Friday News And Views

Where are the tubulars for gravel?

The shop where I work at was doing some tubulars for a customer the other day that is going to run them at RAGBRAI. (!!!) That's another story, but the wheels and tires got me to thinking about some conversations I had a couple years ago about tubulars for gravel road riding. Now........hold on there! I know you may be thinking that tubulars are a really stupid idea for gravel roads, but please humor me for a bit here......

There have been tubular tires for bicycle use for over a century, and much of that time the roads were gravel, dirt, or poorly paved. So, it isn't like the concept of a tubular wouldn't work, because clearly, history shows us that it can work and work well. Secondly, as with any other bicycle related thing, materials technology has advanced light years beyond where it was even ten years ago. This is important because the way in which we affix a tubular tire to a rim is changing drastically right now. That will make tubulars a much easier choice for cyclists going forward. Finally, the way in which tubulars work could actually make tubeless tires for gravel roads a poorer choice. For one thing, you'd never have to worry about burping a tire, blow offs, or rubber degradation which could lead to a blow off. Then there is weight, and that's a game a tubular tire and wheel will always win over a clincher.

The thing is, the hang up has always been the archaic way we've been affixing these tires to rims with glue. Folks don't want to mess with that, and it makes for a difficult situation in the field when it comes to a catastrophic flat, in which case you have to replace the tire. Well, now there are rim tapes out that solve this problem to a greater degree than before, and just on the horizon, there is the promise of a tape that will base it's tire holding prowess on air pressure. More pressure in the tubular pressing against the rim will equal a greater resistance to sheering forces. Less pressure in the tubular will create the opposite effect. That would mean that in case of a flat repair in the field, the new tubular could be exchanged easier, and when inflated, would theoretically have the same adhesion to the rim as the previous tire when it was inflated. Immediate adhesion, and ease of mounting/dismounting tubulars would revolutionize the idea of tubular tire usage for all sorts of cycling, and gravel road riders would benefit.

I think tubular tires like that in larger sizes, like 35-40mm, make a lot of sense for gravel roads. I say bring it on already!

Jeremy climbing a B Level road on the '10 GTDRI

Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational

It's time to start talking about this year's "score to settle" with a certain course I have used three times previously for the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. (Heretofore to be referred to as the GTDRI)  First, let me say this: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE "INVITED" TO DO THIS RIDE. This is essentially a pompous name for a no-drop group ride. Got it? Just show up, have fun, be prepared to suffer, and do a 100 plus miles in a day. That's all. Now with that out of the way.......

This year's edition will be on Saturday July 25th, 2015. The ride will start at 5:30am and will be approximately 120 miles long. (I have 115 down, but it could be longer than that. Gotta check my old cues.) This will be a super tough day in the saddle if the weather is typical for that time of year. (Read "hot, humid, and possibly windy") Out of the three attempted GTDRI's on this route, only the first try was successful. One year it was just too blamed hot, and last year.....well. There was that crash where I got hit by a truck. So, I'm going back to finish the job and check this one off the list.

There will be more on this ride coming soon, but first I have Odin's Revenge to get through, and my main focus will be on that for now. That said, if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments or to shoot me an e-mail.

That's it for today. Have a great weekend and ride your bicycle somewhere fun!

Friday News And Views

Where are the tubulars for gravel?

The shop where I work at was doing some tubulars for a customer the other day that is going to run them at RAGBRAI. (!!!) That's another story, but the wheels and tires got me to thinking about some conversations I had a couple years ago about tubulars for gravel road riding. Now........hold on there! I know you may be thinking that tubulars are a really stupid idea for gravel roads, but please humor me for a bit here......

There have been tubular tires for bicycle use for over a century, and much of that time the roads were gravel, dirt, or poorly paved. So, it isn't like the concept of a tubular wouldn't work, because clearly, history shows us that it can work and work well. Secondly, as with any other bicycle related thing, materials technology has advanced light years beyond where it was even ten years ago. This is important because the way in which we affix a tubular tire to a rim is changing drastically right now. That will make tubulars a much easier choice for cyclists going forward. Finally, the way in which tubulars work could actually make tubeless tires for gravel roads a poorer choice. For one thing, you'd never have to worry about burping a tire, blow offs, or rubber degradation which could lead to a blow off. Then there is weight, and that's a game a tubular tire and wheel will always win over a clincher.

The thing is, the hang up has always been the archaic way we've been affixing these tires to rims with glue. Folks don't want to mess with that, and it makes for a difficult situation in the field when it comes to a catastrophic flat, in which case you have to replace the tire. Well, now there are rim tapes out that solve this problem to a greater degree than before, and just on the horizon, there is the promise of a tape that will base it's tire holding prowess on air pressure. More pressure in the tubular pressing against the rim will equal a greater resistance to sheering forces. Less pressure in the tubular will create the opposite effect. That would mean that in case of a flat repair in the field, the new tubular could be exchanged easier, and when inflated, would theoretically have the same adhesion to the rim as the previous tire when it was inflated. Immediate adhesion, and ease of mounting/dismounting tubulars would revolutionize the idea of tubular tire usage for all sorts of cycling, and gravel road riders would benefit.

I think tubular tires like that in larger sizes, like 35-40mm, make a lot of sense for gravel roads. I say bring it on already!

Jeremy climbing a B Level road on the '10 GTDRI

Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational

It's time to start talking about this year's "score to settle" with a certain course I have used three times previously for the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational. (Heretofore to be referred to as the GTDRI)  First, let me say this: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE "INVITED" TO DO THIS RIDE. This is essentially a pompous name for a no-drop group ride. Got it? Just show up, have fun, be prepared to suffer, and do a 100 plus miles in a day. That's all. Now with that out of the way.......

This year's edition will be on Saturday July 25th, 2015. The ride will start at 5:30am and will be approximately 120 miles long. (I have 115 down, but it could be longer than that. Gotta check my old cues.) This will be a super tough day in the saddle if the weather is typical for that time of year. (Read "hot, humid, and possibly windy") Out of the three attempted GTDRI's on this route, only the first try was successful. One year it was just too blamed hot, and last year.....well. There was that crash where I got hit by a truck. So, I'm going back to finish the job and check this one off the list.

There will be more on this ride coming soon, but first I have Odin's Revenge to get through, and my main focus will be on that for now. That said, if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments or to shoot me an e-mail.

That's it for today. Have a great weekend and ride your bicycle somewhere fun!

Detour

Ag sprayer in the field. (Click to embiggen)

Wednesday morning I awoke to wet streets and dripping eaves. Bah! It had rained again during the evening, and it looked like it could again soon. It was cloudy and so I decided to rearrange my ride schedule to the afternoon instead. I needed to ride when it was warmer anyway to help myself acclimate for Odin's Revenge, which I am expecting will be very hot.

I cleaned and re-lubed the Twin Six Standard Rando with new lube for the Lube-Off, (more on that soon in a separate post), and then I did a podcast for RidingGravel.com with my partner, Ben Welnak. We got to interview Yuri Hauswald, the winner of the Dirty Kanza 200 this year. It was a fantastic, insightful, and fun conversation. I'll be posting up the link for it soon when it gets published. That took me into mid-afternoon, so by then it was good and hot out! I decided to kit up and ride for at least a couple of hours instead of mowing the lawn first.

The Standard Rando was the steed for the day. I am growing to really like this bike. Like anything, it isn't perfect, but it's darn close. That is one reason I am seemingly getting along with it so well. I'll not delve into this too much here, as I want to reserve my specifics for the review coming up on RidingGravel.com.

The clouds were really dramatic yesterday.

Some farmers are starting to mow their ditches, which leaves a bunch of grass clippings on the roads in spots.

Barns For Jason

I went out to do a 20-ish mile loop I have established for quickie rides. I didn't want to do a big ride initially because I figured I had better save some energy in the tank for that lawn mowing I was neglecting. (And it really needed done!) I was cruising along Eastward, expecting to pick up the tailwind on my way back into town, when I saw something. A road sign warning me that the road was closed ahead. So, instead of getting that turn out of the wind, I was obliged to turn right back into it to find myself a detour.

There's a barn quilt there for Chad.

These parts have a fair share of paved roads and I was obliged to finally take that a few miles to get back into town. Not my choice, and there was far too much traffic for my tastes, (a special nod to the inconsiderate fellow in the white Toyota Corolla, by the way), but I did manage to get back to town and gain some bonus miles along the way. By the time I got back to the house, showery weather had developed. So, I got even more of a work out while mowing as it ended up sprinkling on me rather heavily for a moment. It only ensured that the grass would be heavy, sticky, and that it would foul the mower at times. I did manage though, and the lawn should be tamed for a while, at any rate.

So, all in all a successful addition to the training for Odin's Revenge and while I won't be taking those detour miles again anytime soon, I did get to see some of the country I wouldn't ordinarily travel through.

Detour

Ag sprayer in the field. (Click to embiggen)

Wednesday morning I awoke to wet streets and dripping eaves. Bah! It had rained again during the evening, and it looked like it could again soon. It was cloudy and so I decided to rearrange my ride schedule to the afternoon instead. I needed to ride when it was warmer anyway to help myself acclimate for Odin's Revenge, which I am expecting will be very hot.

I cleaned and re-lubed the Twin Six Standard Rando with new lube for the Lube-Off, (more on that soon in a separate post), and then I did a podcast for RidingGravel.com with my partner, Ben Welnak. We got to interview Yuri Hauswald, the winner of the Dirty Kanza 200 this year. It was a fantastic, insightful, and fun conversation. I'll be posting up the link for it soon when it gets published. That took me into mid-afternoon, so by then it was good and hot out! I decided to kit up and ride for at least a couple of hours instead of mowing the lawn first.

The Standard Rando was the steed for the day. I am growing to really like this bike. Like anything, it isn't perfect, but it's darn close. That is one reason I am seemingly getting along with it so well. I'll not delve into this too much here, as I want to reserve my specifics for the review coming up on RidingGravel.com.

The clouds were really dramatic yesterday.

Some farmers are starting to mow their ditches, which leaves a bunch of grass clippings on the roads in spots.

Barns For Jason

I went out to do a 20-ish mile loop I have established for quickie rides. I didn't want to do a big ride initially because I figured I had better save some energy in the tank for that lawn mowing I was neglecting. (And it really needed done!) I was cruising along Eastward, expecting to pick up the tailwind on my way back into town, when I saw something. A road sign warning me that the road was closed ahead. So, instead of getting that turn out of the wind, I was obliged to turn right back into it to find myself a detour.

There's a barn quilt there for Chad.

These parts have a fair share of paved roads and I was obliged to finally take that a few miles to get back into town. Not my choice, and there was far too much traffic for my tastes, (a special nod to the inconsiderate fellow in the white Toyota Corolla, by the way), but I did manage to get back to town and gain some bonus miles along the way. By the time I got back to the house, showery weather had developed. So, I got even more of a work out while mowing as it ended up sprinkling on me rather heavily for a moment. It only ensured that the grass would be heavy, sticky, and that it would foul the mower at times. I did manage though, and the lawn should be tamed for a while, at any rate.

So, all in all a successful addition to the training for Odin's Revenge and while I won't be taking those detour miles again anytime soon, I did get to see some of the country I wouldn't ordinarily travel through.

When Trust Is Broken

When faith and trust are broken, events will blow away like dust.

"One of these days someone is going to do something stupid and ruin it for everyone." 

That day has come for an Oregon event called the "Oregon Outback".  That day could have come at anytime earlier to any number of free, self-supported events, but in this instance, it was particularly unnerving, from my point of view. There are many reasons for that, not least of which is the fact that I also produce a self-supported, free event. The tenuous strands of trust between riders, promoters, and the public are often strained, and without that trust, there is really no way events of this kind can survive.

First of all, let me say that I am not casting people that do these things into the fires of Hell. No, but I am going to point out that people do stupid, self-serving things that are inconsiderate of others. Those action should be vilified. I feel like most of these people are usually decent, but made a stupid decision. The consequences of these actions affect all of us- Not just the riders, but everyone.

Secondly- Rather than listing off all the instances and ways that folks have or could destroy the trust that exists between riders, promoters, and the public, I would just like to encourage you. Please be respectful. Think about what you are doing in a way that includes everyone- not just yourself. Your actions affect many, and are not limited to yourself. The "it's okay as long as it doesn't hurt anyone" way of thinking is severely flawed logic. Your actions always affect someone else. It is an inescapable truth of being alive.

 Let's do the good things you think no one will notice. Let's be safe out there. Let's keep riding free.

When Trust Is Broken

When faith and trust are broken, events will blow away like dust.

"One of these days someone is going to do something stupid and ruin it for everyone." 

That day has come for an Oregon event called the "Oregon Outback".  That day could have come at anytime earlier to any number of free, self-supported events, but in this instance, it was particularly unnerving, from my point of view. There are many reasons for that, not least of which is the fact that I also produce a self-supported, free event. The tenuous strands of trust between riders, promoters, and the public are often strained, and without that trust, there is really no way events of this kind can survive.

First of all, let me say that I am not casting people that do these things into the fires of Hell. No, but I am going to point out that people do stupid, self-serving things that are inconsiderate of others. Those action should be vilified. I feel like most of these people are usually decent, but made a stupid decision. The consequences of these actions affect all of us- Not just the riders, but everyone.

Secondly- Rather than listing off all the instances and ways that folks have or could destroy the trust that exists between riders, promoters, and the public, I would just like to encourage you. Please be respectful. Think about what you are doing in a way that includes everyone- not just yourself. Your actions affect many, and are not limited to yourself. The "it's okay as long as it doesn't hurt anyone" way of thinking is severely flawed logic. Your actions always affect someone else. It is an inescapable truth of being alive.

 Let's do the good things you think no one will notice. Let's be safe out there. Let's keep riding free.

Missing My Singlespeed

I've been a single speed kinda guy since way back when. I was reminded of this the week after Dirty Kanza when I was riding the 3GR with my friends, They remarked how "single speeding had served me well". That was what really made me reminisce. It wasn't anything I had planned, or sought out. Single speeding was a way of life for me. If I was to be riding a bicycle when I was young, there was no question- it was a single speed bike. 

There were probably several reasons for that. one being the rarity and expense of geared bikes for kids back in those days. My parents were not wealthy folks either, so just having one bicycle was kind of a big deal for us as kids. Mine was a lime-ish green metal flake "stingray" style bike with a black and silver metal flake vinyl "banana seat" and a tall "sissy bar". What it was geared to, I have no idea at all. I just pedaled!

That bike lasted for a long time during my growing up, but I eventually outgrew it, and that bike was replaced with another single speed, "English lightweight" style Huffy, with a coaster brake. That bike became my urban scorcher, my off road bike, and my dare-devil rig. Again- I have no idea at all what it was geared at. Gearing? Whatever! Pedal harder!

Then life and geared bikes happened. Heck, I didn't even know what to do with either one, and it took me a lot of years to get things sort of squared away. I never did lose that single speeding bug though, and I still have it. I need to be out scratching that itch real soon again. I really miss it.

Missing My Singlespeed

I've been a single speed kinda guy since way back when. I was reminded of this the week after Dirty Kanza when I was riding the 3GR with my friends, They remarked how "single speeding had served me well". That was what really made me reminisce. It wasn't anything I had planned, or sought out. Single speeding was a way of life for me. If I was to be riding a bicycle when I was young, there was no question- it was a single speed bike. 

There were probably several reasons for that. one being the rarity and expense of geared bikes for kids back in those days. My parents were not wealthy folks either, so just having one bicycle was kind of a big deal for us as kids. Mine was a lime-ish green metal flake "stingray" style bike with a black and silver metal flake vinyl "banana seat" and a tall "sissy bar". What it was geared to, I have no idea at all. I just pedaled!

That bike lasted for a long time during my growing up, but I eventually outgrew it, and that bike was replaced with another single speed, "English lightweight" style Huffy, with a coaster brake. That bike became my urban scorcher, my off road bike, and my dare-devil rig. Again- I have no idea at all what it was geared at. Gearing? Whatever! Pedal harder!

Then life and geared bikes happened. Heck, I didn't even know what to do with either one, and it took me a lot of years to get things sort of squared away. I never did lose that single speeding bug though, and I still have it. I need to be out scratching that itch real soon again. I really miss it.

Salsa Cycles Cutthroat: The Case For Adventure

Cutthroat Carbon x-9

In my first post on this new Salsa Cycles bike, (seen HERE), I gave my initial thoughts on this bike. I have been watching with interest on social media for the reactions to this new bike. A couple of things stick out for me here. One thing is the sense that people have gotten that this is a bike about having adventures on. The second thing I've noticed is that many are seeing this bike as the ultimate gravel road warrior.

The adventure bike thing has two sides to it. On one hand, there are those who are saying "any bike can be an adventure bike", so this bike is just cashing in on the Tour Divide thing, or whatever. Some are also saying that the drop bar mountain bike thing is old hat and Salsa seems to think that they invented something here, which, as they say, they have not.

What's in a name anyway? Is the Cutthroat an"Adventure Bike"? Interestingly, my friend takes on a similar subject in his essay on "gravel bikes" and what to call them. On this bike though, it isn't so much that the Cutthroat is being called an "adventure bike", but that it epitomizes what Salsa Cycles' marketing has been all about since late 2008. The motto is "Adventure By Bike", and their whole bicycle line up revolves around this theme. Ever since the "second renaissance of drop bar mountain bikes", which was ignited when the Fargo came out, Salsa has preached the "Adventure By Bike" thing, and back in '08, no one else was talking about this. Now the Cutthroat is the pinnacle of this theme with a lightweight, innovative carbon frame, drop bars, and the fittings to out fit it as a bikepacking rig, if you want to really get off the grid.

The Cutthroat may not be a Fargo, but its lineage starts with that bike

Like the Fargo before it, the Cutthroat will become a blank slate for people's individual interpretations. There will be flat bar Cutthroats, gravel-centric Cutthroats, mountain bike, front suspended Cutthroats, and urbanized Cutthroats. Sure- the Cutthroat is maybe not going to be able to be interpreted as a "traditional" touring bike, like the first Fargo was, but there are other Salsa bikes for that purpose. The Cutthroat is the perfect high end, high tech offering that lets you interpret what a drop bar mountain bike for "Adventure By Bike" looks like to you. Does that make it an "adventure bike"? I think it does.

Secondly, Salsa has never said that they "invented" the drop bar mountain bike, as some seem to think. That's the furthest thing from the truth. Salsa Cycles in their original form participated in the first renaissance of the drop bar dirt bike, but again, not even Ross Schafer, the originator of Salsa Cycles, invented that. I guess it's a case of "know your history" before you go making rash statements about drop bar mountain bikes. Nuff said.......

The gravel idea for the Cutthroat is what I thought was most interesting. Folks were catching on that if the higher end Cutthroat, which is claimed to weigh around 22lbs, is fitted with a set of lighter weight, gravel road type tires, it would be even lighter. You could have a 40mm tire with tons of clearance for one event, then swap out to 2.1's for another, and get rad on 2.4"ers on the weekend single track outings. Could it be someones "quiver killer"? Possibly. More so than a Fargo, or anything else in Salsa's current line up.

The thing is that however you look at it, the general reaction from many folks is that the Cutthroat seems to be getting a lot of folks talking about having bicycle adventures, and that's a good thing. Whether or not they all end up getting this fancy, swoopy carbon steed is not as important as the ideas that the Cutthroat represents. Hopefully it brings more action than words in the end.

Salsa Cycles Cutthroat: The Case For Adventure

Cutthroat Carbon x-9

In my first post on this new Salsa Cycles bike, (seen HERE), I gave my initial thoughts on this bike. I have been watching with interest on social media for the reactions to this new bike. A couple of things stick out for me here. One thing is the sense that people have gotten that this is a bike about having adventures on. The second thing I've noticed is that many are seeing this bike as the ultimate gravel road warrior.

The adventure bike thing has two sides to it. On one hand, there are those who are saying "any bike can be an adventure bike", so this bike is just cashing in on the Tour Divide thing, or whatever. Some are also saying that the drop bar mountain bike thing is old hat and Salsa seems to think that they invented something here, which, as they say, they have not.

What's in a name anyway? Is the Cutthroat an"Adventure Bike"? Interestingly, my friend takes on a similar subject in his essay on "gravel bikes" and what to call them. On this bike though, it isn't so much that the Cutthroat is being called an "adventure bike", but that it epitomizes what Salsa Cycles' marketing has been all about since late 2008. The motto is "Adventure By Bike", and their whole bicycle line up revolves around this theme. Ever since the "second renaissance of drop bar mountain bikes", which was ignited when the Fargo came out, Salsa has preached the "Adventure By Bike" thing, and back in '08, no one else was talking about this. Now the Cutthroat is the pinnacle of this theme with a lightweight, innovative carbon frame, drop bars, and the fittings to out fit it as a bikepacking rig, if you want to really get off the grid.

The Cutthroat may not be a Fargo, but its lineage starts with that bike

Like the Fargo before it, the Cutthroat will become a blank slate for people's individual interpretations. There will be flat bar Cutthroats, gravel-centric Cutthroats, mountain bike, front suspended Cutthroats, and urbanized Cutthroats. Sure- the Cutthroat is maybe not going to be able to be interpreted as a "traditional" touring bike, like the first Fargo was, but there are other Salsa bikes for that purpose. The Cutthroat is the perfect high end, high tech offering that lets you interpret what a drop bar mountain bike for "Adventure By Bike" looks like to you. Does that make it an "adventure bike"? I think it does.

Secondly, Salsa has never said that they "invented" the drop bar mountain bike, as some seem to think. That's the furthest thing from the truth. Salsa Cycles in their original form participated in the first renaissance of the drop bar dirt bike, but again, not even Ross Schafer, the originator of Salsa Cycles, invented that. I guess it's a case of "know your history" before you go making rash statements about drop bar mountain bikes. Nuff said.......

The gravel idea for the Cutthroat is what I thought was most interesting. Folks were catching on that if the higher end Cutthroat, which is claimed to weigh around 22lbs, is fitted with a set of lighter weight, gravel road type tires, it would be even lighter. You could have a 40mm tire with tons of clearance for one event, then swap out to 2.1's for another, and get rad on 2.4"ers on the weekend single track outings. Could it be someones "quiver killer"? Possibly. More so than a Fargo, or anything else in Salsa's current line up.

The thing is that however you look at it, the general reaction from many folks is that the Cutthroat seems to be getting a lot of folks talking about having bicycle adventures, and that's a good thing. Whether or not they all end up getting this fancy, swoopy carbon steed is not as important as the ideas that the Cutthroat represents. Hopefully it brings more action than words in the end.

Guitar Ted Lube-Off Round Two: Update 2

DuMonde Tech after approximately 60 miles

Checking in with a couple of the contenders here in the "Guitar Ted Lube-Off Round Two". Today we are going to see how the DuMonde Tech and Boeshield T-9 are holding up.

DuMonde Tech: After approximately 60 miles the DuMonde Tech has seen dusty roads and a wet, muddy commute where I ran through several water puddles and some gooey mud. The results are what I expected since the same thing was witnessed at the Dirty Kanza 200. This lube seems to shed the dust fairly well, and although you get a little dirty residue when you draw your fingers across the rollers, it is not totally dry, and the chain is silent yet. The cassette is fairly clean and free from gunk so far. The jockey wheels on the rear derailleur are still looking fair.

DuMonde Tech doesn't recommend reapplication until the chain gets noisy, so we will see how long it takes to get to that point. I have been pleased so far with the use of this lube and as I have said at the outset, this was the benchmark lube against which the others chosen have been pitted against.

After approximately 100 miles, the T-9 is looking pretty dusty.

Boeshield T-9: While I haven't been on any wet rides with the T-9, I have racked up a good 100 miles of dry, dusty Iowa gravel and some commutes to work on the lube. The results are not as good as the DuMonde Tech. This lube seems to collect dust, although I have to say that the rollers of the chain look fine. Still, when I rub my fingers over the rollers, I get copious amounts of dry gravel dust to fall out. The chain, surprisingly, is quiet though. The cassette has a fine coating of the gravel dust on it, and the rear derailleur jockey wheels are collecting gunk now.

While it isn't clear on Boeshield's T-9 page when one should re-apply the lube, it does say the following: "T-9 dries to a clean, continuous wax film that performs better than Teflon and lasts up to 200 miles without picking up dust, dirt or mud,"

It is abundantly clear that the lube has picked up copious amounts of dust at half that claimed distance, so T-9 becomes our first contender to be knocked out of this competition. The lube has allowed such an amount of dirt to accumulate on this chain that at this juncture I feel it would be prudent to clean the drive train completely to arrest further wear from the dirt/gravel dust that is stuck to the drive train now. You can actually see where the side plates of the chain have been abraided by the dust, and when I saw the amount of dust I got on my fingers when I rolled the rollers , I found it quite surprising.

To be fair, the Boesheild site seems to indicate to my way of understanding that it works better in wetter conditions, but I can say without reservation that it simply doesn't work very well for gravel road riding.

Next: The T-9 will get replaced by ProLink and the Rock & Roll lubed Black Mountain Cycles rig will get back into the mix.

Guitar Ted Lube-Off Round Two: Update 2

DuMonde Tech after approximately 60 miles

Checking in with a couple of the contenders here in the "Guitar Ted Lube-Off Round Two". Today we are going to see how the DuMonde Tech and Boeshield T-9 are holding up.

DuMonde Tech: After approximately 60 miles the DuMonde Tech has seen dusty roads and a wet, muddy commute where I ran through several water puddles and some gooey mud. The results are what I expected since the same thing was witnessed at the Dirty Kanza 200. This lube seems to shed the dust fairly well, and although you get a little dirty residue when you draw your fingers across the rollers, it is not totally dry, and the chain is silent yet. The cassette is fairly clean and free from gunk so far. The jockey wheels on the rear derailleur are still looking fair.

DuMonde Tech doesn't recommend reapplication until the chain gets noisy, so we will see how long it takes to get to that point. I have been pleased so far with the use of this lube and as I have said at the outset, this was the benchmark lube against which the others chosen have been pitted against.

After approximately 100 miles, the T-9 is looking pretty dusty.

Boeshield T-9: While I haven't been on any wet rides with the T-9, I have racked up a good 100 miles of dry, dusty Iowa gravel and some commutes to work on the lube. The results are not as good as the DuMonde Tech. This lube seems to collect dust, although I have to say that the rollers of the chain look fine. Still, when I rub my fingers over the rollers, I get copious amounts of dry gravel dust to fall out. The chain, surprisingly, is quiet though. The cassette has a fine coating of the gravel dust on it, and the rear derailleur jockey wheels are collecting gunk now.

While it isn't clear on Boeshield's T-9 page when one should re-apply the lube, it does say the following: "T-9 dries to a clean, continuous wax film that performs better than Teflon and lasts up to 200 miles without picking up dust, dirt or mud,"

It is abundantly clear that the lube has picked up copious amounts of dust at half that claimed distance, so T-9 becomes our first contender to be knocked out of this competition. The lube has allowed such an amount of dirt to accumulate on this chain that at this juncture I feel it would be prudent to clean the drive train completely to arrest further wear from the dirt/gravel dust that is stuck to the drive train now. You can actually see where the side plates of the chain have been abraided by the dust, and when I saw the amount of dust I got on my fingers when I rolled the rollers , I found it quite surprising.

To be fair, the Boesheild site seems to indicate to my way of understanding that it works better in wetter conditions, but I can say without reservation that it simply doesn't work very well for gravel road riding.

Next: The T-9 will get replaced by ProLink and the Rock & Roll lubed Black Mountain Cycles rig will get back into the mix.

Night Shift

Just about there.....

Sometimes you have to be patient with your  cycling desires, especially when you are a husband, father, and.......a bicycle mechanic. You see, sometimes folks find out who you are and what you do, and they "need help", so, you know.........the next thing ya know you're working on somebody else's stuff and not your own.

Saturday was such a day. I fetched a couple bikes from out of town and took care of them, then delivered them back again. That pretty much shot my day. It was on to barbequing and eating with the family. By the time that was over, it was dark, and I finally got down to the Lab to attempt to finish off a project I had started several days ago. The refreshing of the Singular Cycles Buzzard.

Besides restoring it with the chain and rear derailleur I pilfered off of it to test the ten speed Gevenalle GX shifter, I needed to refresh the sealant in the tires, since the bike hadn't been ridden in a month of Sundays. In fact, the tires had actually pulled down off the bead seats, so I actually had to reset the beads by pulling the valve cores out and hitting the tire with a blast of air from my miniscule air compressor I have in the Lab. It took a couple of tries, but after adding a little more sealant, it went together.

I still have to get the chain taken care of. Either shorten the old one, or go with a new one. Then it's on. Ready to shred.

Night Shift

Just about there.....

Sometimes you have to be patient with your  cycling desires, especially when you are a husband, father, and.......a bicycle mechanic. You see, sometimes folks find out who you are and what you do, and they "need help", so, you know.........the next thing ya know you're working on somebody else's stuff and not your own.

Saturday was such a day. I fetched a couple bikes from out of town and took care of them, then delivered them back again. That pretty much shot my day. It was on to barbequing and eating with the family. By the time that was over, it was dark, and I finally got down to the Lab to attempt to finish off a project I had started several days ago. The refreshing of the Singular Cycles Buzzard.

Besides restoring it with the chain and rear derailleur I pilfered off of it to test the ten speed Gevenalle GX shifter, I needed to refresh the sealant in the tires, since the bike hadn't been ridden in a month of Sundays. In fact, the tires had actually pulled down off the bead seats, so I actually had to reset the beads by pulling the valve cores out and hitting the tire with a blast of air from my miniscule air compressor I have in the Lab. It took a couple of tries, but after adding a little more sealant, it went together.

I still have to get the chain taken care of. Either shorten the old one, or go with a new one. Then it's on. Ready to shred.

Salsa Cycles Cutthroat: A Curious Vehicle For Adventuring

The Cutthroat (Cropped image from Facebook, original courtesy of The Radavist)

It's NOT A Carbon Fargo!

Salsa Cycles has been pretty adamant in that assertion. However; one cannot deny the lines cut by this bike are very similar to those cut by the Fargo. Drop bars, room for up to 2.4" tires, Anything Cage mounting points, and a 100mm suspension corrected fork. All that is missing are the Alternator drop outs. Then it hit me. Salsa has done something like this before! 

The Mukluks were Salsa Cycles only fat bike at first.   The line up had aluminum models and a titanium model. Everyone was thinking that a carbon Mukluk was a given, since many other fat bike companies were doing a carbon model. However; as we all know now, Salsa did not produce a Carbon Mukluk. They did do a carbon fat bike, but it was a stripped down, all out performance machine they dubbed the Beargrease. I see what they have done with this Cutthroat Carbon drop bar mountain bike in much the same light as the Beargrease vs Mukluk models.

While the Fargo-Cutthroat comparison is obvious, what might get lost in the hoopla is that this bike actually has a close relationship to the just released Warbird line up. The Cutthroat features what Salsa Cycles has dubbed as the "VRS" rear triangle. (Vibration Reduction System) The stays are thinned out in the vertical plane and the chainstays are flattened horizontally which makes for stiffer chain stays in the lateral plane and flexier seat stays in that same lateral plane. That may not make much sense when you think about how many companies have tried to flatten out or thin out seat stays to get them to flex in the vertical plane. 

Note how the seat stays bow outward. (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

 It was noted by Salsa engineers how while testing frames in frame jigs for strength, that the seat stays would bow outward as pressure was applied backward against the seat tube while the axle was fixed in the testing jig. It occurred to Salsa at that point that rider weight and trail/road inputs acted in much the same manner as the testing procedure. What if the rear triangle could be optimized to enhance that flex? This is what led to the VRS idea and why it works like it does. The VRS rear triangle allows the seat stays to bow outward as the rider's weight gets planted down and back into the saddle when a trail input is engaged by the rear wheel, for instance. Much like how a flexible titanium seat post takes the edge off, the VRS system takes the bite out of the trail and lends a more comfortable ride quality. To my way of thinking, this sharing of the VRS system from the Warbird to a "mtb-able" version in the Cutthroat is the biggest story with this new bike. When you consider how those seat stays and chain stays work, it maybe makes sense why this bike cannot really work with Alternator drop outs. More of a "heavy duty Warbird", less of a Fargo here, I think.

The next thing that is maybe getting lost here is how Salsa Cycles has fine tuned the bikepacking aspect of this bike here. Dedicated to frame bag type loads, the front triangle is shaped in such a way to accept a massive, wide frame bag, which will be custom made for this bike and available through Salsa Cycles. It will hard mount to the braze ons, which you can see some of in the lower image, and eschew straps, lending a cleaner look, and I suspect will be less apt to cause abrasion damage, which could be an issue with carbon fiber down the road. At any rate, it would seem this is the way bikepacking bags are turning in terms of design and mounting type.

My take on this rig is that it is a curious type of bicycle for anyone, let alone Salsa Cycles, to produce. It would seem that, on the surface of it anyway, that there just are not a whole lot of folks willing to bicycle in the manner to which this bicycle is intended to be used, and maybe even less that would want this type of bike made out of carbon fiber. Yes- the overall weight is tantalizing, (21-23lbs, depending on model spec), but carbon fiber is a pretty expensive material and maybe doesn't imbue a sense of impervious, robustness that a metallic frame maybe does for some riders. On one hand, this rig, even loaded like my Fat Fargo was for the DK200, would weigh in a good 5-7lbs less than that bike. That's very, very tempting, but again, the cost of entry is quite a bit higher as well.

I like that it can handle the bigger, wider tires, and one could use a suspension device, I would assume, which also broadens its appeal here. That said, time will tell how it is accepted. It definitely is an interesting rig, and I will be looking forward to checking one out at some point. Whether or not it may become a replacement for one of my Fargos. that is yet to be seen.

Salsa Cycles Cutthroat: A Curious Vehicle For Adventuring

The Cutthroat (Cropped image from Facebook, original courtesy of The Radavist)

It's NOT A Carbon Fargo!

Salsa Cycles has been pretty adamant in that assertion. However; one cannot deny the lines cut by this bike are very similar to those cut by the Fargo. Drop bars, room for up to 2.4" tires, Anything Cage mounting points, and a 100mm suspension corrected fork. All that is missing are the Alternator drop outs. Then it hit me. Salsa has done something like this before! 

The Mukluks were Salsa Cycles only fat bike at first.   The line up had aluminum models and a titanium model. Everyone was thinking that a carbon Mukluk was a given, since many other fat bike companies were doing a carbon model. However; as we all know now, Salsa did not produce a Carbon Mukluk. They did do a carbon fat bike, but it was a stripped down, all out performance machine they dubbed the Beargrease. I see what they have done with this Cutthroat Carbon drop bar mountain bike in much the same light as the Beargrease vs Mukluk models.

While the Fargo-Cutthroat comparison is obvious, what might get lost in the hoopla is that this bike actually has a close relationship to the just released Warbird line up. The Cutthroat features what Salsa Cycles has dubbed as the "VRS" rear triangle. (Vibration Reduction System) The stays are thinned out in the vertical plane and the chainstays are flattened horizontally which makes for stiffer chain stays in the lateral plane and flexier seat stays in that same lateral plane. That may not make much sense when you think about how many companies have tried to flatten out or thin out seat stays to get them to flex in the vertical plane. 

Note how the seat stays bow outward. (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

 It was noted by Salsa engineers how while testing frames in frame jigs for strength, that the seat stays would bow outward as pressure was applied backward against the seat tube while the axle was fixed in the testing jig. It occurred to Salsa at that point that rider weight and trail/road inputs acted in much the same manner as the testing procedure. What if the rear triangle could be optimized to enhance that flex? This is what led to the VRS idea and why it works like it does. The VRS rear triangle allows the seat stays to bow outward as the rider's weight gets planted down and back into the saddle when a trail input is engaged by the rear wheel, for instance. Much like how a flexible titanium seat post takes the edge off, the VRS system takes the bite out of the trail and lends a more comfortable ride quality. To my way of thinking, this sharing of the VRS system from the Warbird to a "mtb-able" version in the Cutthroat is the biggest story with this new bike. When you consider how those seat stays and chain stays work, it maybe makes sense why this bike cannot really work with Alternator drop outs. More of a "heavy duty Warbird", less of a Fargo here, I think.

The next thing that is maybe getting lost here is how Salsa Cycles has fine tuned the bikepacking aspect of this bike here. Dedicated to frame bag type loads, the front triangle is shaped in such a way to accept a massive, wide frame bag, which will be custom made for this bike and available through Salsa Cycles. It will hard mount to the braze ons, which you can see some of in the lower image, and eschew straps, lending a cleaner look, and I suspect will be less apt to cause abrasion damage, which could be an issue with carbon fiber down the road. At any rate, it would seem this is the way bikepacking bags are turning in terms of design and mounting type.

My take on this rig is that it is a curious type of bicycle for anyone, let alone Salsa Cycles, to produce. It would seem that, on the surface of it anyway, that there just are not a whole lot of folks willing to bicycle in the manner to which this bicycle is intended to be used, and maybe even less that would want this type of bike made out of carbon fiber. Yes- the overall weight is tantalizing, (21-23lbs, depending on model spec), but carbon fiber is a pretty expensive material and maybe doesn't imbue a sense of impervious, robustness that a metallic frame maybe does for some riders. On one hand, this rig, even loaded like my Fat Fargo was for the DK200, would weigh in a good 5-7lbs less than that bike. That's very, very tempting, but again, the cost of entry is quite a bit higher as well.

I like that it can handle the bigger, wider tires, and one could use a suspension device, I would assume, which also broadens its appeal here. That said, time will tell how it is accepted. It definitely is an interesting rig, and I will be looking forward to checking one out at some point. Whether or not it may become a replacement for one of my Fargos. that is yet to be seen.

Friday News And Views

Disc Brakes getting roached?

I've written in the past that disc brakes on gravel road/road bikes is silly, unnecessary, and probably is a marketing driven phenomenon. I've posted here about how disc brakes on road bikes are not the panacea that many think they are and I have cited examples of where disc brakes have let folks down. Not to mention the heat management issues for long road descents, but anyway.... I'm not entirely against disc brakes for gravel riding, but I just don't think it is all that necessary either.

It seems that someone at BikeRadar.com experienced a similar fate as some Trans Iowa riders have in the past and set out to run a little test to see about the reasons why that happens. (Click HERE to see the article) One thing I would add to the story there is that it is also important to note what it is you are bathing your brakes in that makes a them disintegrate. While it is no doubt obvious that a slurry of dirt and liquid will accelerate brake pad wear, the sort of wear evidenced in the article linked here would seem to be exacerbated by the grittiness of that stuff that was being sprayed over his calipers. Not every situation will be as dire since not every rider will be sloshing the same sort of abrasive mixtures over their brakes, and that's assuming you will ride in such terrible conditions. Colorado grit isn't the same as Iowa grit, or what have you. Another thing to think about while you consider brake choices.

I think the writer's conclusions that pad/piston retraction is a factor is also correct. The more pad to rotor clearances you can have, the better, but not all systems will allow for that and give the rider his/her preferred braking feel and performance. So, it would seem that disc brakes are not really "better in bad weather", but they could be. I like a good mechanical brake set up where those clearances can be dialed into your set up, and not fixed as they are with true hydraulic systems. Avid BB-7's being the best in that regard. Finally, a point brought home again to me by our shop's SRAM rep is that disc brakes can separate braking duties from the rim, which can have its benefits as well. There are definitely pros and cons for rim and disc braking systems, and a rider has to weigh those things carefully when choosing a bicycle.

Head Shok equipped C'Dale CX bike (Image courtesy of R. Reed)

We've Seen This Before:

Cannondale put out a "sneak preview" video yesterday which was picked up on by almost every major cycling media outlet. If you missed it, the buzz was that a "new gravel road/all road type bike is imminent  and will feature a Lefty, (!!), which will "break new ground in the category".

Excuse me, but this is neither new, nor does it break any new ground, especially from Cannondale. Things like this have sprouted out of the formerly USA made brand's line up for years. The Silk Road, and several cross bike models were offered with a Head Shok, pre-dating this new "Slate" line of bikes by a decade. The "shocking" thing about this new bike is that it took Cannondale so long to jump on the trend with a bike that they already knew how to make.

In my humble opinion, I believe that Cannondale seriously pigeon-holed the upcoming Slate bikes by using the polarizing Lefty strut. (It technically is not a "fork", but a strut.) Take a look at this older cross bike with the Head Shok. It looks like a road bike, not some freakish, Frankensteinian mash-up of a mountain bike and a road bike. Certainly, it won't be hard to tell it is a Cannondale, that's for sure, but I would have resurrected the short travel Head Shok seen on the example here with carbon legs and I think it would have had more appeal to roadies and gravel riders alike. Maybe I'm just not getting it, but the Slate looks "not right' to my eyes. I know.....I know.....it's a Lefty! 

Now we'll have to wait and see if this is really a glorified cross bike, or if it really is something tuned for road riding. Cannondale says it will spill the beans this Fall.

Updated Canfield "Yelli-Screamy" 29"er LT Hard tail

The Hard Tail 29"er You Should Have:

They said that 29"ers saved the hard tail, front suspended mountain bike from extinction. Maybe so, but where 29"er wheels really make their mark within the hard tail category is when they are used on a bicycle like this Canfield "Yelli-Screamy". (Perhaps one of the goofiest names for a serious mountain bike since Fat Chance's "Yo Eddy" model.) Anyway.....

The deal here is that the slack front end, short rear end, and ability to utilize up to 140mm of travel makes 29"er wheels so much fun it should be illegal. I have a similar bike in my Singular Cycles Buzzard, and I really enjoy riding it. So, here's why I think you should get one like this Canfield rig:

• Fun- If you like your mountain biking experiences to be more about having kid-like fun, you cannot go wrong with this sort of bike. Obstacles that once proved challenging are now mowed over without a second thought, and your mind starts to look for more challenging lines. The maneuverability and capability to absorb big hits with a longer travel fork help here. Throw on a dropper post, a short stem, and wide bars, and you'll be rippin'!
• It's Not 29+: This is a benefit because you can get nearly the same traction with 2.4"s on wider rims, save the weight, and spin up out of corners faster. Plus, the weight doesn't get out of hand and hinder you when the trail goes up. I use Velocity Duallys with 2.4" tires on my Buzzard, as an example, and it works great. 
• You May Never Need A Full Sus Bike Again: Unless you live in "Chunkville U.S.A.", you'll likely never miss the complexity and maintenance associated with a full sus bike and you'll have just as much fun. Add in the "immediacy" of the feeling of power when making moves and climbing due to the short, rigid stays, and you might become addicted to a short rear end hard tail forever. 
• It's Not Just For The Mountains: Single track? Tight Twisties? These sort of short rear/slack front bikes can rip that once you learn the trick of steering off the rear wheel. I have zero complaints about getting around our tight trails here. Of course, the faster, wide open trails are really fun as well. 

So, there ya go. Those are some of the reasons I think these bikes make sense. For $650.00, you can score the Yelli-Screamy frame, get a decent 120-140mm travel fork, and have the basic platform for a 29"er that might be one of the most under rated uses of big wheels out there. Think about it........

New Carbon "Fargo-like" Bike? See the Radavists post on Instagram HERE and check it out!  More soon.....

And Finally:

I was there........and I think I felt it too!

 Thanks to Chad Ament, who finished the Dirty Kanza 200 on a fixie this year, we have this humorous meme. If you have been to one of several muddy, rainy gravel events this year, you will enjoy this.

And with that I bid you all a fair weekend and I hope ya'all get out and enjoy yourselves on your bicycles. A special shout out to my friend Steve Fuller who set out to tackle Tour Divide today. Have a great ride, Sir!

Friday News And Views

Disc Brakes getting roached?

I've written in the past that disc brakes on gravel road/road bikes is silly, unnecessary, and probably is a marketing driven phenomenon. I've posted here about how disc brakes on road bikes are not the panacea that many think they are and I have cited examples of where disc brakes have let folks down. Not to mention the heat management issues for long road descents, but anyway.... I'm not entirely against disc brakes for gravel riding, but I just don't think it is all that necessary either.

It seems that someone at BikeRadar.com experienced a similar fate as some Trans Iowa riders have in the past and set out to run a little test to see about the reasons why that happens. (Click HERE to see the article) One thing I would add to the story there is that it is also important to note what it is you are bathing your brakes in that makes a them disintegrate. While it is no doubt obvious that a slurry of dirt and liquid will accelerate brake pad wear, the sort of wear evidenced in the article linked here would seem to be exacerbated by the grittiness of that stuff that was being sprayed over his calipers. Not every situation will be as dire since not every rider will be sloshing the same sort of abrasive mixtures over their brakes, and that's assuming you will ride in such terrible conditions. Colorado grit isn't the same as Iowa grit, or what have you. Another thing to think about while you consider brake choices.

I think the writer's conclusions that pad/piston retraction is a factor is also correct. The more pad to rotor clearances you can have, the better, but not all systems will allow for that and give the rider his/her preferred braking feel and performance. So, it would seem that disc brakes are not really "better in bad weather", but they could be. I like a good mechanical brake set up where those clearances can be dialed into your set up, and not fixed as they are with true hydraulic systems. Avid BB-7's being the best in that regard. Finally, a point brought home again to me by our shop's SRAM rep is that disc brakes can separate braking duties from the rim, which can have its benefits as well. There are definitely pros and cons for rim and disc braking systems, and a rider has to weigh those things carefully when choosing a bicycle.

Head Shok equipped C'Dale CX bike (Image courtesy of R. Reed)

We've Seen This Before:

Cannondale put out a "sneak preview" video yesterday which was picked up on by almost every major cycling media outlet. If you missed it, the buzz was that a "new gravel road/all road type bike is imminent  and will feature a Lefty, (!!), which will "break new ground in the category".

Excuse me, but this is neither new, nor does it break any new ground, especially from Cannondale. Things like this have sprouted out of the formerly USA made brand's line up for years. The Silk Road, and several cross bike models were offered with a Head Shok, pre-dating this new "Slate" line of bikes by a decade. The "shocking" thing about this new bike is that it took Cannondale so long to jump on the trend with a bike that they already knew how to make.

In my humble opinion, I believe that Cannondale seriously pigeon-holed the upcoming Slate bikes by using the polarizing Lefty strut. (It technically is not a "fork", but a strut.) Take a look at this older cross bike with the Head Shok. It looks like a road bike, not some freakish, Frankensteinian mash-up of a mountain bike and a road bike. Certainly, it won't be hard to tell it is a Cannondale, that's for sure, but I would have resurrected the short travel Head Shok seen on the example here with carbon legs and I think it would have had more appeal to roadies and gravel riders alike. Maybe I'm just not getting it, but the Slate looks "not right' to my eyes. I know.....I know.....it's a Lefty! 

Now we'll have to wait and see if this is really a glorified cross bike, or if it really is something tuned for road riding. Cannondale says it will spill the beans this Fall.

Updated Canfield "Yelli-Screamy" 29"er LT Hard tail

The Hard Tail 29"er You Should Have:

They said that 29"ers saved the hard tail, front suspended mountain bike from extinction. Maybe so, but where 29"er wheels really make their mark within the hard tail category is when they are used on a bicycle like this Canfield "Yelli-Screamy". (Perhaps one of the goofiest names for a serious mountain bike since Fat Chance's "Yo Eddy" model.) Anyway.....

The deal here is that the slack front end, short rear end, and ability to utilize up to 140mm of travel makes 29"er wheels so much fun it should be illegal. I have a similar bike in my Singular Cycles Buzzard, and I really enjoy riding it. So, here's why I think you should get one like this Canfield rig:

• Fun- If you like your mountain biking experiences to be more about having kid-like fun, you cannot go wrong with this sort of bike. Obstacles that once proved challenging are now mowed over without a second thought, and your mind starts to look for more challenging lines. The maneuverability and capability to absorb big hits with a longer travel fork help here. Throw on a dropper post, a short stem, and wide bars, and you'll be rippin'!
• It's Not 29+: This is a benefit because you can get nearly the same traction with 2.4"s on wider rims, save the weight, and spin up out of corners faster. Plus, the weight doesn't get out of hand and hinder you when the trail goes up. I use Velocity Duallys with 2.4" tires on my Buzzard, as an example, and it works great. 
• You May Never Need A Full Sus Bike Again: Unless you live in "Chunkville U.S.A.", you'll likely never miss the complexity and maintenance associated with a full sus bike and you'll have just as much fun. Add in the "immediacy" of the feeling of power when making moves and climbing due to the short, rigid stays, and you might become addicted to a short rear end hard tail forever. 
• It's Not Just For The Mountains: Single track? Tight Twisties? These sort of short rear/slack front bikes can rip that once you learn the trick of steering off the rear wheel. I have zero complaints about getting around our tight trails here. Of course, the faster, wide open trails are really fun as well. 

So, there ya go. Those are some of the reasons I think these bikes make sense. For $650.00, you can score the Yelli-Screamy frame, get a decent 120-140mm travel fork, and have the basic platform for a 29"er that might be one of the most under rated uses of big wheels out there. Think about it........

New Carbon "Fargo-like" Bike? See the Radavists post on Instagram HERE and check it out!  More soon.....

And Finally:

I was there........and I think I felt it too!

 Thanks to Chad Ament, who finished the Dirty Kanza 200 on a fixie this year, we have this humorous meme. If you have been to one of several muddy, rainy gravel events this year, you will enjoy this.

And with that I bid you all a fair weekend and I hope ya'all get out and enjoy yourselves on your bicycles. A special shout out to my friend Steve Fuller who set out to tackle Tour Divide today. Have a great ride, Sir!