: Helmet, I.D./credit card, signed waiver, and your pedals if you run specific pedals on your bike that mate with your shoes.
• What: Salsa Cycles bicycles including the Fargo, Vaya, Mukluk, and Spearfish. 
• Ride On: George Wyth's dirt or paved trails. 

Bonus: There will be a mini-Fargo/Vaya Adventure Ride which will be led by me, Guitar Ted. It will go out from the demo truck and include some dirt, pavement, and back roads. The ride starts at 6:00pm sharp and should take about an hour and a half. Any cyclist is invited but you must sign a waiver and wear a helmet to join in.

Hope to have some good weather for this and to see many of you show up and test out these great bicycles.



 3GR Update:

Well, I mentioned there was a strong possibility that 3GR would get moved to Saturday and that is the case. However; there is another major change specific to this week's ride.


Sturgis Falls Celebration is going on now in Cedar Falls, Iowa. That means thousands of folks all over the place. That complicates the parking/gathering for 3GR in the Gateway Park lot. So.......this week we're moving the ride!

If you are fortunate enough to be able to make this one, it's gonna be a doozy! I am going to have the 3GR start at the convenience store on HWY 63 in Traer, Iowa. That's right.......I am going to ride some serious hills this time around! 

There will be a healthy dose of B Maintenance road as well, so if any of that appeals to your senses, head on down to Traer tomorrow morning and meet me at 8:30am on the south side of the BP convenience store. I'll be there and ready to ride, whether anyone else comes or not, but I hope that you do.

The route should be about 25 miles to 30 miles long. It'll start out relatively flat, but then the last half will kick in like a mule in the stall! The image above shows one possible hill we might ride on K Avenue, but we may ride the next one a mile westward which is even steeper, (and was featured in the trailer for the movie "300 Miles Of Gravel") Hope to see some of you there....

Mid-operation...

Fargo V1 Is Alive! (Again):

I was waiting on one final piece to the puzzle to get my Fargo V1 back together again. It finally arrived Wednesday, but I wasn't at work, so I found the Retroshift  levers when I got there yesterday.

These are new versions meant to run your linear pull, or Mountain BB-7 brakes, and are based on the excellent Tektro RL 520 model levers. (In fact, they are Tektro RL-520 levers with Retroshifts mods.) You'll notice the red anodization here. Retroshift is now offering colored bases on their levers, so you can kind of customize your look. I thought the red would be nice, but you'll see why when I post a full pic soon.

I've got the old girl back together now and I hope to ride it on the 3GR Saturday morning. It was kind of a bittersweet deal working on the bike, since much of what I removed was put there by myself, Jason Boucher, and Captain Bob one November night late at Jason's house. It was just before the first Fargo Adventure Ride, and what a weekend that was. I had fond memories welling up as I worked on the bike last night. Good times with lots of good folks.

In fact, I think that was the weekend I discovered Sriracha Hot Sauce. (Thanks Kid!)

Hope ya'all have a "hot" weekend doin' whatever it is ya'all do. Ride a bike. Take some pics!

Three Stops

On yesterday's ride I made three stops. This is the story about them....

Safety stop...

First Stop: This was a "Safety Stop". I do this when I've done a fair bit of the beginning of the loop to check on things with new rigs and to make any necessary fit adjustments.

The Fuji I was riding was a new-to-me rig, but it probably was culled from Fuji's test/demo fleet, as it was obvious that it had ben used previously. So this was not a big deal stop here. Check over, snap a few images, and then hit the trail again.

Fortunately I have had enough set ups that I know before going out what to tweak on most bikes. This always saves some precious trail time. That doesn't mean I won't stop, because being cautious with an unfamiliar rig has paid dividends before.

Leg met dirt, amongst other body parts.

Second Stop: This was an unplanned get-off. The incident was a product of a mismatched equipment to conditions situation.

The spec'ed WTB Bronson tires are great for soft to tacky conditions. However; the current trail conditions are typical late summer ones where the trails are so dry, they are nearly pavement-like.

Match that up with the flexible outer knobs of the Bronson and you get something along the lines of the following; Grip-grip-grip-zzzzzipppp-no grip! Translation: The Bronson grips like crazy until you exert enough pressure to fold over the flexible outer knobs. At that point, the tire makes an incredible "rrrrrip-zzzzzip" noise, and before you realize what happened, you are out of control.

This occurred on a slightly downhill grade in an off camber left hand turn that I was attempting to fly through. "Attempt", being the operative word here.

Third Stop: Well, there was no way I was going to capture this on film, as it was totally a surprise. I was zipping along the twisty-turny single track when I came around a corner and all hell broke loose.

Feathers. wings, and bodies were everywhere, going in every direction, and I slammed on the brakes to avoid any contact. Turns out Mrs. Turkey and her half dozen chicks were every bit as surprised as I was to see them. Up and away into the surrounding trees went the little, (relatively speaking- a young turkey is bigger than a robin, but smaller than a crow), chicks and Mrs. Turkey, who was rather large, went up, up and away as well.

The next thing I know is that there is no sign of any animal life except the nervous clucks emitting from a few of the young chicks. I stood in awe for a moment or two, then moved on.

That was enough stopping for the day, until the end of the ride. 

Three Stops

On yesterday's ride I made three stops. This is the story about them....

Safety stop...

First Stop: This was a "Safety Stop". I do this when I've done a fair bit of the beginning of the loop to check on things with new rigs and to make any necessary fit adjustments.

The Fuji I was riding was a new-to-me rig, but it probably was culled from Fuji's test/demo fleet, as it was obvious that it had ben used previously. So this was not a big deal stop here. Check over, snap a few images, and then hit the trail again.

Fortunately I have had enough set ups that I know before going out what to tweak on most bikes. This always saves some precious trail time. That doesn't mean I won't stop, because being cautious with an unfamiliar rig has paid dividends before.

Leg met dirt, amongst other body parts.

Second Stop: This was an unplanned get-off. The incident was a product of a mismatched equipment to conditions situation.

The spec'ed WTB Bronson tires are great for soft to tacky conditions. However; the current trail conditions are typical late summer ones where the trails are so dry, they are nearly pavement-like.

Match that up with the flexible outer knobs of the Bronson and you get something along the lines of the following; Grip-grip-grip-zzzzzipppp-no grip! Translation: The Bronson grips like crazy until you exert enough pressure to fold over the flexible outer knobs. At that point, the tire makes an incredible "rrrrrip-zzzzzip" noise, and before you realize what happened, you are out of control.

This occurred on a slightly downhill grade in an off camber left hand turn that I was attempting to fly through. "Attempt", being the operative word here.

Third Stop: Well, there was no way I was going to capture this on film, as it was totally a surprise. I was zipping along the twisty-turny single track when I came around a corner and all hell broke loose.

Feathers. wings, and bodies were everywhere, going in every direction, and I slammed on the brakes to avoid any contact. Turns out Mrs. Turkey and her half dozen chicks were every bit as surprised as I was to see them. Up and away into the surrounding trees went the little, (relatively speaking- a young turkey is bigger than a robin, but smaller than a crow), chicks and Mrs. Turkey, who was rather large, went up, up and away as well.

The next thing I know is that there is no sign of any animal life except the nervous clucks emitting from a few of the young chicks. I stood in awe for a moment or two, then moved on.

That was enough stopping for the day, until the end of the ride. 

Demo Tour Visit Soon!

Local Plug: 

Salsa Cycles is bringing their demo truck full-o-bikes to Geo Wyth State Park on Friday, June 29th from 4pm till 8pm. 

You can show up, demo a Salsa Cycles bike like a Fargo, Vaya, or Spearfish and test them on Geo Wyth's excellent single track or paved bike paths and service roads.

If you decide to show up, bring your pedals and cycling gear. (Helmets required), and check out these fine bikes. The shop I work at is a Salsa Cycles dealer and this is being done in conjunction with them.Update: Thanks to a comment by "Dave", I am also reminded that you should bring along a credit card. (Precautionary measure in case you ride the bike off into the sunset, never to return. Hint- You'll pay for it!)

Bonus: As an extra special bonus, I will be leading a mini-Fargo/Vaya Adventure Ride which should take in parts of Geo Wyth, the bike paths, and Hartman Reserve. The loop will be about 12-15 miles long and will help folks understand the capabilities of the Fargo and Vaya  bikes.

The Fargo/Vaya Adventure Ride will be technically pretty easy, and there will be stops along the way so I can give some pointers on what the bikes are capable of as we ride through single track, back roads, and paved areas.

Tha Fargo/Vaya mini-Adventure Ride will start about 6pm and should take a little over an hour or so. Helmets required, and waivers signed at the demo truck before you can join. Any questions? Hit me up in the comments section.

See ya on the 29th!

Branded

Could Ya Turn That Down A Bit

A while back, I wrote about how cycling is a colorful sport, and that having bright, fun colors is a good thing. But there is a flip side to this equation.

Generally, it almost always has something to do with marketing/branding. It is super important that brands gain an identity in the marketplace. If "Brand A" becomes a bland, unnoticed by others kind of a product, it may disappear into the mass of information we are bombarded with on a daily basis, and become just another part of the daily noise.

Brand managers fear this. A lot.

So, graphic designers are brought in to help market the brand/product into something that stands out in the crowd. So....you get what we had here last week. Which is the way he wants it.... Oh! Sorry!

Back on track here... Anyway, so you get what we have here. This fine bicycle from Fuji. Nothing wrong with the color palette here, but there are so many branding opportunities taken that it leaves the mind a bit overwhelmed.

Now I must say, I've gotten compliments on how this bike looks from total non-cyclists, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt here. Maybe I'm totally offa my rocker here, ya know? But that said- this thing could be toned down a bit, maybe, and be a nice, classy looking carbon fiber rig that still would turn heads.

I mean, I can barely take this visual assault in while it is standing still, much less if a rider is speeding by on a trail riding it. But, then again, if it is seen gracing a rack on a car in traffic, what kind of advertising dollars does that opportunity represent? See what I mean? It is almost suicide not to do this branding. 

I guess I am a bit conflicted about this subject, but I know I really like a nice, colorful, classically designed, tasteful   graphic package. This bike is cool, but man! It is kinda hard on the eyes. Wouldn't you agree?

Branded

Could Ya Turn That Down A Bit

A while back, I wrote about how cycling is a colorful sport, and that having bright, fun colors is a good thing. But there is a flip side to this equation.

Generally, it almost always has something to do with marketing/branding. It is super important that brands gain an identity in the marketplace. If "Brand A" becomes a bland, unnoticed by others kind of a product, it may disappear into the mass of information we are bombarded with on a daily basis, and become just another part of the daily noise.

Brand managers fear this. A lot.

So, graphic designers are brought in to help market the brand/product into something that stands out in the crowd. So....you get what we had here last week. Which is the way he wants it.... Oh! Sorry!

Back on track here... Anyway, so you get what we have here. This fine bicycle from Fuji. Nothing wrong with the color palette here, but there are so many branding opportunities taken that it leaves the mind a bit overwhelmed.

Now I must say, I've gotten compliments on how this bike looks from total non-cyclists, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt here. Maybe I'm totally offa my rocker here, ya know? But that said- this thing could be toned down a bit, maybe, and be a nice, classy looking carbon fiber rig that still would turn heads.

I mean, I can barely take this visual assault in while it is standing still, much less if a rider is speeding by on a trail riding it. But, then again, if it is seen gracing a rack on a car in traffic, what kind of advertising dollars does that opportunity represent? See what I mean? It is almost suicide not to do this branding. 

I guess I am a bit conflicted about this subject, but I know I really like a nice, colorful, classically designed, tasteful   graphic package. This bike is cool, but man! It is kinda hard on the eyes. Wouldn't you agree?

Demo Tour Visit Soon!

Local Plug: 

Salsa Cycles is bringing their demo truck full-o-bikes to Geo Wyth State Park on Friday, June 29th from 4pm till 8pm. 

You can show up, demo a Salsa Cycles bike like a Fargo, Vaya, or Spearfish and test them on Geo Wyth's excellent single track or paved bike paths and service roads.

If you decide to show up, bring your pedals and cycling gear. (Helmets required), and check out these fine bikes. The shop I work at is a Salsa Cycles dealer and this is being done in conjunction with them.Update: Thanks to a comment by "Dave", I am also reminded that you should bring along a credit card. (Precautionary measure in case you ride the bike off into the sunset, never to return. Hint- You'll pay for it!)

Bonus: As an extra special bonus, I will be leading a mini-Fargo/Vaya Adventure Ride which should take in parts of Geo Wyth, the bike paths, and Hartman Reserve. The loop will be about 12-15 miles long and will help folks understand the capabilities of the Fargo and Vaya  bikes.

The Fargo/Vaya Adventure Ride will be technically pretty easy, and there will be stops along the way so I can give some pointers on what the bikes are capable of as we ride through single track, back roads, and paved areas.

Tha Fargo/Vaya mini-Adventure Ride will start about 6pm and should take a little over an hour or so. Helmets required, and waivers signed at the demo truck before you can join. Any questions? Hit me up in the comments section.

See ya on the 29th!

Fat Dreams Have Been Stoked: Part II

So what do you do with friends that feed the addiction? Meh......I don't know, but the following items that arrived via the U.S. Postal service yesterday from a "so called friend", (actually, I kid- he is a good friend), sure don't help matters any. Without further adieu....

Twang..kerrrang!

Pedals in the shape of guitars. Who knew? I figure it may be the start of something sorta fat, (Mentioned back here), and well....yes- Pedals can be the cause of a whole new bike build.

Why not?

(Big thanks to "JG" for the sweet peds!)

Okay....now on to some hardcore rumor mongering.... Seems that Surly Bikes is teasing some monsterous, fat tired contraption. They stoked fat dreams recently by putting out some "Bigfoot-esque" grainy, far away shot of a guy wheelieing what looks to be a wider-than-thou 29"er type ma-sheen.

Commentary has been running amok with all sorts of guesses, people saying they've ridden it, think they know what it is, and such other nonsense. Bike-geeks are the worst for stuff they can't quite figure out, buy now, have ever, or think they should be able to get. Give them a crack in the door, a slight chink in the corporate armor, and the rumors come rushing in like a dam bursting.

As wide as that'll ever get right there....

So what is it? Well, the scuttlebutt is that this is a 700c based wide rim, (some are saying 65mm Marge Lite type of deal), and that there is possibly some 3 inch wide tire to go on it.

I get the wide 29"er rim thing. That's easy for Surly to get made. However; I don't quite buy into the wide tire bit. Here's why.....

I have it on good authority that the 2.4 inch wide tires we have for 29"ers now have maxed out the current tire molding capabilities of Asian tire makers. The machines simply cannot make anything bigger. A new tire machine to make a bigger tire would cost what? Well, you can imagine one machine to do that would cost a whole bunch of money that would need to be made up for in lots of tire sales. And how many tires would be sold?

Good question- How many folks would be willing to buy a 3" wide tire that surely would weigh as much as most nice 3.8" wide fat bike tires? I bet not very many. So the likelihood of this mythical tire machine, and therefore 3" wide 29"er tire, is dim at best.

So, a wide 700c rim- Yes. The 3" wide 700c based tire- Not likely, but there is always that possibility, I suppose....

Then you have the frame needed to fit a tire at 2.4", (the widest available for 700c now), on a 65mm wide rim. That width might be about 70mm at the casing, but my guess is that the tire print I have pictured above, (a 2.4" Ardent tubeless on a P-35 at sub 20psi), is all you are gonna get for float, even with the wide rim. (I measured that combo at about 62+ mm, if I recall correctly)

So, Surly needs to have a frame/fork combo for this, the wider rim, and it really needs a 3" tire, however unlikely that may seem now, or I don't really see a point here. My opinion.

And who knows- it might be something completely different. Time will tell if we are dreaming, or seeing the future.....

UPDATE: Be careful what you post to the innerweb-o-sphere folks.  Someone at mtbr.com found the following....

Fuel for the fire....

Fat Dreams Have Been Stoked: Part II

So what do you do with friends that feed the addiction? Meh......I don't know, but the following items that arrived via the U.S. Postal service yesterday from a "so called friend", (actually, I kid- he is a good friend), sure don't help matters any. Without further adieu....

Twang..kerrrang!

Pedals in the shape of guitars. Who knew? I figure it may be the start of something sorta fat, (Mentioned back here), and well....yes- Pedals can be the cause of a whole new bike build.

Why not?

(Big thanks to "JG" for the sweet peds!)

Okay....now on to some hardcore rumor mongering.... Seems that Surly Bikes is teasing some monsterous, fat tired contraption. They stoked fat dreams recently by putting out some "Bigfoot-esque" grainy, far away shot of a guy wheelieing what looks to be a wider-than-thou 29"er type ma-sheen.

Commentary has been running amok with all sorts of guesses, people saying they've ridden it, think they know what it is, and such other nonsense. Bike-geeks are the worst for stuff they can't quite figure out, buy now, have ever, or think they should be able to get. Give them a crack in the door, a slight chink in the corporate armor, and the rumors come rushing in like a dam bursting.

As wide as that'll ever get right there....

So what is it? Well, the scuttlebutt is that this is a 700c based wide rim, (some are saying 65mm Marge Lite type of deal), and that there is possibly some 3 inch wide tire to go on it.

I get the wide 29"er rim thing. That's easy for Surly to get made. However; I don't quite buy into the wide tire bit. Here's why.....

I have it on good authority that the 2.4 inch wide tires we have for 29"ers now have maxed out the current tire molding capabilities of Asian tire makers. The machines simply cannot make anything bigger. A new tire machine to make a bigger tire would cost what? Well, you can imagine one machine to do that would cost a whole bunch of money that would need to be made up for in lots of tire sales. And how many tires would be sold?

Good question- How many folks would be willing to buy a 3" wide tire that surely would weigh as much as most nice 3.8" wide fat bike tires? I bet not very many. So the likelihood of this mythical tire machine, and therefore 3" wide 29"er tire, is dim at best.

So, a wide 700c rim- Yes. The 3" wide 700c based tire- Not likely, but there is always that possibility, I suppose....

Then you have the frame needed to fit a tire at 2.4", (the widest available for 700c now), on a 65mm wide rim. That width might be about 70mm at the casing, but my guess is that the tire print I have pictured above, (a 2.4" Ardent tubeless on a P-35 at sub 20psi), is all you are gonna get for float, even with the wide rim. (I measured that combo at about 62+ mm, if I recall correctly)

So, Surly needs to have a frame/fork combo for this, the wider rim, and it really needs a 3" tire, however unlikely that may seem now, or I don't really see a point here. My opinion.

And who knows- it might be something completely different. Time will tell if we are dreaming, or seeing the future.....

UPDATE: Be careful what you post to the innerweb-o-sphere folks.  Someone at mtbr.com found the following....

Fuel for the fire....

Some Riding Happened

Well I got in a couple of good rides over the weekend despite having plenty of goings on with regards to social events. One wedding to attend with reception and, of course, Father's Day. Getting two great rides in was unexpected and I consider it a bonus for the two days.

Twas a threesome for the 3GR

3GR Report: I moved the time for the 3GR to Saturday morning due to my children coming home from their grandparents house Friday evening. I set the time for the Saturday running of the event at 8:30am.

I arrived at the same place we've been meeting at to find a bit of a surprise. Craig Irving had driven up from Mt. Vernon to ride with us! That was a humbling thing, and I was hoping that he wouldn't be the only person to have come over to ride. Thankfully, he wasn't, as Robert Fry also showed up just before we were to leave.

Having these two experienced gravel/randonnuer riders was a treat, and it meant that we weren't going to go very slow! The route was a slightly modified version of last week's route. We did not go up Symons Road this time, but rather, we took Big Woods from the Big Woods Lake to Mt. Vernon Road, then East across Highway 218/27 and then we had to zig-zag over to Leversee, up to Bennington, and back West to Big Woods to go north. (Big Woods is truncated by the 4 lane HWY 218/27 as it bisects the gravels on its way Northeastwards.) This actually added a bit of mileage to the route.

Oh yeah.....that was on top of my mileage riding over to the ride!

Skies looked threatening.

We carried on at a brisk, (but not too hard),  pace all the way North to Camp Ingawanis' South Side, skirted the woods up there, and then we went back South on Ivory/Streeter Roads. Once back into the open, it was a headwind and the rollers on Streeter Road which took us all the way back to our turn at Mt Vernon Road.

Everyone's bikes and bodies held up well. It was a unique ride for me since I wasn't the only one with Clement X'Plor MSO tires on the ride, or RetroShift shift levers. Craig was sporting both on his well used Surly Cross Check. He was pretty complimentary towards both products, having just had success with using them down at the Dirty Kanza 200, which he completed.

After we rolled into Cedar Falls again, we stood and chatted some 20 minutes until I had to beg leave to attend to my growling stomach. Then I went to Cup Of Joe, had an organic muffin, 8oz of Joe, and then hit the trail back home.

I'm strongly considering moving the 3GR rides to Saturday mornings, which work a bit better for me. Yay or Nay? Say so in the comments if ya have an opinion on the matter.

Pretty dry out there again.

Father's Day:

Like I mentioned above, I actually got out to ride on Father's Day as well. I went to the South side of Camp Ingawanis, of course. A few things to make note of from my point of view were as follows:

• It is crazy dry out there! I stopped to make some small adjustments to the Fuji test bike and looked about me. What I saw was a bit disconcerting. In a "normal" year, the underbrush would be at its maximum growth by now. Trails would be overgrown, weeds would be towering, and green would be the dominant color in the woodlands. That isn't the case at all. In fact, things are wilting, turning yellow and brown. Green stuff that would be flourishing is stunted, or dead. Not good!
• It's amazing how good suspension bikes are getting for 29 inch wheels nowadays. The geometry is pretty dialed on a lot of them, and the "monkey-motion" is controlled, stiff where it needs to be, and reliable. I think the days of wonky feeling suspension bikes, with noodly frames and poor performance are pretty much gone now. Refinements will be the name of the game from here on out. Take that Fuji Outland 29 1.0 pictured there as an example. Besides making some nit-picky comments, there isn't much not to like there.
• The tree dwelling inchworms and there webs have finally disappeared. In their place are thousands of black and orange winged butterflies. (Maybe the same, metamorphosed creatures?) I don't know, but the butterflies are far more pleasant to deal with. Interestingly, when you come around a corner, they all seem to be on the ground. Then they take flight, helter-skelter all around you. It's like a black and orange confetti parade. 

Hope your past weekend was a good one!

Some Riding Happened

Well I got in a couple of good rides over the weekend despite having plenty of goings on with regards to social events. One wedding to attend with reception and, of course, Father's Day. Getting two great rides in was unexpected and I consider it a bonus for the two days.

Twas a threesome for the 3GR

3GR Report: I moved the time for the 3GR to Saturday morning due to my children coming home from their grandparents house Friday evening. I set the time for the Saturday running of the event at 8:30am.

I arrived at the same place we've been meeting at to find a bit of a surprise. Craig Irving had driven up from Mt. Vernon to ride with us! That was a humbling thing, and I was hoping that he wouldn't be the only person to have come over to ride. Thankfully, he wasn't, as Robert Fry also showed up just before we were to leave.

Having these two experienced gravel/randonnuer riders was a treat, and it meant that we weren't going to go very slow! The route was a slightly modified version of last week's route. We did not go up Symons Road this time, but rather, we took Big Woods from the Big Woods Lake to Mt. Vernon Road, then East across Highway 218/27 and then we had to zig-zag over to Leversee, up to Bennington, and back West to Big Woods to go north. (Big Woods is truncated by the 4 lane HWY 218/27 as it bisects the gravels on its way Northeastwards.) This actually added a bit of mileage to the route.

Oh yeah.....that was on top of my mileage riding over to the ride!

Skies looked threatening.

We carried on at a brisk, (but not too hard),  pace all the way North to Camp Ingawanis' South Side, skirted the woods up there, and then we went back South on Ivory/Streeter Roads. Once back into the open, it was a headwind and the rollers on Streeter Road which took us all the way back to our turn at Mt Vernon Road.

Everyone's bikes and bodies held up well. It was a unique ride for me since I wasn't the only one with Clement X'Plor MSO tires on the ride, or RetroShift shift levers. Craig was sporting both on his well used Surly Cross Check. He was pretty complimentary towards both products, having just had success with using them down at the Dirty Kanza 200, which he completed.

After we rolled into Cedar Falls again, we stood and chatted some 20 minutes until I had to beg leave to attend to my growling stomach. Then I went to Cup Of Joe, had an organic muffin, 8oz of Joe, and then hit the trail back home.

I'm strongly considering moving the 3GR rides to Saturday mornings, which work a bit better for me. Yay or Nay? Say so in the comments if ya have an opinion on the matter.

Pretty dry out there again.

Father's Day:

Like I mentioned above, I actually got out to ride on Father's Day as well. I went to the South side of Camp Ingawanis, of course. A few things to make note of from my point of view were as follows:

• It is crazy dry out there! I stopped to make some small adjustments to the Fuji test bike and looked about me. What I saw was a bit disconcerting. In a "normal" year, the underbrush would be at its maximum growth by now. Trails would be overgrown, weeds would be towering, and green would be the dominant color in the woodlands. That isn't the case at all. In fact, things are wilting, turning yellow and brown. Green stuff that would be flourishing is stunted, or dead. Not good!
• It's amazing how good suspension bikes are getting for 29 inch wheels nowadays. The geometry is pretty dialed on a lot of them, and the "monkey-motion" is controlled, stiff where it needs to be, and reliable. I think the days of wonky feeling suspension bikes, with noodly frames and poor performance are pretty much gone now. Refinements will be the name of the game from here on out. Take that Fuji Outland 29 1.0 pictured there as an example. Besides making some nit-picky comments, there isn't much not to like there.
• The tree dwelling inchworms and there webs have finally disappeared. In their place are thousands of black and orange winged butterflies. (Maybe the same, metamorphosed creatures?) I don't know, but the butterflies are far more pleasant to deal with. Interestingly, when you come around a corner, they all seem to be on the ground. Then they take flight, helter-skelter all around you. It's like a black and orange confetti parade. 

Hope your past weekend was a good one!

Details On The 2012 Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational

Hey it's Saturday! I figured this would be a good time to put down some details on my Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational for 2012.

First and foremost- it has to be made clear that this is open to anyone that wants to do a long ride on gravel in one day of at least 100 miles or more. There is no fee. No required registration, no racing, and you don't need a special invite to come. Just show up with your bike ready to grind some gravel.

I've had folks from Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Michigan drive over to come and join in this event. Several local Iowans have done it. It doesn't matter where you are from, this is always a good time, whether it's just a few of us, or many.

The ride is self-supported, so be prepared to carry your water, food, and tools/maintenance items. There is no sag, no back up, and everyone needs to make their own arrangements for bail-out, or lodging before/afterword.

Okay, so that is all out of the way- here are some specifics on this year's ride for you all to chew on.

The host city this year will be Grinnell, Iowa. I figured it might be fun for those riders that wondered about Trans Iowa to see the terrain around this city. That and there are some happening places to hang out in downtown Grinnell if folks want to hang out Saturday evening after the ride.

Time: The GTDRI will be held on Saturday, July 14th and will start pretty dang early this year. I'm thinking before the sun rises folks, because I am scheduling 120 miles of gravelly goodness and it is going to be very hilly! I'll post a final start time later, but last time we did close to this mileage on this sort of course we didn't get done until right at sunset, and I want to avoid that if at all possible this year.

That said- bring yer lights! You'll need them at the least in the morning.

Course: Like I said- it will be very hilly. The terrain in and around Grinnell is punctuated by several steep hills and zero flat terrain. I don't think it will be as brutal as the 2009-2010 versions of the GTDRI which was in Northeastern Iowa and featured a 118 mile course with 10,000 feet of climbing, but it'll be close!

We will stop for grub at about 35 miles at a well stocked convenience store. There will also be another convenience store stop at about 65 miles at the southern end of Grinnell, where you can bail out if you need to. Beyond that, there are no services where I have the route going.  We'll eventually end up back in Grinnell proper.

The course cues will be posted to the GTDRI site shortly before the event. Make sure you copy and print them before you come! That said- this is a no drop ride.

Conditions:Expect it to be hot, humid, and that you'll need plenty of water, electrolytes, and sufficient food/grub that can be stomached in such conditions. The roads should be in great shape. The chances that we will get rained on, (judging by year's past), are about 20% or so, but barring super-stormy weather, I am going on this ride.

Lodging: Grinnell has several excellent motels along HWY 146 near Interstate 80. I will be staying in the Comfort Inn and Suites myself on Friday and Saturday evening.

For more keep track of the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational site. I'll be posting tidbits there as we get closer to the date. Questions? Please post them in the comment section for this post here.

Details On The 2012 Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational

Hey it's Saturday! I figured this would be a good time to put down some details on my Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational for 2012.

First and foremost- it has to be made clear that this is open to anyone that wants to do a long ride on gravel in one day of at least 100 miles or more. There is no fee. No required registration, no racing, and you don't need a special invite to come. Just show up with your bike ready to grind some gravel.

I've had folks from Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Michigan drive over to come and join in this event. Several local Iowans have done it. It doesn't matter where you are from, this is always a good time, whether it's just a few of us, or many.

The ride is self-supported, so be prepared to carry your water, food, and tools/maintenance items. There is no sag, no back up, and everyone needs to make their own arrangements for bail-out, or lodging before/afterword.

Okay, so that is all out of the way- here are some specifics on this year's ride for you all to chew on.

The host city this year will be Grinnell, Iowa. I figured it might be fun for those riders that wondered about Trans Iowa to see the terrain around this city. That and there are some happening places to hang out in downtown Grinnell if folks want to hang out Saturday evening after the ride.

Time: The GTDRI will be held on Saturday, July 14th and will start pretty dang early this year. I'm thinking before the sun rises folks, because I am scheduling 120 miles of gravelly goodness and it is going to be very hilly! I'll post a final start time later, but last time we did close to this mileage on this sort of course we didn't get done until right at sunset, and I want to avoid that if at all possible this year.

That said- bring yer lights! You'll need them at the least in the morning.

Course: Like I said- it will be very hilly. The terrain in and around Grinnell is punctuated by several steep hills and zero flat terrain. I don't think it will be as brutal as the 2009-2010 versions of the GTDRI which was in Northeastern Iowa and featured a 118 mile course with 10,000 feet of climbing, but it'll be close!

We will stop for grub at about 35 miles at a well stocked convenience store. There will also be another convenience store stop at about 65 miles at the southern end of Grinnell, where you can bail out if you need to. Beyond that, there are no services where I have the route going.  We'll eventually end up back in Grinnell proper.

The course cues will be posted to the GTDRI site shortly before the event. Make sure you copy and print them before you come! That said- this is a no drop ride.

Conditions:Expect it to be hot, humid, and that you'll need plenty of water, electrolytes, and sufficient food/grub that can be stomached in such conditions. The roads should be in great shape. The chances that we will get rained on, (judging by year's past), are about 20% or so, but barring super-stormy weather, I am going on this ride.

Lodging: Grinnell has several excellent motels along HWY 146 near Interstate 80. I will be staying in the Comfort Inn and Suites myself on Friday and Saturday evening.

For more keep track of the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational site. I'll be posting tidbits there as we get closer to the date. Questions? Please post them in the comment section for this post here.

Friday News And Views

The post about gravel grinder events the other day elicited a few responses that I think are worthy of comment out in the open here, basically to give credit where credit is due.

It has been a few years since a certain individual has been associated with Trans Iowa but it doesn't reduce or lighten the tremendous influence this person has had on gravel grinding. Many times, I seem to be the one that gets the "credit" for Trans Iowa, in particular, and for gravel grinders, such as they are, in general. While it is true I may have had something to do with what has happened out there, this person deserves way more credit than I do. His name?

Jeff Kerkove.

Need to know why? Go here and read up on it. Nuff said.....

3GR: A reminder that I won't be there tonight, but Saturday morning. A request for coffee will be granted and we'll start at 8:30am, weather permitting, at Gateway Park.

Uh...I thought Dracula did?

It's Summertime! How can you tell? Because another doping allegation has sprung up and just in time for Le Tour. This never happens in December, January, or February. Odd that. Almost as if it were timed for maximum impact and publicity, don't you think?

Well, they are after "you know who" again, and I have zero interest in this story anymore, other than to watch in amusement as folks get their hackles up and froth away about this nonsense. I'm apparently not alone.

Much of the reaction I've witnessed from casual observers is along the lines of "who cares?", or "can we move on from this finally?". In other words, people I've talked to about this just don't care anymore. But what about those who do?

Here's my solution: If he did not enhance his performance by "doping", fine. But if he did? Put an asterisk by his name in the record books and annotate it as, "tour title won by using illegal substances". Done and done. I mean, it isn't like you can rewind the clock and take the moment away from him, and he's retired now. Oh maybe a fine, whatever. But "stripping away the title"? Really? You can't erase the memories and the moments folks. They are his forever. He won the Tour seven times whether you say he didn't now or in the future. It's like saying the American Revolution never happened because you don't agree it was done correctly. Shots were fired, people died, and things changed because of it, so...you know, it is what it is.

So short of fining him into oblivion, or imprisoning him, this other "stripping of title" stuff is just weird. It doesn't work, and oh by the way.....who gets the titles? The other dopers that placed beneath him? That's rich. I say forget about it, and let's move on from here.

Update On The Clement X'Plor MSO: 


There were a few things about this tire I wasn't sure about when I got them, and communication between myself and the Clement guys was not as good as I would have liked. However; now I have learned that the tire- the X'Plor MSO- is a 60TPI tire with puncture protection. The USH has puncture protection as well. But now for the good news:

The MSO now is available in a 120TPI folding bead tire with bead to bead Kevlar puncture protection at a sub 500 gram weight. That's awesome news! I'm not always very hot on narrower tires, but the MSO is really, really good on gravel roads. Now with the nicer casing, I can only imagine how smooth it would roll, but I aim to get a pair to compare with. I'll update on the longevity of the original pair I got as well, but as of now, they are going strong.

That's it for today. Get out and ride!

Friday News And Views

The post about gravel grinder events the other day elicited a few responses that I think are worthy of comment out in the open here, basically to give credit where credit is due.

It has been a few years since a certain individual has been associated with Trans Iowa but it doesn't reduce or lighten the tremendous influence this person has had on gravel grinding. Many times, I seem to be the one that gets the "credit" for Trans Iowa, in particular, and for gravel grinders, such as they are, in general. While it is true I may have had something to do with what has happened out there, this person deserves way more credit than I do. His name?

Jeff Kerkove.

Need to know why? Go here and read up on it. Nuff said.....

3GR: A reminder that I won't be there tonight, but Saturday morning. A request for coffee will be granted and we'll start at 8:30am, weather permitting, at Gateway Park.

Uh...I thought Dracula did?

It's Summertime! How can you tell? Because another doping allegation has sprung up and just in time for Le Tour. This never happens in December, January, or February. Odd that. Almost as if it were timed for maximum impact and publicity, don't you think?

Well, they are after "you know who" again, and I have zero interest in this story anymore, other than to watch in amusement as folks get their hackles up and froth away about this nonsense. I'm apparently not alone.

Much of the reaction I've witnessed from casual observers is along the lines of "who cares?", or "can we move on from this finally?". In other words, people I've talked to about this just don't care anymore. But what about those who do?

Here's my solution: If he did not enhance his performance by "doping", fine. But if he did? Put an asterisk by his name in the record books and annotate it as, "tour title won by using illegal substances". Done and done. I mean, it isn't like you can rewind the clock and take the moment away from him, and he's retired now. Oh maybe a fine, whatever. But "stripping away the title"? Really? You can't erase the memories and the moments folks. They are his forever. He won the Tour seven times whether you say he didn't now or in the future. It's like saying the American Revolution never happened because you don't agree it was done correctly. Shots were fired, people died, and things changed because of it, so...you know, it is what it is.

So short of fining him into oblivion, or imprisoning him, this other "stripping of title" stuff is just weird. It doesn't work, and oh by the way.....who gets the titles? The other dopers that placed beneath him? That's rich. I say forget about it, and let's move on from here.

Update On The Clement X'Plor MSO: 


There were a few things about this tire I wasn't sure about when I got them, and communication between myself and the Clement guys was not as good as I would have liked. However; now I have learned that the tire- the X'Plor MSO- is a 60TPI tire with puncture protection. The USH has puncture protection as well. But now for the good news:

The MSO now is available in a 120TPI folding bead tire with bead to bead Kevlar puncture protection at a sub 500 gram weight. That's awesome news! I'm not always very hot on narrower tires, but the MSO is really, really good on gravel roads. Now with the nicer casing, I can only imagine how smooth it would roll, but I aim to get a pair to compare with. I'll update on the longevity of the original pair I got as well, but as of now, they are going strong.

That's it for today. Get out and ride!

Odd Ball Set Up Man

Making a few adjustments

 Okay- new full suspension test bike. Gotta break it in, set it up, and get it all dialed. You'd think the hardest part would be the suspension, but it isn't. It is the controls on the handle bar.

Maybe I am an odd duck, but I like my brake levers inboard so that I can only reach the lever with my index finger. The shift levers go outside the brake mounts, then the grips come last.

I know it must be an odd way to set up a bike because they never come that way. Brakes are always next to the grips and shifters are always inside  on the bars, closest to the stem. I think that is just weird. I only want to be able to grab a brake lever with my index finger, not my whole hand. Shift levers closest to my hand, but still inside the butt of my palm.

So, every new bike that comes through gets tweaked and I send them back that way wondering if someone else looks at that and thinks, "what a strange set up!"

Got some much needed rain.

I was glad to see that flowers were popping out all around out there in the woods yet. I was a bit concerned a few days ago when it had been so harshly dry, and the ground was cracked.

Of course, it makes for nicer off roading too. Tires stick better. Bumps aren't so rock hard. Gravel roads are not quite so dusty.

Speaking of which- I need to move Friday night's 3GR ride to Saturday morning. It looks as though the weather will not be co-operating anyway, but I have kids coming home from a weeks vacation Friday night. I probably should do the "good Dad" thing. In fact, I want to.  I think I'll have the ride start at 8:00am Saturday then- same place, which is Gateway Park, Cedar Falls.

Hopefully I'll have something else to test for the gravel scene soon. Parts are being obtained. I have a specific set up in mind. The bike is waiting in the Lab. Stay tuned......more odd ball set ups and testing coming soon!

Odd Ball Set Up Man

Making a few adjustments

 Okay- new full suspension test bike. Gotta break it in, set it up, and get it all dialed. You'd think the hardest part would be the suspension, but it isn't. It is the controls on the handle bar.

Maybe I am an odd duck, but I like my brake levers inboard so that I can only reach the lever with my index finger. The shift levers go outside the brake mounts, then the grips come last.

I know it must be an odd way to set up a bike because they never come that way. Brakes are always next to the grips and shifters are always inside  on the bars, closest to the stem. I think that is just weird. I only want to be able to grab a brake lever with my index finger, not my whole hand. Shift levers closest to my hand, but still inside the butt of my palm.

So, every new bike that comes through gets tweaked and I send them back that way wondering if someone else looks at that and thinks, "what a strange set up!"

Got some much needed rain.

I was glad to see that flowers were popping out all around out there in the woods yet. I was a bit concerned a few days ago when it had been so harshly dry, and the ground was cracked.

Of course, it makes for nicer off roading too. Tires stick better. Bumps aren't so rock hard. Gravel roads are not quite so dusty.

Speaking of which- I need to move Friday night's 3GR ride to Saturday morning. It looks as though the weather will not be co-operating anyway, but I have kids coming home from a weeks vacation Friday night. I probably should do the "good Dad" thing. In fact, I want to.  I think I'll have the ride start at 8:00am Saturday then- same place, which is Gateway Park, Cedar Falls.

Hopefully I'll have something else to test for the gravel scene soon. Parts are being obtained. I have a specific set up in mind. The bike is waiting in the Lab. Stay tuned......more odd ball set ups and testing coming soon!

Gravel Events: More And Bigger

Inspiration 100- a new event

I keep saying this, and I probably sound like a broken record, (by the way, do younger folks even know what that phrase means? I wonder....), but anyway....I know I am repeating myself, but these gravel events keep coming outta the woodwork. I am flabbergasted.

The latest to hit the dusty scene is a west-central Minnesota event called "Inspiration 100". This is a free event, entry by postcard, self supported, and has some interesting rural points to check out along the way.

In many ways, this new event falls in line with most of what is going on in the "world of gravel riding", if I can even say that. (Some folks think this gravel stuff is small potatoes, nothing noteworthy.) However you see it, the point is that many, if not most, gravel events are low-key, free affairs that eschew any of the trappings of what normally goes for racing these days on two wheeled, human powered contraptions.

But not all gravel events are this way. Some are getting bigger, and bigger, and really starting to become something beyond a gravel road event. One such event is the Dirty Kanza 200. It has been slowly getting bigger every year for the last four or five years to the point where they had 400 riders on the start line this year. But that is going to look like small potatoes if the event directors goals for 2013 come to reality.

Next year the event is going to strive to deliver 1000 starters on the streets of Emporia, Kansas. Not only that, but the whole scene surrounding the race is planned to become even bigger than it has been.

Listening to a few recent podcasts with Jim Cummings, one of the promoters, and racer Tim Ek, it is apparent that the DK is going to become "a really big deal" if it continues to grow at the rate the directors want. Is that a bad thing? Who knows. All I can say is it is amazing to see.

Another facet brought up in these podcasts was how the "feel" of these gravel events is changing. Racers are getting faster, competition more fierce, and the "laid back" feel is fading. Maybe it is. But as they say, everything changes, so maybe we shouldn't be all that surprised. Maybe it is good, or maybe not. My view is that there are so many events now that if you don't like the intensity of one event, there are probably five others that are more about an adventure and a good time to choose from out there. Pick yer poison.

Gravel road racing and riding is becoming a big deal, more popular, and has gone way beyond anything I would have guessed in 2004 when Trans Iowa was cooked up, that's for sure!

Gravel Events: More And Bigger

Inspiration 100- a new event

I keep saying this, and I probably sound like a broken record, (by the way, do younger folks even know what that phrase means? I wonder....), but anyway....I know I am repeating myself, but these gravel events keep coming outta the woodwork. I am flabbergasted.

The latest to hit the dusty scene is a west-central Minnesota event called "Inspiration 100". This is a free event, entry by postcard, self supported, and has some interesting rural points to check out along the way.

In many ways, this new event falls in line with most of what is going on in the "world of gravel riding", if I can even say that. (Some folks think this gravel stuff is small potatoes, nothing noteworthy.) However you see it, the point is that many, if not most, gravel events are low-key, free affairs that eschew any of the trappings of what normally goes for racing these days on two wheeled, human powered contraptions.

But not all gravel events are this way. Some are getting bigger, and bigger, and really starting to become something beyond a gravel road event. One such event is the Dirty Kanza 200. It has been slowly getting bigger every year for the last four or five years to the point where they had 400 riders on the start line this year. But that is going to look like small potatoes if the event directors goals for 2013 come to reality.

Next year the event is going to strive to deliver 1000 starters on the streets of Emporia, Kansas. Not only that, but the whole scene surrounding the race is planned to become even bigger than it has been.

Listening to a few recent podcasts with Jim Cummings, one of the promoters, and racer Tim Ek, it is apparent that the DK is going to become "a really big deal" if it continues to grow at the rate the directors want. Is that a bad thing? Who knows. All I can say is it is amazing to see.

Another facet brought up in these podcasts was how the "feel" of these gravel events is changing. Racers are getting faster, competition more fierce, and the "laid back" feel is fading. Maybe it is. But as they say, everything changes, so maybe we shouldn't be all that surprised. Maybe it is good, or maybe not. My view is that there are so many events now that if you don't like the intensity of one event, there are probably five others that are more about an adventure and a good time to choose from out there. Pick yer poison.

Gravel road racing and riding is becoming a big deal, more popular, and has gone way beyond anything I would have guessed in 2004 when Trans Iowa was cooked up, that's for sure!