Friday News And Views

SAFETY NOTICE - CUTTHROAT V2 FORK: 

Salsa Cycles, on Wednesday, sent out a notice that owners of the Cutthroat Carbon Deluxe v2 and Cutthroat Carbon v2 forks need to check their fork for a possible safety issue. The affected forks were delivered to dealers in September 2019 to the present and can be identified by their serial numbers which require the fork to be removed from the bike to be seen. 

Riders who are unsure of how to remove the fork safely should have a qualified mechanic look at any suspected fork immediately. You can check in to THIS LINK for more information regarding this advisory. 

Please share this post with anyone you know that has a late model Cutthroat or that has a Cutthroat fork that fits the description here. 

The Ti Muk 2 has been set up and ready for the Fat Bike Century attempt for weeks now.

Fall Planning:

 

With the end of August here, I have been in planning mode for Fall riding and reviewing for RidingGravel.com. I have things I want to do, and things I have to do. Lately, the 'things I have to do' have been taking priority and will continue to do so for quite a while. This is problematic since I failed to get in the entire 100 mile ride I attempted at the beginning of August and I still have the Fat Bike Century on my plate to attempt yet as well. 

But I have things that are continually dragging me away from personal challenges, and while I may sneak in a hundy while doing testing, it won't be on the fat bike. That one may have to wait and I am thinking that is a more likely than not situation. There are wheels that need to be ridden, 'super-secret' stuff to be used, and I have a Light and Motion light needing some night riding scheduled into the mix. All this also hinges on times I have open to ride, and that coupled with weather. 

That, as Jeff Kerkove used to say about Trans Iowa, is 'the wildcard', right? I could really get into a pinch if the weather conspires to be awful on days I have open for test riding. So far this year I have hit the jackpot. I have maybe only had a few days where I had to forgo testing due to weather. In fact, I have had more outside influences keep me from riding this year than I have had issues with weather. So, I hope my weather luck holds. It's 'crunch time' for my reviewing, because sooner than not Winter will be here, and while you may think that's nuts to think this, I know I have at least three months of scheduled reviewing/test rides ahead of me. Yes- There is that much stuff going on. 

 

Mike Varley teased this LaCabra proto plus wheeled bike as a future BMC model.

Plus Bike Dreams:

 

Posting my Ti Muk 2 and selling my Sawyer, which was set up with B+ wheels, has me thinking a lot about plus sized wheels again. It is the one thing 'I think' I am missing in the stable of choices I have here. Having ridden a few of these types of bikes, the concept intrigues me greatly. I know what the wheels are capable of, and I know just exactly what I'd do with a bike with plus sized wheels, if all was right with the design as I see things. 

 

First of all, I'd want to be able to run 29 X 3" tires, although I'd likely do 29 X 2.8"ers in reality. 650B plus sized tires? Eh......why? 29"ers roll over stuff better and with a 3.0" wide 29"er tire, you can traverse some pretty difficult terrain. I've done it, so I know. I've seen it done too. I am convinced of this wheel size's prowess. 

So, that's why I have issues with the proposed BMC LaCabra. As cool as that bike would be, I would rather see it in a 700c format. So, what else is there? Well, you have the Surly ECR. Maybe.... It's over-built and has those stupid Surly drop outs which are a turn-off for me. So..... Jones Bike? Yeah.... a distinct possibility, but the cheap ones are not my cuppa. I'd do a LWB Titanium one in a heartbeat with a truss Fork, but $$$$'s are not what I have available to get into that. Really....the dream bike? A LWB Ti Spaceframe and Truss Fork. Hey, a man has to have a dream rig, right? 

 

Don't tell me about the Fargo. Not interested in the newer ones. I've seen these with 29 X 3" tires and I am not impressed. I don't want "modern trail geometry" either, so that puts a lot of other choices to rest too. No, right now only the Jones Ti LWB has me intrigued. But until I win the lottery...... The Ti Muk 2 will have to do me for now. Yes- I could build 29 X 2.8 wheels for this. However, this screws with the bottom bracket height on a Mukluk and I've tried 29+ wheels on a Mukluk before, so I know this. 

Anyway, just a random thought I have from time to time!

 

That's it for this week. Have a great weekend and put in some bicycling miles! 

Friday News And Views

SAFETY NOTICE - CUTTHROAT V2 FORK: 

Salsa Cycles, on Wednesday, sent out a notice that owners of the Cutthroat Carbon Deluxe v2 and Cutthroat Carbon v2 forks need to check their fork for a possible safety issue. The affected forks were delivered to dealers in September 2019 to the present and can be identified by their serial numbers which require the fork to be removed from the bike to be seen. 

Riders who are unsure of how to remove the fork safely should have a qualified mechanic look at any suspected fork immediately. You can check in to THIS LINK for more information regarding this advisory. 

Please share this post with anyone you know that has a late model Cutthroat or that has a Cutthroat fork that fits the description here. 

The Ti Muk 2 has been set up and ready for the Fat Bike Century attempt for weeks now.

Fall Planning:

 

With the end of August here, I have been in planning mode for Fall riding and reviewing for RidingGravel.com. I have things I want to do, and things I have to do. Lately, the 'things I have to do' have been taking priority and will continue to do so for quite a while. This is problematic since I failed to get in the entire 100 mile ride I attempted at the beginning of August and I still have the Fat Bike Century on my plate to attempt yet as well. 

But I have things that are continually dragging me away from personal challenges, and while I may sneak in a hundy while doing testing, it won't be on the fat bike. That one may have to wait and I am thinking that is a more likely than not situation. There are wheels that need to be ridden, 'super-secret' stuff to be used, and I have a Light and Motion light needing some night riding scheduled into the mix. All this also hinges on times I have open to ride, and that coupled with weather. 

That, as Jeff Kerkove used to say about Trans Iowa, is 'the wildcard', right? I could really get into a pinch if the weather conspires to be awful on days I have open for test riding. So far this year I have hit the jackpot. I have maybe only had a few days where I had to forgo testing due to weather. In fact, I have had more outside influences keep me from riding this year than I have had issues with weather. So, I hope my weather luck holds. It's 'crunch time' for my reviewing, because sooner than not Winter will be here, and while you may think that's nuts to think this, I know I have at least three months of scheduled reviewing/test rides ahead of me. Yes- There is that much stuff going on. 

 

Mike Varley teased this LaCabra proto plus wheeled bike as a future BMC model.

Plus Bike Dreams:

 

Posting my Ti Muk 2 and selling my Sawyer, which was set up with B+ wheels, has me thinking a lot about plus sized wheels again. It is the one thing 'I think' I am missing in the stable of choices I have here. Having ridden a few of these types of bikes, the concept intrigues me greatly. I know what the wheels are capable of, and I know just exactly what I'd do with a bike with plus sized wheels, if all was right with the design as I see things. 

 

First of all, I'd want to be able to run 29 X 3" tires, although I'd likely do 29 X 2.8"ers in reality. 650B plus sized tires? Eh......why? 29"ers roll over stuff better and with a 3.0" wide 29"er tire, you can traverse some pretty difficult terrain. I've done it, so I know. I've seen it done too. I am convinced of this wheel size's prowess. 

So, that's why I have issues with the proposed BMC LaCabra. As cool as that bike would be, I would rather see it in a 700c format. So, what else is there? Well, you have the Surly ECR. Maybe.... It's over-built and has those stupid Surly drop outs which are a turn-off for me. So..... Jones Bike? Yeah.... a distinct possibility, but the cheap ones are not my cuppa. I'd do a LWB Titanium one in a heartbeat with a truss Fork, but $$$$'s are not what I have available to get into that. Really....the dream bike? A LWB Ti Spaceframe and Truss Fork. Hey, a man has to have a dream rig, right? 

 

Don't tell me about the Fargo. Not interested in the newer ones. I've seen these with 29 X 3" tires and I am not impressed. I don't want "modern trail geometry" either, so that puts a lot of other choices to rest too. No, right now only the Jones Ti LWB has me intrigued. But until I win the lottery...... The Ti Muk 2 will have to do me for now. Yes- I could build 29 X 2.8 wheels for this. However, this screws with the bottom bracket height on a Mukluk and I've tried 29+ wheels on a Mukluk before, so I know this. 

Anyway, just a random thought I have from time to time!

 

That's it for this week. Have a great weekend and put in some bicycling miles! 

Fall Views: Neeker-Breekers, Grit, & Insects

Things are drying out and turning brown now out in the country.

 Got out Wednesday for a nice test on a few things I have to review for RidingGravel.com. The day was promised ahead of time to be hot, humid, and breezy. It hit on two of the three. Humidity, while at 58%, wasn't bad- for around here. Usually it's around 70% this time of year when it is hot. So, actually, I was thinking it didn't feel too bad. 

I took the Noble GX5 with these crazy Atomik/Berd Ultimate gravel wheels on it, which was part of what I had to review. I also had on these gloves to review, (not ready to post anything quite yet on those), and the Hutchinson Tourareg 700 X 45mm tires. Busy day taking it all in, for sure. Oh....yeah, I almost forgot. I was also wearing those Rudy Project Cutline glasses I'm reviewing. Sheesh! Anything else? Nope..... That's it! Gotta get the work in! 

Anyway, I headed North this time up Burton Avenue for a bit. The wind was out of the South, so I made up my mind to turn East and go a ways that way, then South and back home. Not a big loop. Just a couple hours to get in some test riding. The gravel was exemplary. Really good. Only a few stretches were treacherous with loose, chunky gravel. I was a bit surprised by this. But.....I'll take it! 

It wasn't cloudy, but those wildfires out West are polluting our upper atmosphere in the Mid-West and it was weird outside. The light is diffused and this casts a weird light on everything. You could almost see the haze, it was making things so different to look at. You really notice the issue when the Sun is low in the horizon. The Sun looks reddish-orange and the sky turns a brownish-red/orange. Not a natural look! But while things looked odd, at least we weren't subjected to breathing the smoke down here. Being a 'flat lander' does come with some advantages! 

The roads were fast, dusty, and lacking in deeper chunk. The Atomik/Berd Ultimate gravel wheel shown here.

Moo!

It was very difficult to get a good shot due to the atmospheric conditions. My camera kept wanting to 'blow-out' the highlights, and I'm not a good enough photographer to figure out how to work around the issue I was having. A few shots I got were totally unusable, but I did get what I needed. 

At the crossroads of Bennington Road and Sage Road

Yep! That's some tall corn right there!

I couldn't get a shot to look right if my life depended upon it if I was pointed East. Weird. And even looking other directions, it was a difficult day to shoot. Just really odd out there. Anyway..... Nuff said. 

The nature of the countryside is definitely saying "Fall". The birds are gone. No Red Winged Blackbirds to contend with anymore. No Starlings. No Robins warbling in the distance. The Western Meadowlark has fallen silent. The only sounds I heard were the constant singing chorus of 'neeker-breekers'. You "Lord of The Rings" fans will understand that reference. The crickets and grasshoppers, rubbing their legs together, making that "neeker-breeker" sound. Listen for it, you'll never hear those insects the same again. 

Then there was the gritty sound of tire against gravel. And the wind, of course. That was it. No other sounds to be heard out there for two hours. Sights were not all that noteworthy either. With the obvious lack of birds, only the occasional cow and horse were seen. Insects were flying about though. Grasshoppers, butterflies, and the odd dragonfly were seen. But yeah......this is looking more like the end of the season and the beginning of another. 

Throw-back jersey

I also took this occasion to bust out one of the old Advantage Cyclery race team jerseys that I have. This was the race team that was based out of the shop where I first plied the trade of bicycle mechanic back in the mid-90's. After Advantage Cyclery folded, in very early 1997, I moved on to become an auto mechanic and did not get back into working on bicycles until late 2002. 

In the meantime, I left racing behind, and I had my race jerseys, which I tucked away in a drawer. Now every 'blue moon' I get the urge to dig one out and ride in it. So, that was fun. I will say that in the last 25 years jersey technology has come a long, long way. This thing was like wearing a garbage bag compared to what we have now! But hey! It was for kicks, and I had fun wearing one of these again. 

Last time I posted about this someone that had an old one of these sent theirs to me! Ha! Well, listen- I have plenty. I don't need anymore of these Advantage jerseys! I think I must have about four of them as it is! But the thought is what counts and I still appreciate that I was sent one of these a few years back. 

The testing went well. I learned what I could and rode home. Now it is time to put thoughts to digital letters and images for all to read at some point. I have also decided I need to do some specific wheel testing coming up soon. I have some theories to either debunk or to confirm. Always thinking out there on these test rides.......

The ride was in the morning, before it got beastly out. Still, it was 88°F and with the wind, it was fairly draining. I did have to back off from riding too hard in the heat so I wouldn't get myself in the 'hurt locker' and be down for the count the rest of the day. I had a driving lesson to give! So, I had to be on my game.

The driving went okay. My daughter, who will turn 20 this December, finally decided she needs to know how to drive. I took her out on a gravel road, (natch!), and turned her loose for a couple of very tentative miles. It was fun. She peeled out once, unintentionally, but I had to let out a good "WooHoo!" for the occasion regardless. I mean, you just cannot let a good spewing of gravel go without a yelp of uninhibited joy, now can you? Well, it ain't happening around here! 

Afterward it was time to hit the ice cream store for celebratory treats. She made a good start. Now for some continuing education......

Fall Views: Neeker-Breekers, Grit, & Insects

Things are drying out and turning brown now out in the country.

 Got out Wednesday for a nice test on a few things I have to review for RidingGravel.com. The day was promised ahead of time to be hot, humid, and breezy. It hit on two of the three. Humidity, while at 58%, wasn't bad- for around here. Usually it's around 70% this time of year when it is hot. So, actually, I was thinking it didn't feel too bad. 

I took the Noble GX5 with these crazy Atomik/Berd Ultimate gravel wheels on it, which was part of what I had to review. I also had on these gloves to review, (not ready to post anything quite yet on those), and the Hutchinson Tourareg 700 X 45mm tires. Busy day taking it all in, for sure. Oh....yeah, I almost forgot. I was also wearing those Rudy Project Cutline glasses I'm reviewing. Sheesh! Anything else? Nope..... That's it! Gotta get the work in! 

Anyway, I headed North this time up Burton Avenue for a bit. The wind was out of the South, so I made up my mind to turn East and go a ways that way, then South and back home. Not a big loop. Just a couple hours to get in some test riding. The gravel was exemplary. Really good. Only a few stretches were treacherous with loose, chunky gravel. I was a bit surprised by this. But.....I'll take it! 

It wasn't cloudy, but those wildfires out West are polluting our upper atmosphere in the Mid-West and it was weird outside. The light is diffused and this casts a weird light on everything. You could almost see the haze, it was making things so different to look at. You really notice the issue when the Sun is low in the horizon. The Sun looks reddish-orange and the sky turns a brownish-red/orange. Not a natural look! But while things looked odd, at least we weren't subjected to breathing the smoke down here. Being a 'flat lander' does come with some advantages! 

The roads were fast, dusty, and lacking in deeper chunk. The Atomik/Berd Ultimate gravel wheel shown here.

Moo!

It was very difficult to get a good shot due to the atmospheric conditions. My camera kept wanting to 'blow-out' the highlights, and I'm not a good enough photographer to figure out how to work around the issue I was having. A few shots I got were totally unusable, but I did get what I needed. 

At the crossroads of Bennington Road and Sage Road

Yep! That's some tall corn right there!

I couldn't get a shot to look right if my life depended upon it if I was pointed East. Weird. And even looking other directions, it was a difficult day to shoot. Just really odd out there. Anyway..... Nuff said. 

The nature of the countryside is definitely saying "Fall". The birds are gone. No Red Winged Blackbirds to contend with anymore. No Starlings. No Robins warbling in the distance. The Western Meadowlark has fallen silent. The only sounds I heard were the constant singing chorus of 'neeker-breekers'. You "Lord of The Rings" fans will understand that reference. The crickets and grasshoppers, rubbing their legs together, making that "neeker-breeker" sound. Listen for it, you'll never hear those insects the same again. 

Then there was the gritty sound of tire against gravel. And the wind, of course. That was it. No other sounds to be heard out there for two hours. Sights were not all that noteworthy either. With the obvious lack of birds, only the occasional cow and horse were seen. Insects were flying about though. Grasshoppers, butterflies, and the odd dragonfly were seen. But yeah......this is looking more like the end of the season and the beginning of another. 

Throw-back jersey

I also took this occasion to bust out one of the old Advantage Cyclery race team jerseys that I have. This was the race team that was based out of the shop where I first plied the trade of bicycle mechanic back in the mid-90's. After Advantage Cyclery folded, in very early 1997, I moved on to become an auto mechanic and did not get back into working on bicycles until late 2002. 

In the meantime, I left racing behind, and I had my race jerseys, which I tucked away in a drawer. Now every 'blue moon' I get the urge to dig one out and ride in it. So, that was fun. I will say that in the last 25 years jersey technology has come a long, long way. This thing was like wearing a garbage bag compared to what we have now! But hey! It was for kicks, and I had fun wearing one of these again. 

Last time I posted about this someone that had an old one of these sent theirs to me! Ha! Well, listen- I have plenty. I don't need anymore of these Advantage jerseys! I think I must have about four of them as it is! But the thought is what counts and I still appreciate that I was sent one of these a few years back. 

The testing went well. I learned what I could and rode home. Now it is time to put thoughts to digital letters and images for all to read at some point. I have also decided I need to do some specific wheel testing coming up soon. I have some theories to either debunk or to confirm. Always thinking out there on these test rides.......

The ride was in the morning, before it got beastly out. Still, it was 88°F and with the wind, it was fairly draining. I did have to back off from riding too hard in the heat so I wouldn't get myself in the 'hurt locker' and be down for the count the rest of the day. I had a driving lesson to give! So, I had to be on my game.

The driving went okay. My daughter, who will turn 20 this December, finally decided she needs to know how to drive. I took her out on a gravel road, (natch!), and turned her loose for a couple of very tentative miles. It was fun. She peeled out once, unintentionally, but I had to let out a good "WooHoo!" for the occasion regardless. I mean, you just cannot let a good spewing of gravel go without a yelp of uninhibited joy, now can you? Well, it ain't happening around here! 

Afterward it was time to hit the ice cream store for celebratory treats. She made a good start. Now for some continuing education......

Goodbye Sawyer

 Yesterday I said goodbye to Sawyer. No......not a person. The bike. The cruiser style hard tail masterpiece that should have been a Gary Fisher branded bike, but was one of the victims of the timing of Trek's absorption of the Gary Fisher brand. While it was hoped that elements of the Gary Fisher brand, then called the Gary Fisher Collection, would survive, it disappeared a few years later, never to be heard from again. To my way of thinking, this is still one of the strangest, and biggest, mistakes Trek ever made. 

Well, back in the day, I was sent one of these Sawyers and I have had it around since then. I often enjoyed the bike, but with so many single speeds, it just didn't get used as it should have. 

I've written a few posts dedicated to the lines of this swoopy cruiser. I've talked about how Trek screwed up the marketing for this bike, how it was a big failure at retail, and how there has been a cultish following for Sawyers since then. I won't cover that old ground again. I'll just say that after three years, maybe more, of wondering what to do with this bike, I finally pulled the trigger on selling it. Then "Mr. W" answered my sales page ad and asked if he could be the bike's next caretaker. Well, the exchange happened, and now the Sawyer is all his to ride into the Sunset.

And that is exactly what should happen. Bicycles weren't made to be collected and sat in rooms to be ogled by bike nerds until they die and relatives have to dispose of them. They were made to be ridden. They were made to be scratched, beat up, and eventually worn out. I often think about what Mike Varley, of Black Mountain Cycles, told me once when I asked for touch up paint codes for my "Orange Crush" rig. He said something to the effect that he'd rather I let the scratches be and they would be "character marks", scratches that invoked stories and memories of adventures had with that bike. He's right, you know.

I don't think you've had a successful time with a bike unless you've ridden it so much you've worn out parts, dinged it up, and somehow kept it going for years and years. Bikes with character marks, and maybe more importantly, stories to tell. That should be the goal. Not having some pristine garage queen parked on a pedestal. But to each their own. This is only my view.

And getting back to the Sawyer- I was happy to hear "Mr W" say to me, as he wheeled the bike out the door, that he'd "definitely be riding this bike a lot". More than anything else, those words were music to my ears. 

I grinned to myself later, long after the Sawyer was gone, thinking about "Mr W" and his new-to-him Sawyer, blasting some single track somewhere, making memories, and gaining a few of those "character marks" in the process. It made me glad I decided to let that bike have a new lease on life. It made me happy to know that I could, at least one time, let a bike go I really liked, but wasn't utilizing, and let someone else experience the joy of riding a bike that a person cherished and loved on terrain that made for good times. 

Be well, Sawyer! May you and "Mr W" have miles of smiles with each other!

Goodbye Sawyer

 Yesterday I said goodbye to Sawyer. No......not a person. The bike. The cruiser style hard tail masterpiece that should have been a Gary Fisher branded bike, but was one of the victims of the timing of Trek's absorption of the Gary Fisher brand. While it was hoped that elements of the Gary Fisher brand, then called the Gary Fisher Collection, would survive, it disappeared a few years later, never to be heard from again. To my way of thinking, this is still one of the strangest, and biggest, mistakes Trek ever made. 

Well, back in the day, I was sent one of these Sawyers and I have had it around since then. I often enjoyed the bike, but with so many single speeds, it just didn't get used as it should have. 

I've written a few posts dedicated to the lines of this swoopy cruiser. I've talked about how Trek screwed up the marketing for this bike, how it was a big failure at retail, and how there has been a cultish following for Sawyers since then. I won't cover that old ground again. I'll just say that after three years, maybe more, of wondering what to do with this bike, I finally pulled the trigger on selling it. Then "Mr. W" answered my sales page ad and asked if he could be the bike's next caretaker. Well, the exchange happened, and now the Sawyer is all his to ride into the Sunset.

And that is exactly what should happen. Bicycles weren't made to be collected and sat in rooms to be ogled by bike nerds until they die and relatives have to dispose of them. They were made to be ridden. They were made to be scratched, beat up, and eventually worn out. I often think about what Mike Varley, of Black Mountain Cycles, told me once when I asked for touch up paint codes for my "Orange Crush" rig. He said something to the effect that he'd rather I let the scratches be and they would be "character marks", scratches that invoked stories and memories of adventures had with that bike. He's right, you know.

I don't think you've had a successful time with a bike unless you've ridden it so much you've worn out parts, dinged it up, and somehow kept it going for years and years. Bikes with character marks, and maybe more importantly, stories to tell. That should be the goal. Not having some pristine garage queen parked on a pedestal. But to each their own. This is only my view.

And getting back to the Sawyer- I was happy to hear "Mr W" say to me, as he wheeled the bike out the door, that he'd "definitely be riding this bike a lot". More than anything else, those words were music to my ears. 

I grinned to myself later, long after the Sawyer was gone, thinking about "Mr W" and his new-to-him Sawyer, blasting some single track somewhere, making memories, and gaining a few of those "character marks" in the process. It made me glad I decided to let that bike have a new lease on life. It made me happy to know that I could, at least one time, let a bike go I really liked, but wasn't utilizing, and let someone else experience the joy of riding a bike that a person cherished and loved on terrain that made for good times. 

Be well, Sawyer! May you and "Mr W" have miles of smiles with each other!

The End Of Summer

 

When the Sun comes up like this, you just know it's gonna be a scorcher!

While it may feel like Summer is still kicking strong, what with our heat and humidity, this is about the time of year that, in my opinion, the season switches to Fall mode. I've got my reasons for that, and today I will share a few. 

First, the weekend of Gravel Worlds is past. It would have been this past weekend, and I always have noticed that after Gravel Worlds the Sunrise and Sunset seem to be closer together in time. The daylight hours seem to really start to decrease right about now. I am sort of sensitive to how the daylight appears so maybe I'm an odd duck here, but this point of the year seems significant to me. I did note that last Friday was the last day the Sun was up past 8:00pm CST, and the mornings come later and later in a very noticeable way right about now. This signals Fall to my mind. 

Secondly, school starts here in Iowa for grade school, middle school, and high school students. This year, being very odd, has been one where school happened last over five months ago. So this marks a big moment in time for 2020. AND it is my son's last year in school. I sent a kid off to a 'first day of school' for the last time. (sigh) A big parenting moment, for sure, but it has nothing to do with why I think Fall starts now. I just snuck that in there! 

Then there was my Grandpa. He died this week in 2013, so THAT anniversary always kind of sticks in my mind as being a harbinger of Fall too. He was my hero when I was a child. I know.....kind of morbid, but this is my experience. Fall starts now. 

Yeah....yeah.... It's HOT and we have a heat advisory, AND it is supposed to be the hottest its been all year at 96°F today, but whatever. Fall starts when Nature says so, and I'm seeing the signs all over. Birds leaving, seasonal flowers blooming- or fading- and trees are turning colors now. The corn is ripe and drying down out in the country. Leaves are falling. Just slow down and look and you can see it for yourself. 

Now for an inventory of my wool stuff.......

The End Of Summer

 

When the Sun comes up like this, you just know it's gonna be a scorcher!

While it may feel like Summer is still kicking strong, what with our heat and humidity, this is about the time of year that, in my opinion, the season switches to Fall mode. I've got my reasons for that, and today I will share a few. 

First, the weekend of Gravel Worlds is past. It would have been this past weekend, and I always have noticed that after Gravel Worlds the Sunrise and Sunset seem to be closer together in time. The daylight hours seem to really start to decrease right about now. I am sort of sensitive to how the daylight appears so maybe I'm an odd duck here, but this point of the year seems significant to me. I did note that last Friday was the last day the Sun was up past 8:00pm CST, and the mornings come later and later in a very noticeable way right about now. This signals Fall to my mind. 

Secondly, school starts here in Iowa for grade school, middle school, and high school students. This year, being very odd, has been one where school happened last over five months ago. So this marks a big moment in time for 2020. AND it is my son's last year in school. I sent a kid off to a 'first day of school' for the last time. (sigh) A big parenting moment, for sure, but it has nothing to do with why I think Fall starts now. I just snuck that in there! 

Then there was my Grandpa. He died this week in 2013, so THAT anniversary always kind of sticks in my mind as being a harbinger of Fall too. He was my hero when I was a child. I know.....kind of morbid, but this is my experience. Fall starts now. 

Yeah....yeah.... It's HOT and we have a heat advisory, AND it is supposed to be the hottest its been all year at 96°F today, but whatever. Fall starts when Nature says so, and I'm seeing the signs all over. Birds leaving, seasonal flowers blooming- or fading- and trees are turning colors now. The corn is ripe and drying down out in the country. Leaves are falling. Just slow down and look and you can see it for yourself. 

Now for an inventory of my wool stuff.......

Gravel Bus In 650B Mode

 The Gravel Bus with Irwin Aon GX 35 Carbon wheels in 650B.

 My Saturday plans were laid waste by duties having to do with my son's participation in football and rain. Basically, it was a double whammy, as I wasn't going to get to do what I had intended either way. Sometimes somethings weren't meant to happen. 

So, I had a lot of time on my hands Saturday and I used that to get some things done I had intended on doing. I had just purchased a Surly single speed spacer kit, a Surly 20T cog, and I had picked up a box of super-secret stuff for RidingGravel.com at Andy's Bike Shop as well. I decided to get cracking on the 650B wheel set up for the Gravel Bus. I had already set the tires up tubeless and all I needed was to match up the gearing so I wouldn't have to do any chain tensioning when I switched back and forth between the 700c and 650B set-ups. The box? Nunya. You'll have to wait for a little over a month to find out what's up there. 

I ended up running the first Standard Rando I had in 650B mode pretty much on a permanent basis until I sold it. That was because it was the only way to get any decent volume tires on that frame and fork. The clearances were tight on that design. With v2, Twin Six has allowed for a bigger tire to be fitted, so I can run 700 X 43mm tires with no issues. But that still allows for 650B as an option, so now this Standard Rando is actually more versatile, at least for my uses and intentions. 

So, how does it ride? Stiffer with smaller diameter wheels......maybe. The caveat here is that I had been riding Spinergy wheels on this which do ride pretty darn smoothly, so switching out to a deeper section carbon wheel with steel spokes and in a smaller diameter? Probably no surprise that the bigger hits are more sharply felt there, even with the cushy tires. One thing a lot of people do not take into account is that the 650B diameter- even with a 47mm wide tire- effectively lowers your gearing range. You can most acutely feel this when switching from 700c and keeping the cog size and chain ring size the same, as I have done here. 

The smaller diameter wheel/tire combo effectively lowered the gain ratio on the Gravel Bus.

This will come in handy when conditions are worse, in hillier areas, or on really windy days when I want to use a single speed. It's kind of a round-a-bout way to change ratios without changing anything on the cog/chain/chain ring front. Plus, it looks like I could squeeze in some fenders. That might be nice in muckier, transitional weather. 

So, this will end up being the dedicated 650B wheel set and my matching 700c Irwin Aon GX 35 Carbon wheels will end up becoming the alternate wheel set for the Gravel Bus. This will bring the Project Gravel Bus to a close. I doubt I will be doing anything major, in as far as changes go, to this rig anytime soon.

Gravel Bus In 650B Mode

 The Gravel Bus with Irwin Aon GX 35 Carbon wheels in 650B.

 My Saturday plans were laid waste by duties having to do with my son's participation in football and rain. Basically, it was a double whammy, as I wasn't going to get to do what I had intended either way. Sometimes somethings weren't meant to happen. 

So, I had a lot of time on my hands Saturday and I used that to get some things done I had intended on doing. I had just purchased a Surly single speed spacer kit, a Surly 20T cog, and I had picked up a box of super-secret stuff for RidingGravel.com at Andy's Bike Shop as well. I decided to get cracking on the 650B wheel set up for the Gravel Bus. I had already set the tires up tubeless and all I needed was to match up the gearing so I wouldn't have to do any chain tensioning when I switched back and forth between the 700c and 650B set-ups. The box? Nunya. You'll have to wait for a little over a month to find out what's up there. 

I ended up running the first Standard Rando I had in 650B mode pretty much on a permanent basis until I sold it. That was because it was the only way to get any decent volume tires on that frame and fork. The clearances were tight on that design. With v2, Twin Six has allowed for a bigger tire to be fitted, so I can run 700 X 43mm tires with no issues. But that still allows for 650B as an option, so now this Standard Rando is actually more versatile, at least for my uses and intentions. 

So, how does it ride? Stiffer with smaller diameter wheels......maybe. The caveat here is that I had been riding Spinergy wheels on this which do ride pretty darn smoothly, so switching out to a deeper section carbon wheel with steel spokes and in a smaller diameter? Probably no surprise that the bigger hits are more sharply felt there, even with the cushy tires. One thing a lot of people do not take into account is that the 650B diameter- even with a 47mm wide tire- effectively lowers your gearing range. You can most acutely feel this when switching from 700c and keeping the cog size and chain ring size the same, as I have done here. 

The smaller diameter wheel/tire combo effectively lowered the gain ratio on the Gravel Bus.

This will come in handy when conditions are worse, in hillier areas, or on really windy days when I want to use a single speed. It's kind of a round-a-bout way to change ratios without changing anything on the cog/chain/chain ring front. Plus, it looks like I could squeeze in some fenders. That might be nice in muckier, transitional weather. 

So, this will end up being the dedicated 650B wheel set and my matching 700c Irwin Aon GX 35 Carbon wheels will end up becoming the alternate wheel set for the Gravel Bus. This will bring the Project Gravel Bus to a close. I doubt I will be doing anything major, in as far as changes go, to this rig anytime soon.

Trans Iowa Stories; Social Media Effects

T.I.v2- No social media. GT in the rain coat. Jeff Kerkove in the blue coat. Image credit Unknown

"Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

Social media had a massive effect on Trans Iowa and my relationship with this facet of our current-day society, as it affected Trans Iowa, was a rocky one. That said, Trans Iowa spanned the time between eras. When we started in 2005 Twitter and Facebook weren't a thing. When we started, getting good, reliable cell phone coverage in Iowa was not a given. In fact, it was not possible. The main way people communicated socially then was via blogs and on chat forums and sites that hosted them.

This had the effect of making riders basically disappear for the duration of a Trans Iowa. It's pretty much unimaginable now. I mean, can you even consider riding any event without a GPS computer, a working cell phone, your pocket camera/cell phone camera, Strava, Facebook, or Twitter and Instagram? You would have had no choice to do it any other way than with none of those things in 2005/2006 at Trans Iowa.

Of course, some may remember that during T.I.v2 I did a "Trans Iowa Radio" , audio-post thing, mostly as a joke, and a way to entertain myself in the lonelier times. However; I was unaware that this was an important, first step in social media. Immediate, fresh information was gobbled up by folks hungry for instant gratification. I did not take the thing seriously at all, and for that I was roundly chastised afterword by folks related to riders and by riders themselves in some instances. 

With the change for T.I.v9 to having "Trans Iowa Radio" hosted by Mountain Bike Radio/Riding Gravel, the onus on myself to be the information conduit was taken away. So, although this opened the floodgates for more social media contact, which was not good in my opinion, it did get me off the hook in terms of expectations by outsiders to provide a 'play-by-play' info stream for Trans Iowa. But there was a lot of pressure to open up the event to being covered even more in terms of social media.  

This raised some big red flags in my mind, and the whole thing became a grind to try to control until there just was no point in it anymore. Every year after 2007, Trans Iowa became less and less of the event I wanted it to be from an experiential point of view for the riders.

 T.Iv14., Social media was fully entrenched into the event. Image by Celeste Mathias

Am I saying that these earlier Trans Iowa events were 'more pure'? No, I am saying they were more where I wanted to take Trans Iowa, but that was made impossible by the whims of the times and the effects of technology. Well, unless I took Draconian actions to rid the event of social media altogether. In my mind's eye, the whole social media thing waters down what Trans Iowa was supposed to be. That's a complicated story, and I may not ever really get around to telling that, to be honest. Not in a way that would satisfy me, and certainly not in a way that wouldn't ruffle some feathers, and in the end, who cares anymore? 

Trans Iowa was good, maybe even excellent, regardless. It obviously made an impact if I still am hearing about it two years post the last one I put on. I figured it would be a distant memory by this point in history. And maybe it will still get to be just that.....

I suppose telling you what I might do "IF" I ever did another Trans Iowa-like event might point out where I am at with regard to all the social media things. Okay, one thing for sure- It would not be like the Trans Iowa. This would be a fresh start. Given my perspective looking back and from what I have learned, I would make this new event even smaller. Riders would sign non-disclosure agreements. I would supply wired computers for all participants which would be calibrated and installed the evening before the event. I might have chip tracking, but it would be private, and only for my uses.  I would ban cell phones, GPS, and cameras. (Yes- really) AND the event would maybe be 40-50 people MAX. Probably less. No photographers. No film crews. Cues would be handed out at the start line, and when you finished- if you finished- there would be nothing. No handshake, just me tallying the results, and you'd go home.

That's the experience you cannot get anymore at any gravel event anywhere. Sounds stupid today, doesn't it? Think about what things were like in the last century. (If you are old enough to have memories reaching that far back) The experience was yours. It wasn't goaded on by social media or anything outside of yourself. (Well, maybe not - I have no idea what lurks inside of your head and soul) You would have awesome stories to share orally or to write down afterward. This started to go away during Trans Iowa's middle years when people had good enough cell service that they could call wives, mothers, brothers, boyfriends, and the like to get cheered up in the dank darkness of an Iowa rural night. It was when all the 'likes', the feedback from social media posts, started to play a role.

Social media inherently made a big difference, (I would argue that it made it easier and less meaningful), to some of the Trans Iowa participants, but most don't know anything different. How can you blame them? I don't. I just feel these folks got cheated out of something I did get to experience several times. To be honest, sometimes that pisses me off. Sometimes I am incredibly saddened by these thoughts. But that's my perspective and not anyone else may feel that way. I get that. But I'm trying to be honest about the social media thing here. That's how I feel, especially when it comes to Trans Iowa.

And again- I knew it was impossible to keep it out. I went along with a lot of the social media stuff because I knew that. That said, I'm free to say what I really think about these things now, because now it doesn't matter. Trans Iowa is done. How it all went down was probably as good as it could have been given the way I did things. And I'm okay with that. 

Next: Getting back to some stories about the ninth version of Trans Iowa.

Trans Iowa Stories; Social Media Effects

T.I.v2- No social media. GT in the rain coat. Jeff Kerkove in the blue coat. Image credit Unknown

"Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

Social media had a massive effect on Trans Iowa and my relationship with this facet of our current-day society, as it affected Trans Iowa, was a rocky one. That said, Trans Iowa spanned the time between eras. When we started in 2005 Twitter and Facebook weren't a thing. When we started, getting good, reliable cell phone coverage in Iowa was not a given. In fact, it was not possible. The main way people communicated socially then was via blogs and on chat forums and sites that hosted them.

This had the effect of making riders basically disappear for the duration of a Trans Iowa. It's pretty much unimaginable now. I mean, can you even consider riding any event without a GPS computer, a working cell phone, your pocket camera/cell phone camera, Strava, Facebook, or Twitter and Instagram? You would have had no choice to do it any other way than with none of those things in 2005/2006 at Trans Iowa.

Of course, some may remember that during T.I.v2 I did a "Trans Iowa Radio" , audio-post thing, mostly as a joke, and a way to entertain myself in the lonelier times. However; I was unaware that this was an important, first step in social media. Immediate, fresh information was gobbled up by folks hungry for instant gratification. I did not take the thing seriously at all, and for that I was roundly chastised afterword by folks related to riders and by riders themselves in some instances. 

With the change for T.I.v9 to having "Trans Iowa Radio" hosted by Mountain Bike Radio/Riding Gravel, the onus on myself to be the information conduit was taken away. So, although this opened the floodgates for more social media contact, which was not good in my opinion, it did get me off the hook in terms of expectations by outsiders to provide a 'play-by-play' info stream for Trans Iowa. But there was a lot of pressure to open up the event to being covered even more in terms of social media.  

This raised some big red flags in my mind, and the whole thing became a grind to try to control until there just was no point in it anymore. Every year after 2007, Trans Iowa became less and less of the event I wanted it to be from an experiential point of view for the riders.

 T.Iv14., Social media was fully entrenched into the event. Image by Celeste Mathias

Am I saying that these earlier Trans Iowa events were 'more pure'? No, I am saying they were more where I wanted to take Trans Iowa, but that was made impossible by the whims of the times and the effects of technology. Well, unless I took Draconian actions to rid the event of social media altogether. In my mind's eye, the whole social media thing waters down what Trans Iowa was supposed to be. That's a complicated story, and I may not ever really get around to telling that, to be honest. Not in a way that would satisfy me, and certainly not in a way that wouldn't ruffle some feathers, and in the end, who cares anymore? 

Trans Iowa was good, maybe even excellent, regardless. It obviously made an impact if I still am hearing about it two years post the last one I put on. I figured it would be a distant memory by this point in history. And maybe it will still get to be just that.....

I suppose telling you what I might do "IF" I ever did another Trans Iowa-like event might point out where I am at with regard to all the social media things. Okay, one thing for sure- It would not be like the Trans Iowa. This would be a fresh start. Given my perspective looking back and from what I have learned, I would make this new event even smaller. Riders would sign non-disclosure agreements. I would supply wired computers for all participants which would be calibrated and installed the evening before the event. I might have chip tracking, but it would be private, and only for my uses.  I would ban cell phones, GPS, and cameras. (Yes- really) AND the event would maybe be 40-50 people MAX. Probably less. No photographers. No film crews. Cues would be handed out at the start line, and when you finished- if you finished- there would be nothing. No handshake, just me tallying the results, and you'd go home.

That's the experience you cannot get anymore at any gravel event anywhere. Sounds stupid today, doesn't it? Think about what things were like in the last century. (If you are old enough to have memories reaching that far back) The experience was yours. It wasn't goaded on by social media or anything outside of yourself. (Well, maybe not - I have no idea what lurks inside of your head and soul) You would have awesome stories to share orally or to write down afterward. This started to go away during Trans Iowa's middle years when people had good enough cell service that they could call wives, mothers, brothers, boyfriends, and the like to get cheered up in the dank darkness of an Iowa rural night. It was when all the 'likes', the feedback from social media posts, started to play a role.

Social media inherently made a big difference, (I would argue that it made it easier and less meaningful), to some of the Trans Iowa participants, but most don't know anything different. How can you blame them? I don't. I just feel these folks got cheated out of something I did get to experience several times. To be honest, sometimes that pisses me off. Sometimes I am incredibly saddened by these thoughts. But that's my perspective and not anyone else may feel that way. I get that. But I'm trying to be honest about the social media thing here. That's how I feel, especially when it comes to Trans Iowa.

And again- I knew it was impossible to keep it out. I went along with a lot of the social media stuff because I knew that. That said, I'm free to say what I really think about these things now, because now it doesn't matter. Trans Iowa is done. How it all went down was probably as good as it could have been given the way I did things. And I'm okay with that. 

Next: Getting back to some stories about the ninth version of Trans Iowa.

Should We Or Shouldn't We?

As the year of 2020 slowly trudges toward its inevitable conclusion, we are now running into the Fall where many events that should have already happened have been postponed to. The plumb of all of these must surely be the Tour de France, set to take place mostly in the beginning weeks of September this year. Starting August 28th, this pinnacle of cycling racing is an event- like it or not- which sets the tone for much of what follows behind it in the cycling world. 

Obviously things will necessarily need to be quite a bit different this year. A hint of what it takes to put on such an event was given when the Colorado Classic released details on its protocols that it was to have enacted for its now cancelled event, as I reported on in this FN&V post. A really blunt take on where the TdF sits within current events was recently published here on "Cyclingtips" website which echos much of what was to be at the Colorado Classic. 

The question, "should the event start?", is not just a question for the Tour de France, or the now cancelled Colorado Classic, but this is the question on every event promoter's mind coming into Fall, Winter, and even into next year. Where will we be sitting in regard to COVID-19? Will there be a 'second wave', as it appears there will be in France? Does any event with larger numbers of people planned for participation need to have the same, or similar protocols to what the TdF has? How do you balance all of this against health concerns, economic concerns, and public perceptions? 

Whew! Those are balls that no one wants to juggle with. Will the outcome be a positive or a negative? In my opinion, the Tour this year will be a sort of 'proving grounds'. If this spectacle, which stands to make a LOT of money for a lot of people, can go off with little to no COVID impacts, then I think you see bigger events take note and encouragement from that. However; if the microscope of attention focused upon the Tour sees one crack to exploit concerning this pandemic, you can be sure that the condemnation for any failures will be swift and far reaching. This, in my opinion again, will affect following events to a great extent. 

Should the event even start? Pfffft! It'll be easy to say after the fact. Place your bets now though, and this becomes a sort of gamble. A gamble that may have some dark consequences. In light of that, the prudent person might answer, "No. The TdF should not start." Those with the view that traditions should be upheld, those with a view that  human beings being social creatures, need this sort of thing,  and those who find economic ruin too great an expense for something that needs to not be feared? Well, they may look at this quite differently. And this is really a microcosm of the World's predicament concerning COVID-19, isn't it? The results of running the TdF then might actually have far reaching consequences. 

This isn't an experiment I'd want to conduct, but he we go..........

Should We Or Shouldn't We?

As the year of 2020 slowly trudges toward its inevitable conclusion, we are now running into the Fall where many events that should have already happened have been postponed to. The plumb of all of these must surely be the Tour de France, set to take place mostly in the beginning weeks of September this year. Starting August 28th, this pinnacle of cycling racing is an event- like it or not- which sets the tone for much of what follows behind it in the cycling world. 

Obviously things will necessarily need to be quite a bit different this year. A hint of what it takes to put on such an event was given when the Colorado Classic released details on its protocols that it was to have enacted for its now cancelled event, as I reported on in this FN&V post. A really blunt take on where the TdF sits within current events was recently published here on "Cyclingtips" website which echos much of what was to be at the Colorado Classic. 

The question, "should the event start?", is not just a question for the Tour de France, or the now cancelled Colorado Classic, but this is the question on every event promoter's mind coming into Fall, Winter, and even into next year. Where will we be sitting in regard to COVID-19? Will there be a 'second wave', as it appears there will be in France? Does any event with larger numbers of people planned for participation need to have the same, or similar protocols to what the TdF has? How do you balance all of this against health concerns, economic concerns, and public perceptions? 

Whew! Those are balls that no one wants to juggle with. Will the outcome be a positive or a negative? In my opinion, the Tour this year will be a sort of 'proving grounds'. If this spectacle, which stands to make a LOT of money for a lot of people, can go off with little to no COVID impacts, then I think you see bigger events take note and encouragement from that. However; if the microscope of attention focused upon the Tour sees one crack to exploit concerning this pandemic, you can be sure that the condemnation for any failures will be swift and far reaching. This, in my opinion again, will affect following events to a great extent. 

Should the event even start? Pfffft! It'll be easy to say after the fact. Place your bets now though, and this becomes a sort of gamble. A gamble that may have some dark consequences. In light of that, the prudent person might answer, "No. The TdF should not start." Those with the view that traditions should be upheld, those with a view that  human beings being social creatures, need this sort of thing,  and those who find economic ruin too great an expense for something that needs to not be feared? Well, they may look at this quite differently. And this is really a microcosm of the World's predicament concerning COVID-19, isn't it? The results of running the TdF then might actually have far reaching consequences. 

This isn't an experiment I'd want to conduct, but he we go..........

Friday News And Views

 

Campagnolo Files Patent For 13spd:

It was revealed on Wednesday that in an online article by "Cyclingtips" that Campagnolo has filed for patents on a 13 speed cassette. Rumors have been flying since June when Shimano released a new Shamal wheel set that is featuring a new free hub body which is backward compatible with SRAM XDR, Shimano MicroSpline, and current and older Campy free hub bodies. Wording in the documents lead one to believe that a rumored gravel group set with 13 speeds dubbed "Ekar" is all but a formality now. 

Pricing and finer details are obviously unknowns as of now as is whether or not this will be a 1X group set. Commenters on the article I looked at seem to think that it will be 1X and that it will be priced between Record and Chorus. 

Others claim it will also have a 2X option as well. Obviously, derailleurs would necessarily need to be new and shifters as well. The wheels already out show how the patent filings on the cassette would integrate. The free hub body is shortened to allow for the planned 10 and 9 tooth cogs on these cassettes to overhang outboard of the free hub body. 

Comments: Companies keep trying to reach a wider range of gearing without using triple crank sets, which seems........really dumb. This tells me that modernized electronic and mechanical patents on front derailleurs must be tied up by Shimano, not allowing for development of modern triples. Either that or we are in a phase of design which almost completely ignores the efficiencies of straighter chain lines. 

Think I'm way off? SRAM had a wacky 'morphing-sized' chain ring idea that they filed patents for several years back, which to my mind was also an end-around to bypass Shimano's stranglehold on patents for front derailleurs. Shimano has also deleted triples from their higher end groups, yes, but at some point I think this 1X madness ends and close ratio cassettes with multiple front ring crank sets becomes a thing again- at least for adventure bikes- which tend to not have the complexities of full suspension mountain bikes. 

Ritchey Design Debuts The Beacon Bar:

The flared drop bar market has gone bonkers. Fifteen years ago there weren't any to be had besides the pioneering "Midge Bar" from On One. Then it took almost ten years to get a halfway decent selection going. Now, within the last five years, the flared drop bar market has so many choices, it is nigh unto impossible to turn around in a bike shop and not get snagged in the shorts by one of these hooked rascals. 

Also, as you longtime readers know, I have been a fan of the long-gone-but-not-fogotten Luxy Bar. The bar with the radical sweep in the extensions and plenty of flare all mated to a minimal drop. Well, no one has ever really made a decent Luxy clone, but now we have something close. The Beacon Bar from Ritchey Design. 

This bar, as I say, comes close, but it lacks the straight, 1 1/8th" diameter tops which are integral to theLuxy's design. The Beacon Bar, (why do I see this as 'Bacon Bar'?), has swept back tops, which, I suppose, is fine, but the outer diameter tapers from the center portion, and does not remain a constant diameter to the ramps. It also lacks the outrageous sweep in the extensions which is something I like about the Luxy. 

NOTE: Confused about drop bar terminology? See this post. 

The Bacon.....er, excuse me- The Beacon Bar, has the great minimalist drop and backward length on the extensions though, and the curve, or radius, of the drops is pretty spot-on, from my view anyway. A hundy gets you some. Sounds like a winner to me. 

DK and Kaw Nation Part Ways: 

The seemingly never-ending saga which is the end of the Dirty Kanza name had, what is hoped to become, its final chapter written this past week. In an email sent out by the (now temporarily named "DK") event promotions team, it was revealed that there was yet another meeting between the four current event promoters and members of the Kaw Nation's Tribal Council. The meeting resulted in the parting of ways between the two entities with the Kaw nation saying in a statement that, "We respectfully asked that the name be changed to dissolve the connection to our people, the Kanza.

Furthermore, the promotions team said that through reaching out to various riders, brands, the businesses and government of Emporia, and others that they are "very close" to re-branding the event. Apparently an icon and a color palette have already been approved.  

The team tasked with the rebrand has stated that it is very difficult to reconcile the past history and equity built up with the old name and event with whatever they come up with. I would say that I would agree. And furthermore; I might advise them to not even try. Why not?

Easy- The cultural quagmire, which is still being stirred up by certain self-imposed 'influencers' will not let this go away. That said, it will be a lot easier to make a new, fresh start and not have any ties backward to what the old event was. Does this mean changing the format? Maybe. In terms of inclusion and equity, they probably have to do that. More importantly, in my opinion, is that whatever this becomes, it closes the door on the old history and never really does anything- good, bad, or in denial of it - for the future. Apologize to the Kaw Nation? Probably not a bad idea. 

But like I said a week or so back- this is a brand new event. Or, at least, it should be. This is an event, with its new owner and new promotions team, which is trying to save the economic impacts and demand it had from riders. That's definitely understandable- but it should not ever be connected to the "Dirty Kanza 200" in a way that is directly comparable in the future, just because that is an open invitation for the wound to never be healed, in my view. 

Can it ever be the impactful, iconic event it became under Jim Cummings? Maybe. Give it time. I don't think it is wise to try to make it so immediately, or to think it will happen soon. COVID-19 may still have some say in this as well. But that said, done right this could be bigger and better. Time will tell.........

That's it for this week folks. Summer is on the run! get out and enjoy it while you can!