Grey Matter

<===Titanium Inbred 29"er prototype. Coming soon to a trail near you.

I spend a lot of time scouring the inner-web-o-sphere for all the latest in 29"er stuff, so I've been noticing a marked uptick in titanium offerings. In some ways, I find it rather odd.

First off, these rigs all seem to be appearing at a time when the economy would seem to indicate that it's not the right time. You probably realize that titanium is a spendy frame material, (the Inbred here is rumored to be coming in at $1850.00 just for what you see there) With costs of living on the rise, a titanium frame introduction seems a bit more iffy right about now. Yet that doesn't seem to be stemming the flow of new frame offerings in the grayish metal one bit. I can think of at least four companies right off the top of my head......whoops! Make that five! ,......that have introduced, or announced plans for a new titanium frame in the last six months.

Then there is the "green" factor, which I haven't seen brought up in regards to titanium. With all of today's concerns about the environment, I am reminded of how enviromentally unfriendly refining titanium is. Titanium doesn't exist in nature as an element on it's own. It is intermingled with other elements that have to be refined out of the titanium using vast amounts of energy and some pretty nasty chemicals. Not the sort of backround any "greenies" would be proud of, I would think. But to be fair, steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber are no real gems in that regard either. Perhaps Calfee has it right and we should all be riding bamboo rigs, eh?

There are those, who over the course of the years, have touted certain "benefits" of titanium that I find amusing too. Like it's resistance to corrosion. Okay, fine. It resists corrosion. But how many of you out there have ridden the same steel bike that has rusted out from underneath you? Not many, I'm sure. Then you have to wonder, what about aluminum? Yeah, yeah....fatigue life, blah blah..... Again, I don't see mass evidence of aluminum frames breaking that would scare me into buying a titanium frame. At least not to the degree that it would overcome the cost barrier. Then you have the "it's the last frame you'll ever buy" arguement. Yeah...........right! Bikes are like Pringles, you can't just buy one!

Well, however it may be, we are going to be seeing a lot of new titanium bikes rolling out soon. And to be perfectly honest, some of them are just plain hot! I love the looks of some of these new rigs, and titanium is a great riding material. If you ever get a chance to ride one of the gray metal steeds, do it. You'll be amazed. Would I own one? You bet! And it may be sooner than later!

Grey Matter

<===Titanium Inbred 29"er prototype. Coming soon to a trail near you.

I spend a lot of time scouring the inner-web-o-sphere for all the latest in 29"er stuff, so I've been noticing a marked uptick in titanium offerings. In some ways, I find it rather odd.

First off, these rigs all seem to be appearing at a time when the economy would seem to indicate that it's not the right time. You probably realize that titanium is a spendy frame material, (the Inbred here is rumored to be coming in at $1850.00 just for what you see there) With costs of living on the rise, a titanium frame introduction seems a bit more iffy right about now. Yet that doesn't seem to be stemming the flow of new frame offerings in the grayish metal one bit. I can think of at least four companies right off the top of my head......whoops! Make that five! ,......that have introduced, or announced plans for a new titanium frame in the last six months.

Then there is the "green" factor, which I haven't seen brought up in regards to titanium. With all of today's concerns about the environment, I am reminded of how enviromentally unfriendly refining titanium is. Titanium doesn't exist in nature as an element on it's own. It is intermingled with other elements that have to be refined out of the titanium using vast amounts of energy and some pretty nasty chemicals. Not the sort of backround any "greenies" would be proud of, I would think. But to be fair, steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber are no real gems in that regard either. Perhaps Calfee has it right and we should all be riding bamboo rigs, eh?

There are those, who over the course of the years, have touted certain "benefits" of titanium that I find amusing too. Like it's resistance to corrosion. Okay, fine. It resists corrosion. But how many of you out there have ridden the same steel bike that has rusted out from underneath you? Not many, I'm sure. Then you have to wonder, what about aluminum? Yeah, yeah....fatigue life, blah blah..... Again, I don't see mass evidence of aluminum frames breaking that would scare me into buying a titanium frame. At least not to the degree that it would overcome the cost barrier. Then you have the "it's the last frame you'll ever buy" arguement. Yeah...........right! Bikes are like Pringles, you can't just buy one!

Well, however it may be, we are going to be seeing a lot of new titanium bikes rolling out soon. And to be perfectly honest, some of them are just plain hot! I love the looks of some of these new rigs, and titanium is a great riding material. If you ever get a chance to ride one of the gray metal steeds, do it. You'll be amazed. Would I own one? You bet! And it may be sooner than later!

Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2008

The Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2008

What: A long gravel road group ride for fun. Nobody gets left behind.

Who: For anyone that loves to ride gravel, loves a challenge, and likes to have fun.

Where: In and around the North East Iowa communities of West Union, Strawberry Point, Elkader, and Elgin Iowa, with a few smaller burgs thrown in.

When: Saturday, July 19th, 2008 We'll probably start sometime early morning, just after sunup till sundown or just after, who knows?!!

The Commentary: The GTDRI is nothing to fear, it's just a fun, yet challenging ride that anybody can come and try. The approximate distance of this years trek will be about 115 miles. Here's a look at the proposed route: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ia/west-union/787324184315 You can expect lots of hills! I figured this route on another program that indicates total climbing and it shows around 6,000 plus feet overall. That's only a guesstimate though. The point is, there will be lots and lots of hills. Part of the course will take in sections of the T.I.V4 route, (including the dreaded Dove Road section) and some of it will be totally new course. Keep in mind that I have used parts of former GTDRI courses on Trans Iowa routes. (hint-hint!)

Typical modus operandi is as follows: Get up at dark-thirty, gather for a pre-event breakfast, or not. (More on that in a minute) Get riding by first light. Take an easy pace, yet keep moving as much as possible. There will be breaks to keep the group together. Stop somewhere for lunch. Continue onwards until the finish. Maybe a group supper, maybe everyone will go home, and maybe everyone will just want a cold beer! Who knows? Find out and join the fun.

Things to seriously consider: While GTDRI is a group ride that "leaves no one behind", you are still responsible for you! It is a self supported ride, so be aware that none of us are going to bail you out in the boonies. Ya gotta ride out yerself, or have a "Plan B" for getting picked up if you can't make it. Bring plenty of water, energy food, anti-cramp remedies, whiskey, or silver bullets to bite on in case of pain! Bring money, you'll need it! A cell phone wouldn't hurt either. There will be cue sheets, so if you fall off the back, or feel adventurous and racy, you can self navigate it, but most prefer the group mentality and follow the leaders.

You had better be in some semblance of riding condition since this course will be brutal. We've been known to slog it through storms, heat, and wind. We've also finished well after dark before too, so think about bringing a light. Oh! Yeah.......there will be B roads too!



Time for a Survey! This is where I'm going to ask you to comment using the comment link at the top of this post. I am considering where to start along the loop. There are two choices. Each choice has motel accomodations or camping options nearby in State Parks equipped with all the facilities. The difference being that one option has a great breakfast joint, the other......ah.......not-so-much! The decision will be left in your hands. Wanna eat before the ride with all the crazies on board for GTDRI? Then Option #1: Strawberry Point is your choice. Don't really care about getting together for a pre-event breakfast because you would rather just get on with the ride? Then Option #2: West Union is your choice. Please indicate whether you want Option #1 or Option #2 by commenting. I'll go with the majority.

Hopefully I can get a new, updated look on the GTDRI site soon and I'll strt posting news there. Stay tuned and I hope to see you on the GTDRI this coming July! Note: New site graphics by Mr. 24 are up! Check it out on the link ^ ^ ^

Not Interested? Well, for those of you that can not come to GTDRI or are just not interested, here's a bit about 29"ers that I did from Sea Otter that was posted by Rich Kelly of Interbike Times. Not often that I do interviews, so this is a rare look at Guitar Ted in action. Enjoy! (Note: Rich got the title a bit wrong- "Gutar Ted on What's New in 29'ers". That'd be an awfully big wheel!)

http://www.interbiketimes.com/2008/04/23/sea-otter-video-guitar-ted-on-the-latest-from-29er-land/

Thanks to Rich Kelly for taking the time to interview me and post this.

Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2008

The Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2008

What: A long gravel road group ride for fun. Nobody gets left behind.

Who: For anyone that loves to ride gravel, loves a challenge, and likes to have fun.

Where: In and around the North East Iowa communities of West Union, Strawberry Point, Elkader, and Elgin Iowa, with a few smaller burgs thrown in.

When: Saturday, July 19th, 2008 We'll probably start sometime early morning, just after sunup till sundown or just after, who knows?!!

The Commentary: The GTDRI is nothing to fear, it's just a fun, yet challenging ride that anybody can come and try. The approximate distance of this years trek will be about 115 miles. Here's a look at the proposed route: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ia/west-union/787324184315 You can expect lots of hills! I figured this route on another program that indicates total climbing and it shows around 6,000 plus feet overall. That's only a guesstimate though. The point is, there will be lots and lots of hills. Part of the course will take in sections of the T.I.V4 route, (including the dreaded Dove Road section) and some of it will be totally new course. Keep in mind that I have used parts of former GTDRI courses on Trans Iowa routes. (hint-hint!)

Typical modus operandi is as follows: Get up at dark-thirty, gather for a pre-event breakfast, or not. (More on that in a minute) Get riding by first light. Take an easy pace, yet keep moving as much as possible. There will be breaks to keep the group together. Stop somewhere for lunch. Continue onwards until the finish. Maybe a group supper, maybe everyone will go home, and maybe everyone will just want a cold beer! Who knows? Find out and join the fun.

Things to seriously consider: While GTDRI is a group ride that "leaves no one behind", you are still responsible for you! It is a self supported ride, so be aware that none of us are going to bail you out in the boonies. Ya gotta ride out yerself, or have a "Plan B" for getting picked up if you can't make it. Bring plenty of water, energy food, anti-cramp remedies, whiskey, or silver bullets to bite on in case of pain! Bring money, you'll need it! A cell phone wouldn't hurt either. There will be cue sheets, so if you fall off the back, or feel adventurous and racy, you can self navigate it, but most prefer the group mentality and follow the leaders.

You had better be in some semblance of riding condition since this course will be brutal. We've been known to slog it through storms, heat, and wind. We've also finished well after dark before too, so think about bringing a light. Oh! Yeah.......there will be B roads too!



Time for a Survey! This is where I'm going to ask you to comment using the comment link at the top of this post. I am considering where to start along the loop. There are two choices. Each choice has motel accomodations or camping options nearby in State Parks equipped with all the facilities. The difference being that one option has a great breakfast joint, the other......ah.......not-so-much! The decision will be left in your hands. Wanna eat before the ride with all the crazies on board for GTDRI? Then Option #1: Strawberry Point is your choice. Don't really care about getting together for a pre-event breakfast because you would rather just get on with the ride? Then Option #2: West Union is your choice. Please indicate whether you want Option #1 or Option #2 by commenting. I'll go with the majority.

Hopefully I can get a new, updated look on the GTDRI site soon and I'll strt posting news there. Stay tuned and I hope to see you on the GTDRI this coming July! Note: New site graphics by Mr. 24 are up! Check it out on the link ^ ^ ^

Not Interested? Well, for those of you that can not come to GTDRI or are just not interested, here's a bit about 29"ers that I did from Sea Otter that was posted by Rich Kelly of Interbike Times. Not often that I do interviews, so this is a rare look at Guitar Ted in action. Enjoy! (Note: Rich got the title a bit wrong- "Gutar Ted on What's New in 29'ers". That'd be an awfully big wheel!)

http://www.interbiketimes.com/2008/04/23/sea-otter-video-guitar-ted-on-the-latest-from-29er-land/

Thanks to Rich Kelly for taking the time to interview me and post this.

Mud, Damage, and Flower Power

<===Hi Fi Deluxe in the fast growing jungle.

This weekend was going to be a tough one to squeeze a ride in because of Mrs. Guitar Ted's being on call at the hospital and Mother's Day. I figured I was pretty blessed to get an hour and a half of mountain biking in, ya know?

Anyway, it rained here again overnight on Saturday, so the trails were slop in more places than last week. Soupy sections were everywhere and after riding through, I examined them and I couldn't even tell I'd been through some of them. The slop just re-formed into one contiguous mass again after my passing. Weird! While it's not cool to do trail damage, this trail can't really be damaged in spots by riding it wet. It's kind of the nature of a riverside trail in these parts. That's not to say that the trails there can't be damaged though. There were parts I refused to ride because of this.

One newer "development" I hadn't been aware of is a new housing section at the "back end" of Ulrich (locals will know this park) that you will find if you cross over the creek and ride that little section. At the outermost curve of that trail there is signage for "Private Property". Umm......okay, you signed a ten foot section of trail that is overgrown with trees and underbrush. I suppose it's okay and the "right thing" not to encroach on someone's property, so I rode back thinking maybe I ought to re-route that section.

Well, with development comes other problems. Like kids on ATV's. Yeah, I found a section in the park proper where there had been ATV's ridden straight up the fall line from the creek to the main hiking trail and, I suppose, out onto the park road. (Although the ground is so firm on the hiking trail you can't see evidence of the ATV's passing) So, this sweet little downhill section that had never eroded before is now getting ravaged by the recent rains. The underbrush has actually been cut back widening the trail by about three feet. The section where the singletrack used to curve away from the hiking trail has been blocked off and a new cut through to the hiking trail has been made there. Nice! Now I don't feel quite so bad about riding ten feet of private property on singletrack leaving no evidence but the footprints of my Conti Mountain Kings.

Anyway, it chaps my hide even more because I'm the guy that put that trail in there in the first place. (With the help of Mr. 24, oddly enough)


<===At least I found some new flowers to help forget the scars.

I continued on my ride, with a couple grinds up to the county blacktop and back for some extended climbing action, and found some new flowers blooming in the underbrush. I figured I'd bag as many flower shots as I can this year and see what I get. The flowers are just getting going out there, so not much to find yet. The Bluebells were on last weekend, but are already going away. Now it's these little yellow guys turn. They looked like stars in the underbrush as I wheeled on by.

Tomorrow I'm making an announcement on the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational so stay tuned!

Mud, Damage, and Flower Power

<===Hi Fi Deluxe in the fast growing jungle.

This weekend was going to be a tough one to squeeze a ride in because of Mrs. Guitar Ted's being on call at the hospital and Mother's Day. I figured I was pretty blessed to get an hour and a half of mountain biking in, ya know?

Anyway, it rained here again overnight on Saturday, so the trails were slop in more places than last week. Soupy sections were everywhere and after riding through, I examined them and I couldn't even tell I'd been through some of them. The slop just re-formed into one contiguous mass again after my passing. Weird! While it's not cool to do trail damage, this trail can't really be damaged in spots by riding it wet. It's kind of the nature of a riverside trail in these parts. That's not to say that the trails there can't be damaged though. There were parts I refused to ride because of this.

One newer "development" I hadn't been aware of is a new housing section at the "back end" of Ulrich (locals will know this park) that you will find if you cross over the creek and ride that little section. At the outermost curve of that trail there is signage for "Private Property". Umm......okay, you signed a ten foot section of trail that is overgrown with trees and underbrush. I suppose it's okay and the "right thing" not to encroach on someone's property, so I rode back thinking maybe I ought to re-route that section.

Well, with development comes other problems. Like kids on ATV's. Yeah, I found a section in the park proper where there had been ATV's ridden straight up the fall line from the creek to the main hiking trail and, I suppose, out onto the park road. (Although the ground is so firm on the hiking trail you can't see evidence of the ATV's passing) So, this sweet little downhill section that had never eroded before is now getting ravaged by the recent rains. The underbrush has actually been cut back widening the trail by about three feet. The section where the singletrack used to curve away from the hiking trail has been blocked off and a new cut through to the hiking trail has been made there. Nice! Now I don't feel quite so bad about riding ten feet of private property on singletrack leaving no evidence but the footprints of my Conti Mountain Kings.

Anyway, it chaps my hide even more because I'm the guy that put that trail in there in the first place. (With the help of Mr. 24, oddly enough)


<===At least I found some new flowers to help forget the scars.

I continued on my ride, with a couple grinds up to the county blacktop and back for some extended climbing action, and found some new flowers blooming in the underbrush. I figured I'd bag as many flower shots as I can this year and see what I get. The flowers are just getting going out there, so not much to find yet. The Bluebells were on last weekend, but are already going away. Now it's these little yellow guys turn. They looked like stars in the underbrush as I wheeled on by.

Tomorrow I'm making an announcement on the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational so stay tuned!

Put A Helmet On It Soldier!

<===Handmade from Lincoln, NE with love...

I haven't even gotten this yet, but I'm excited. It's a long story, and I'll spare the details. I'll just say that when you have a large melon like I do, getting something to adorn it is a challenge.

That's where Snappy Caps comes in. I sent off an e-mail recently to Susan, the Snappy Caps seamtress, and told her about my dilemma. She responded that she could indeed accomodate me and make a custom cap to fit.

Okay, I got excited. I gave her some measurements, the green light, and now this gem is about to be delivered into my grubby little hands. This is going to be cool.

I'll be posting some shots soon as I get it. Thanks to Snappy Caps for the speedy and special service!

Put A Helmet On It Soldier!

<===Handmade from Lincoln, NE with love...

I haven't even gotten this yet, but I'm excited. It's a long story, and I'll spare the details. I'll just say that when you have a large melon like I do, getting something to adorn it is a challenge.

That's where Snappy Caps comes in. I sent off an e-mail recently to Susan, the Snappy Caps seamtress, and told her about my dilemma. She responded that she could indeed accomodate me and make a custom cap to fit.

Okay, I got excited. I gave her some measurements, the green light, and now this gem is about to be delivered into my grubby little hands. This is going to be cool.

I'll be posting some shots soon as I get it. Thanks to Snappy Caps for the speedy and special service!

Friday News And Views

<===New BBB brand grips and bar ends. Rather "Ergon-like" (photo: Captain Bob)

New Product News: Captain Bob and I are going to be testing some BBB products on our rigs this summer. BBB is a very well known cycling components company in Europe. One of the first things we'll be checking out are these ergonomic grips and integrated bar ends. I'll be posting our thoughts here and in more detail on The Bike Lab. We also have some ceramic bearing derailluer jockey wheels and a trail bell to check out which I will post about later.

Will It Rain? : The forecast for our local area isn't looking the greatest. I am still hoping to get out to test a few things here later in the weekend and perhaps do a night run on the Dirty Kanza set up to test lights and how they will function for navigation needs. Otherwise I'll be futzing down in "the lab" with my bikes since Mrs. Guitar Ted is on call this weekend!

Secret Project Revisted: Hadn't ridden the Badger in a while, so I pulled it out and did my commute to work on it yesterday. It was one of the two Secret Project Bikes from last year. (the other was the Pofahl SS) Man! Having your measurements taken and having a good builder construct a frame using those measurements can not be over rated! I get on that Badger and it's as if I have been on that bike all my life. Super comfortable. If you can find the money and a reputable builder, I'd say go for it. The fit is well worth it, especially if you've always had trouble with "stock" frames. (I'm kind of a "tweener" size-wise)

Get out and ride this weekend!

Friday News And Views

<===New BBB brand grips and bar ends. Rather "Ergon-like" (photo: Captain Bob)

New Product News: Captain Bob and I are going to be testing some BBB products on our rigs this summer. BBB is a very well known cycling components company in Europe. One of the first things we'll be checking out are these ergonomic grips and integrated bar ends. I'll be posting our thoughts here and in more detail on The Bike Lab. We also have some ceramic bearing derailluer jockey wheels and a trail bell to check out which I will post about later.

Will It Rain? : The forecast for our local area isn't looking the greatest. I am still hoping to get out to test a few things here later in the weekend and perhaps do a night run on the Dirty Kanza set up to test lights and how they will function for navigation needs. Otherwise I'll be futzing down in "the lab" with my bikes since Mrs. Guitar Ted is on call this weekend!

Secret Project Revisted: Hadn't ridden the Badger in a while, so I pulled it out and did my commute to work on it yesterday. It was one of the two Secret Project Bikes from last year. (the other was the Pofahl SS) Man! Having your measurements taken and having a good builder construct a frame using those measurements can not be over rated! I get on that Badger and it's as if I have been on that bike all my life. Super comfortable. If you can find the money and a reputable builder, I'd say go for it. The fit is well worth it, especially if you've always had trouble with "stock" frames. (I'm kind of a "tweener" size-wise)

Get out and ride this weekend!

Wrenching, Prepping, and Other Goings On

<====My ride with Matt Gersib earlier in April roached my freewheel!

I've been up to a lot of wrenching not only at work, but at home too. Getting all the testing arranged for parts and bikes. Swapping wheels, tires, and components. I'm only about halfway through the process!

One of the more frustrating things happened the other day when I pulled apart the freewheel that had frozen up as a result of my ride with Matt Gersib in mid April. The freewheel has six pawls and six springs inside which all can be removed. Well, one of the springs decided to take a flyer on me and dove into the parts washer at work. This parts washer has about six inches of nasty fluid in it with another inch and a half of dirty filthy silt at the bottom. As you can probably guess, I haven't ben able to come up with the spring yet!

There have been a lot of positives though. I got two bikes that were non-functional up and running last night, including the one with the frozen up freewheel. I swapped out wheelsets and swapped out gears on one and just wheel sets/tires on another with a saddle/seat post (or chair/chair post- right mw? Heh heh!) for good measure.



<===Tire testing requires setting up the product and choosing a bike suitable to the tire in question. Which bike will this end up on? Stay tuned!

I also made a chart of all the tires/wheels that I have to better co-ordinate the testing procedures and make sure I don't let anything slip through the cracks. I've got everything squared away now, so I should be ready when the weekend comes to start riding some stuff.

In other news around here, Captain Bob, (who is taking a short hiatus from blogging to ride) left me this link to some Trans Iowa pictures. There will be more coming, as Captain Bob isn't quite half way through his stash and my meager offerings yet. Thanks to Captain Bob for doing this! Some of the photos from T.I.V4 are pretty cool and amazing. I especially like that Captain Bob got not just the riders, but the roads, the skies, and some of the sights along the route. It gives you a teeny-weeny taste of what Trans Iowa is about, but a good one.

So, look for more T.I.V4 photos there and more reports on testing here, on Twenty Nine Inches, and on The Bike Lab real soon. I'll be busy, Captain Bob will be busy, and riding bicycles in the woods and on gravel roads will be getting done real soon here. Should be lots of fun!

Wrenching, Prepping, and Other Goings On

<====My ride with Matt Gersib earlier in April roached my freewheel!

I've been up to a lot of wrenching not only at work, but at home too. Getting all the testing arranged for parts and bikes. Swapping wheels, tires, and components. I'm only about halfway through the process!

One of the more frustrating things happened the other day when I pulled apart the freewheel that had frozen up as a result of my ride with Matt Gersib in mid April. The freewheel has six pawls and six springs inside which all can be removed. Well, one of the springs decided to take a flyer on me and dove into the parts washer at work. This parts washer has about six inches of nasty fluid in it with another inch and a half of dirty filthy silt at the bottom. As you can probably guess, I haven't ben able to come up with the spring yet!

There have been a lot of positives though. I got two bikes that were non-functional up and running last night, including the one with the frozen up freewheel. I swapped out wheelsets and swapped out gears on one and just wheel sets/tires on another with a saddle/seat post (or chair/chair post- right mw? Heh heh!) for good measure.



<===Tire testing requires setting up the product and choosing a bike suitable to the tire in question. Which bike will this end up on? Stay tuned!

I also made a chart of all the tires/wheels that I have to better co-ordinate the testing procedures and make sure I don't let anything slip through the cracks. I've got everything squared away now, so I should be ready when the weekend comes to start riding some stuff.

In other news around here, Captain Bob, (who is taking a short hiatus from blogging to ride) left me this link to some Trans Iowa pictures. There will be more coming, as Captain Bob isn't quite half way through his stash and my meager offerings yet. Thanks to Captain Bob for doing this! Some of the photos from T.I.V4 are pretty cool and amazing. I especially like that Captain Bob got not just the riders, but the roads, the skies, and some of the sights along the route. It gives you a teeny-weeny taste of what Trans Iowa is about, but a good one.

So, look for more T.I.V4 photos there and more reports on testing here, on Twenty Nine Inches, and on The Bike Lab real soon. I'll be busy, Captain Bob will be busy, and riding bicycles in the woods and on gravel roads will be getting done real soon here. Should be lots of fun!

One Step Forward, Two Back

<===Shimano formally introduced it's first 29"er wheelset at Sea Otter last month.

One of the bigger complaints about 29"er wheels is that they weigh more and are harder to accelerate than a 26"er wheel. This is due to the obvious fact that there is more material to deal with than a 26"er wheel has- more tire, more rim, longer spokes.

So, in an effort to reduce the difference between 26"ers lighter weight and a 29"ers weight in wheels, many manufacturers have built wheel sets that address this in varying ways with varying amounts of success. Mostly we are talking high performance, racing type stuff here. Wheels like Bontragers Race X Lite and Mavic's Cr29ssmax wheels, which are quite reasonable weight-wise and retain a modicum of stiffness that makes them great wheel choices for 29"ers. Even lighter sets can be had like American Classics, which get down below 1600 grams a wheelset, which is pretty light for a mountain bike wheel set of any wheel diameter.

So it was with a puzzled look on my face that I examined the bike pictured here at Sea Otter fitted with Shimano's newest and only 29"er wheelset. It has many features that are related to it's 26"er XT sister, tubeless compatible, free hub improvements, and axle tweaks. The one thing it shares with it's smaller diameter sister is the spoke count, which at 24 spokes is not enough for a 29"er wheel. Then I heard the weight- 1850 grams! Okay.......color me not impressed.

Several pre-builts for 29"ers are the same or lighter with more spokes. This raises a red flag in my mind. If Shimano uses less spokes and yet their 29"er wheel weighs more than some wheels using more spokes, then where is the weight coming from? My guess is that it is most likely in the rim, which is the worst place it could be in, (for this category of wheel) and defeats the purpose of making a high performance 29"er wheel in the first place.

And speaking of the rim, it is a narrower rim- 24mm- and that is fine, but consider this: A Rhythm wheelset, which has 28 spokes and a 28mm wide rim weighs only a 100 grams more and is built to be a trail/general use wheelset! Mavic's Cr29ssmax wheels weighed in at an even 1800 grams with skewers and tubeless valve stems installed. The Cr29ssmax wheels are also 24 spokes, by the way, which again, I'm not a big fan of, but the Zircal spokes are a different animal than what Shimano uses. The point is, the weight on the Shimano wheels is going to top out over 1900 grams when you add in skewer weight and tubeless valve stems. That, as Bicycle Retailer and Industry News states in their Sea Otter Special coverage, ".....is not super light."

I don't want this to seem like a Shimano bashing party, because it isn't. The trend seems to be going this way with pre-builts. FSA introduced it's own 29"er wheelset at Sea Otter, without much fanfare I might add, and it weighs in at 1920 grams. Again, using only a 24mm wide rim, FSA claims that it is erring on the side of durability. Well, there are choices out there with wider rims, (better for durability) that weigh less. What these companies are offering that is better, (other than their names, which is arguable) is beyond me.

Sure, 29"er wheels are going to weigh more than a comparable 26"er wheel, but with smart design and better use of materials, it doesn't have to be such a big gulf, and certainly we don't need heavier wheelsets that purport to be high performance/race category wheels. The proof is out there and companies jumping into the market would do well to examine the competition before setting out with a wheelset that doesn't measure up.

One Step Forward, Two Back

<===Shimano formally introduced it's first 29"er wheelset at Sea Otter last month.

One of the bigger complaints about 29"er wheels is that they weigh more and are harder to accelerate than a 26"er wheel. This is due to the obvious fact that there is more material to deal with than a 26"er wheel has- more tire, more rim, longer spokes.

So, in an effort to reduce the difference between 26"ers lighter weight and a 29"ers weight in wheels, many manufacturers have built wheel sets that address this in varying ways with varying amounts of success. Mostly we are talking high performance, racing type stuff here. Wheels like Bontragers Race X Lite and Mavic's Cr29ssmax wheels, which are quite reasonable weight-wise and retain a modicum of stiffness that makes them great wheel choices for 29"ers. Even lighter sets can be had like American Classics, which get down below 1600 grams a wheelset, which is pretty light for a mountain bike wheel set of any wheel diameter.

So it was with a puzzled look on my face that I examined the bike pictured here at Sea Otter fitted with Shimano's newest and only 29"er wheelset. It has many features that are related to it's 26"er XT sister, tubeless compatible, free hub improvements, and axle tweaks. The one thing it shares with it's smaller diameter sister is the spoke count, which at 24 spokes is not enough for a 29"er wheel. Then I heard the weight- 1850 grams! Okay.......color me not impressed.

Several pre-builts for 29"ers are the same or lighter with more spokes. This raises a red flag in my mind. If Shimano uses less spokes and yet their 29"er wheel weighs more than some wheels using more spokes, then where is the weight coming from? My guess is that it is most likely in the rim, which is the worst place it could be in, (for this category of wheel) and defeats the purpose of making a high performance 29"er wheel in the first place.

And speaking of the rim, it is a narrower rim- 24mm- and that is fine, but consider this: A Rhythm wheelset, which has 28 spokes and a 28mm wide rim weighs only a 100 grams more and is built to be a trail/general use wheelset! Mavic's Cr29ssmax wheels weighed in at an even 1800 grams with skewers and tubeless valve stems installed. The Cr29ssmax wheels are also 24 spokes, by the way, which again, I'm not a big fan of, but the Zircal spokes are a different animal than what Shimano uses. The point is, the weight on the Shimano wheels is going to top out over 1900 grams when you add in skewer weight and tubeless valve stems. That, as Bicycle Retailer and Industry News states in their Sea Otter Special coverage, ".....is not super light."

I don't want this to seem like a Shimano bashing party, because it isn't. The trend seems to be going this way with pre-builts. FSA introduced it's own 29"er wheelset at Sea Otter, without much fanfare I might add, and it weighs in at 1920 grams. Again, using only a 24mm wide rim, FSA claims that it is erring on the side of durability. Well, there are choices out there with wider rims, (better for durability) that weigh less. What these companies are offering that is better, (other than their names, which is arguable) is beyond me.

Sure, 29"er wheels are going to weigh more than a comparable 26"er wheel, but with smart design and better use of materials, it doesn't have to be such a big gulf, and certainly we don't need heavier wheelsets that purport to be high performance/race category wheels. The proof is out there and companies jumping into the market would do well to examine the competition before setting out with a wheelset that doesn't measure up.

A New Perch

<=== Bontrager Inform RL saddle

I got a comment on the saddle seen on my Pofahl yesterday, (you guys must be clicking on the pics to enlarge them) and thought I'd give you my initial thoughts.

If you need to know all the technical stuff, go here. I will also be posting updates there on The Bike Lab on this saddle.

Initially, the saddle sizing system seemed a bit hokey to me. I mean, all you do is sit down on this "gel" pad and they measure your sit bones? Okay, that might be helpful, but as you all know, a saddle is much more than something that is "wide/narrow enough". I was a bit skeptical about the saddles shape and how it would work.

It's pretty flat. I usually don't go for such saddles, (with the exception of Fizik's Arione) and generally I don't find them (flat saddles) to be a good fit for me. The other thing was that when I got "fitted" I found out that I was borderline on the medium/large sizes. Bontrager advises you go to the size larger in such cases. I thought that the large size width saddle looked too wide and that it might be a chafer. I have not ridden a saddle this wide before with the exception of my Selle Anatomica saddle, but that's a leather job with rivets, so it's a whole different animal.

Well, I have a couple short rides on the Inform RL already and I can say that it makes you sit right on your skeletal structure as advertised. It seems that the pressure points are different than what I've experienced before, especially regarding the "soft tissue" areas. My only concern now is whether or not the concentration of the pressures of supporting Guitar Ted on the sit bones for a long period of time is a good thing. It doesn't seem as though, (at this point) that the stiffness of the saddles shell will be "long ride friendly". We'll see what happens after the magic three hour barrier has been passed. It seems saddles can be okay up until that time barrier, but afterwards the pain can set in.

So, that's the scoop on that saddle so far. Stay tuned for more as I can gather ride time on it.

A New Perch

<=== Bontrager Inform RL saddle

I got a comment on the saddle seen on my Pofahl yesterday, (you guys must be clicking on the pics to enlarge them) and thought I'd give you my initial thoughts.

If you need to know all the technical stuff, go here. I will also be posting updates there on The Bike Lab on this saddle.

Initially, the saddle sizing system seemed a bit hokey to me. I mean, all you do is sit down on this "gel" pad and they measure your sit bones? Okay, that might be helpful, but as you all know, a saddle is much more than something that is "wide/narrow enough". I was a bit skeptical about the saddles shape and how it would work.

It's pretty flat. I usually don't go for such saddles, (with the exception of Fizik's Arione) and generally I don't find them (flat saddles) to be a good fit for me. The other thing was that when I got "fitted" I found out that I was borderline on the medium/large sizes. Bontrager advises you go to the size larger in such cases. I thought that the large size width saddle looked too wide and that it might be a chafer. I have not ridden a saddle this wide before with the exception of my Selle Anatomica saddle, but that's a leather job with rivets, so it's a whole different animal.

Well, I have a couple short rides on the Inform RL already and I can say that it makes you sit right on your skeletal structure as advertised. It seems that the pressure points are different than what I've experienced before, especially regarding the "soft tissue" areas. My only concern now is whether or not the concentration of the pressures of supporting Guitar Ted on the sit bones for a long period of time is a good thing. It doesn't seem as though, (at this point) that the stiffness of the saddles shell will be "long ride friendly". We'll see what happens after the magic three hour barrier has been passed. It seems saddles can be okay up until that time barrier, but afterwards the pain can set in.

So, that's the scoop on that saddle so far. Stay tuned for more as I can gather ride time on it.

Dirty Kanza Preparations

With Trans Iowa V4 in the books I can now turn my attention towards the Dirty Kanza 200. I guess I'd better! I have less than a month to get ready!

<===The "current state of affairs". The Pofahl being tested with some possible gear choices.

I have been fearing, to some degree. this event due to the fact that the winter training was nearly non-existent this year. Then Sea Otter and Trans Iowa ate up almost all of April, so I feel waaay under prepared physically for this event. The equipment situation is coming along pretty well. I narrowed things down to riding the Pofahl, but I am still setting it up and testing some ideas.

Mike Curiak calls it "thinkering", and I've been doing a lot of it lately. I know what I want to accomplish, I just don't know exactly what that is going to look like yet. So, that said, the image you see here will not be the set up I use at DK 200. There will be changes to this. I figure that with a couple of long slogs out training yet, I have a couple of chances to settle on the combo I'll actually use there.

So, I hope to at least be functional mechanically when I reach Emporia, Kansas later this month. The physical part? Well, that might be a little sketchy! We'll see.

Dirty Kanza Preparations

With Trans Iowa V4 in the books I can now turn my attention towards the Dirty Kanza 200. I guess I'd better! I have less than a month to get ready!

<===The "current state of affairs". The Pofahl being tested with some possible gear choices.

I have been fearing, to some degree. this event due to the fact that the winter training was nearly non-existent this year. Then Sea Otter and Trans Iowa ate up almost all of April, so I feel waaay under prepared physically for this event. The equipment situation is coming along pretty well. I narrowed things down to riding the Pofahl, but I am still setting it up and testing some ideas.

Mike Curiak calls it "thinkering", and I've been doing a lot of it lately. I know what I want to accomplish, I just don't know exactly what that is going to look like yet. So, that said, the image you see here will not be the set up I use at DK 200. There will be changes to this. I figure that with a couple of long slogs out training yet, I have a couple of chances to settle on the combo I'll actually use there.

So, I hope to at least be functional mechanically when I reach Emporia, Kansas later this month. The physical part? Well, that might be a little sketchy! We'll see.

Back To Just Riding Again

<====Flowers in the forest.

Got in a couple of rides today. It was great. Rode to church to make some wacko-noises on my guitar, (Peavey Horizon II- 1983 vintage, I think) and then again in the dirt this afternoon.

It's great not having anything going on for once. It's been about three weeks of mayhem and now it is "back to normal" for a spell.






<===Well, lookee there! It's green stuff!

Yeah, spring is in a big hurry after being delayed. This is the second year in a row that we haven't had flowers in April.

It'll probably swing over to hot n humid here pretty quick, I figure. Skeeters will be thick as clouds in a few weeks too. Better enjoy the woods while ya can!

Back To Just Riding Again

<====Flowers in the forest.

Got in a couple of rides today. It was great. Rode to church to make some wacko-noises on my guitar, (Peavey Horizon II- 1983 vintage, I think) and then again in the dirt this afternoon.

It's great not having anything going on for once. It's been about three weeks of mayhem and now it is "back to normal" for a spell.






<===Well, lookee there! It's green stuff!

Yeah, spring is in a big hurry after being delayed. This is the second year in a row that we haven't had flowers in April.

It'll probably swing over to hot n humid here pretty quick, I figure. Skeeters will be thick as clouds in a few weeks too. Better enjoy the woods while ya can!

Some Final Thoughts....T.I.V4

Okay, it's time for some final thoughts, some tidbits that didn't really fit into the story, to be told here, and then I'm moving on.....

The Shortened Course: I don't suppose any past T.I. finishers will argue, but some might, that there should be an "asterisk" by the names of the finishers of this years course. Here's why I don't think that is necessary: every year is different. Period. That's one of the reasons I like doing a different course every year. You can't compare one T.I. to another. Similar? Yes, but definitely not the same. that's by design, and how it should be.

As for having to do the shortened course, I am at peace with it. It was the right thing to do, and there isn't really anything else to be said.

Finish Line: Here is one real regret: That more folks couldn't have joined in the fun at the finish. That was most unfortunate. Of course, by the time I announced it on T.I. Radio, it was about what, 11:30 pm? Most folks are not going to hop in their cars for an hour drive to hang with some sweaty, tired riders at that hour. It was just a bit too far from Decorah and not easy to get to. Not that it mattered. I mean, we were on the borderline of getting into trouble as it was with the few folks we did have hanging out in Edgewood.

Of course, the next morning we were done and outta there by 8:30am, so not really a great time to come and hang out then either. Oh well, I did actually announce where the finish line was before the event, but that didn't work out obviously. Next year, (if there is a next year) it will revert back to the "secret" finish line and ya'all will have to pay attention to T.I.Radio to find out what is going on. That seems like the most workable plan as of now.

Pre-Race Hangout/Meeting: That T-Bock's meet up was pretty good. I think T-Bock's was pretty stoked about it too. They were really puzzled by the amount of beer consumed before an event like T.I. Heck, haven't they heard of carb loading? Well, whatever the case, it was a great time and I think everyone made a few new connections there. I know I did. Of course, it was the only chance I got to see some familiar faces too, but it was waaaay too short a time.

Two Checkpoints: That idea was a success. No doubt about it. And we have a lot more to do to tweak it out to be better if we run T.I. again... Cell phone coverage is one thing we didn't even consider, and that should be better by next year, but we would need to make sure. A couple more eyes on the field with the photographers was a good deal too. That saved us a few times.

Is Decorah Getting Old? I bet I could pull off at least two completely new courses outta Decorah, but even last year we were discussing "moving" T.I. around the state. Is it too good up in North East Iowa? Hmm.......I know it is hard to beat, but I also know that other places in Iowa would be super cool too. While we would probably not ever do a point to point again, I wouldn't rule it out. Also, the distance to recon the roads becomes a factor, so for now, if there is another T.I., it'll be close to home unless there is a compelling reason to take it elsewhere.

What About The Date?: Here's something that has been brought up since the first Trans Iowa. Why late April? Well, originally it was because guys are usually looking for base miles anyway, or so we thought then. Now we know that guys are training for Trans Iowa all winter long and taking it much more seriously than we had expected four years ago. But in the end, I always wanted to keep it on the last weekend of April. Now there is a "wrench" in the works that has caused me to take stock of when another Trans Iowa might take place. If there is another Trans Iowa, it will be at a different time, but not far from when it is now probably. Maybe a weekend later, maybe not. We'll see, I'm not thinking about that just yet. I just know what date it can't be on!

So....What Are You saying?: I know right now that without any reservations that I would say yes to a Trans Iowa in 2009.......but there are reservations! I love doing the event, I really do, but it's stupid. Really stupid from a financial point of view, really stupid from a time spent on it point of view, and really dumb from a family point of view. But then again, I don't care about the money, and the time invested is worth it from other standpoints. The family thing? Well......yeah, that sucks. Maybe my kids will like traveling gravel later, but I tried it with the family last year and they were non-plussed. I guess it all depends on how much I dare to be stupid again. Stay tuned!

Whatever happens I will say that I have not regreted doing a Trans Iowa with the possible exception of last year which just about killed me. Even that one turned out great and was a hoot really. I have enjoyed all the folks I have worked with- Jeff and now David- very very much. The volunteers have been fantastic, from Jeff's parents to the crew from '08. To all of you, I say a huge thanks. It wouldn't happen without any one of you.

And the folks that I have met that have participated: Wow! What can I say. You guys and gals are fantastic!

Trans Iowa V4

The End!

Some Final Thoughts....T.I.V4

Okay, it's time for some final thoughts, some tidbits that didn't really fit into the story, to be told here, and then I'm moving on.....

The Shortened Course: I don't suppose any past T.I. finishers will argue, but some might, that there should be an "asterisk" by the names of the finishers of this years course. Here's why I don't think that is necessary: every year is different. Period. That's one of the reasons I like doing a different course every year. You can't compare one T.I. to another. Similar? Yes, but definitely not the same. that's by design, and how it should be.

As for having to do the shortened course, I am at peace with it. It was the right thing to do, and there isn't really anything else to be said.

Finish Line: Here is one real regret: That more folks couldn't have joined in the fun at the finish. That was most unfortunate. Of course, by the time I announced it on T.I. Radio, it was about what, 11:30 pm? Most folks are not going to hop in their cars for an hour drive to hang with some sweaty, tired riders at that hour. It was just a bit too far from Decorah and not easy to get to. Not that it mattered. I mean, we were on the borderline of getting into trouble as it was with the few folks we did have hanging out in Edgewood.

Of course, the next morning we were done and outta there by 8:30am, so not really a great time to come and hang out then either. Oh well, I did actually announce where the finish line was before the event, but that didn't work out obviously. Next year, (if there is a next year) it will revert back to the "secret" finish line and ya'all will have to pay attention to T.I.Radio to find out what is going on. That seems like the most workable plan as of now.

Pre-Race Hangout/Meeting: That T-Bock's meet up was pretty good. I think T-Bock's was pretty stoked about it too. They were really puzzled by the amount of beer consumed before an event like T.I. Heck, haven't they heard of carb loading? Well, whatever the case, it was a great time and I think everyone made a few new connections there. I know I did. Of course, it was the only chance I got to see some familiar faces too, but it was waaaay too short a time.

Two Checkpoints: That idea was a success. No doubt about it. And we have a lot more to do to tweak it out to be better if we run T.I. again... Cell phone coverage is one thing we didn't even consider, and that should be better by next year, but we would need to make sure. A couple more eyes on the field with the photographers was a good deal too. That saved us a few times.

Is Decorah Getting Old? I bet I could pull off at least two completely new courses outta Decorah, but even last year we were discussing "moving" T.I. around the state. Is it too good up in North East Iowa? Hmm.......I know it is hard to beat, but I also know that other places in Iowa would be super cool too. While we would probably not ever do a point to point again, I wouldn't rule it out. Also, the distance to recon the roads becomes a factor, so for now, if there is another T.I., it'll be close to home unless there is a compelling reason to take it elsewhere.

What About The Date?: Here's something that has been brought up since the first Trans Iowa. Why late April? Well, originally it was because guys are usually looking for base miles anyway, or so we thought then. Now we know that guys are training for Trans Iowa all winter long and taking it much more seriously than we had expected four years ago. But in the end, I always wanted to keep it on the last weekend of April. Now there is a "wrench" in the works that has caused me to take stock of when another Trans Iowa might take place. If there is another Trans Iowa, it will be at a different time, but not far from when it is now probably. Maybe a weekend later, maybe not. We'll see, I'm not thinking about that just yet. I just know what date it can't be on!

So....What Are You saying?: I know right now that without any reservations that I would say yes to a Trans Iowa in 2009.......but there are reservations! I love doing the event, I really do, but it's stupid. Really stupid from a financial point of view, really stupid from a time spent on it point of view, and really dumb from a family point of view. But then again, I don't care about the money, and the time invested is worth it from other standpoints. The family thing? Well......yeah, that sucks. Maybe my kids will like traveling gravel later, but I tried it with the family last year and they were non-plussed. I guess it all depends on how much I dare to be stupid again. Stay tuned!

Whatever happens I will say that I have not regreted doing a Trans Iowa with the possible exception of last year which just about killed me. Even that one turned out great and was a hoot really. I have enjoyed all the folks I have worked with- Jeff and now David- very very much. The volunteers have been fantastic, from Jeff's parents to the crew from '08. To all of you, I say a huge thanks. It wouldn't happen without any one of you.

And the folks that I have met that have participated: Wow! What can I say. You guys and gals are fantastic!

Trans Iowa V4

The End!

Trans Iowa V4 : It Blew Me Away! Part V

Note: This is the final post in my Trans Iowa recap series. There will be one more post to take a look at some odds and ends and look to the future. Then it is back to regular ol' postings!

After we had decided to end the race at Edgewood, we called the checkpoint volunteers in Earlville and asked if all the riders had gone through yet. All but Corey Godfrey had passed. We told them to let him know it was done in Edgewood, and we tried to reach the others on the road, but almost all of the guys had their cell phones shut down to conserve battery life. As we waited for the riders, a pair of law enforcement officials pulled up and asked what we were doing. We explained our situation. The befuddled look on the officers face told me that he hadn't quite expected such an answer. He then looked at me and said, "Well, I hope they aren't out there all night. There are plenty of drunks on the road around here." Then they drove away.

Which got me to thinking: If there were plenty of drunks driving, why weren't they busy catching them? Hmm.............. well, anyway!

We were wondering how we might get some sort of word to the guys to allow for them to make a race winning move, if they wanted to. About that time, John Gorilla's support crew pulled up and we had them station themselves four blocks or so away to yell at the guys as they rounded what was to be the last corner. They weren't there long when we heard them yelling and screaming at three riders rounding the corner. Mind you, this was just past midnight in a small Iowa town. I'm sure they are still talking about it!

So, here they came to the line. I could see the three shadowy figures start to reel up the cadence. Then a rider shot to the right curb and was coming on strong. I said, "That guy is flying! That's the winner!" It was John Gorilla, with Joe Kucharski second, on a single speed, and Charlie Farrow third wheel.

<===Charles Parsons makes the final run in to finish fourth at Trans Iowa V4.

We shook hands and had to explain the situation to the three finishers who were a bit surprised and maybe a bit angry that we cut the event short. After our explanation though, I think we had them convinced it was for the best.

Then we tried to arrange some transportation for the riders, as they were beginning to get chilled in the rapidly falling temperatures. Joe Kucharski sat in our chase vehicle and had the heat just blasting! I wonder if he figured out it had heated seats! Soon we had both Joe and Charlie off to Decorah. Charlie got his prizing right then and there because he was heading back to Rochester, Minnesota as soon as he got back!

<===Trans Iowa doesn't do no stinkin' champagne! Nope! We gots yer "gutter beer" though!

John Gorrilla and his support crew stayed behind since they were with Charles Parsons and were waiting for his arrival. In the meantime, John's wife Adele found an unopened Busch Light in the gutter uptown and presented him with it. Not too proud to drink it, John cracked open the can and took a long, well deserved draw. He even let me take this funny shot of him with it.


Waiting for Charles to roll in gave me some time to chat with John about the event and how his ride went for him. I learned that he had gone down twice. Once in a soft spot of gravel going uphill and the other was a blow down in the strong winds. He fell in a way that usually results in a broken collar bone, but John's fate wasn't such that day. John also related that he thought Joe Kucharski had gone down once too, or maybe it was Charlie. Hmm....can't blame him for not remembering the exact details after such a hard day in the saddle.

We started talking about his bike, a Ridley X-Nite cross rig, which John proudly proclaimed as "the only other bike to win Trans Iowa". (His phrasing, not mine!) As a matter of fact, John is the only other winner of Trans Iowa. Some pretty rare company there with Ira Ryan being the winner of V1 and V3.







<===Cornbread gets his props from Skip Cronin after rolling in about 3:30am.

Charles Parsons rolled in about an hour after the first three and then their crew quickly loaded up and sped away. It was about 1:30am, and d.p. and I were standing there alone.....for a minute or two!

Then the Lincoln Super Fan Van rolled up and staked out a claim waiting for their man Corey to make his final run in and finish Trans Iowa. We took our leisure and chatted, whooped it up, (mostly Matt Gersib!) and laughed heartily. However; even the most valiant super fan gets fatigued and one by one they trailed off to the van for some "z's". Time crawled by, the bars closed, drunks meandered up the street. Where was Corey?

Through talking with Skip I learned that Corey can be ahem!.........directionally challenged. I became somewhat concerned about 3am and d.p, finally said. "Let's go!". No more needed to be said, we were going out to search for Cornbread and bring him on in if we had to.

Of course, your mind starts to play with you at such an hour and with 24 hours on the clock already, we were really struggling to stay sane as it was. We reasoned that he should be near Edgewood, so we started the search close to town. We headed East, and then just over a rise in the road d.p, spotted the lights. It was Corey all right. We pulled up and chatted with him. I was making an assessment as to his ability to ride it on in. He seemed lucent and was reasoning well. He told us he had missed several turns and was wandering around in the hollows for awhile. Wondering if he just shouldn't lie down and sleep, he decided against it when he heard coyotes yipping near by.

Then we continued always just within his eyesight- we didn't want him to make any false turns. Actually, it seemed to me that he picked up the pace mightily at the end there. maybe it was just me and sleep deprivation, but it seemed that way.

I told d.p., "Hey, I've got an idea." I let Corey get pretty close to the rear of our vehicle, I turned on the 4-ways, and led him on in, beeping the horn Tour de France style. Ah, what the heck, I thought. We gotta have some fun since it was the end of Trans Iowa V4. So what if it was 3:30am in the morning!



<===John Gorilla hoisting the limestone block d.p. fashioned for the T.I.V4 winner.

I drove on back to Decorah in the dead of night with d.p. We couldn't say much, we were so wasted! By the time we got to our rooms, the soft glow of the coming day could be seen in the Eastern sky.

We slept for about two and a half hours and then I sprung up and met John and Joe at the Kwik Star to download their prizing to them. We took a few shots, and said goodbye. T.I.V4 was behind me. I went and filled the gas tank, washed off over 500 miles of grit and grime, and headed home.




<===Lots of gravel to be traveled......

That's it. Trans Iowa V4.

I just want to take this chance to extend my thanks to all those who made this event what it was this year. The volunteers, the riders, the support people, and anyone who has had a hand in helping make T.I.V4 a great event.

I enjoyed it. I hope you did too.


See ya'all down the trail.....................

Trans Iowa V4 : It Blew Me Away! Part V

Note: This is the final post in my Trans Iowa recap series. There will be one more post to take a look at some odds and ends and look to the future. Then it is back to regular ol' postings!

After we had decided to end the race at Edgewood, we called the checkpoint volunteers in Earlville and asked if all the riders had gone through yet. All but Corey Godfrey had passed. We told them to let him know it was done in Edgewood, and we tried to reach the others on the road, but almost all of the guys had their cell phones shut down to conserve battery life. As we waited for the riders, a pair of law enforcement officials pulled up and asked what we were doing. We explained our situation. The befuddled look on the officers face told me that he hadn't quite expected such an answer. He then looked at me and said, "Well, I hope they aren't out there all night. There are plenty of drunks on the road around here." Then they drove away.

Which got me to thinking: If there were plenty of drunks driving, why weren't they busy catching them? Hmm.............. well, anyway!

We were wondering how we might get some sort of word to the guys to allow for them to make a race winning move, if they wanted to. About that time, John Gorilla's support crew pulled up and we had them station themselves four blocks or so away to yell at the guys as they rounded what was to be the last corner. They weren't there long when we heard them yelling and screaming at three riders rounding the corner. Mind you, this was just past midnight in a small Iowa town. I'm sure they are still talking about it!

So, here they came to the line. I could see the three shadowy figures start to reel up the cadence. Then a rider shot to the right curb and was coming on strong. I said, "That guy is flying! That's the winner!" It was John Gorilla, with Joe Kucharski second, on a single speed, and Charlie Farrow third wheel.

<===Charles Parsons makes the final run in to finish fourth at Trans Iowa V4.

We shook hands and had to explain the situation to the three finishers who were a bit surprised and maybe a bit angry that we cut the event short. After our explanation though, I think we had them convinced it was for the best.

Then we tried to arrange some transportation for the riders, as they were beginning to get chilled in the rapidly falling temperatures. Joe Kucharski sat in our chase vehicle and had the heat just blasting! I wonder if he figured out it had heated seats! Soon we had both Joe and Charlie off to Decorah. Charlie got his prizing right then and there because he was heading back to Rochester, Minnesota as soon as he got back!

<===Trans Iowa doesn't do no stinkin' champagne! Nope! We gots yer "gutter beer" though!

John Gorrilla and his support crew stayed behind since they were with Charles Parsons and were waiting for his arrival. In the meantime, John's wife Adele found an unopened Busch Light in the gutter uptown and presented him with it. Not too proud to drink it, John cracked open the can and took a long, well deserved draw. He even let me take this funny shot of him with it.


Waiting for Charles to roll in gave me some time to chat with John about the event and how his ride went for him. I learned that he had gone down twice. Once in a soft spot of gravel going uphill and the other was a blow down in the strong winds. He fell in a way that usually results in a broken collar bone, but John's fate wasn't such that day. John also related that he thought Joe Kucharski had gone down once too, or maybe it was Charlie. Hmm....can't blame him for not remembering the exact details after such a hard day in the saddle.

We started talking about his bike, a Ridley X-Nite cross rig, which John proudly proclaimed as "the only other bike to win Trans Iowa". (His phrasing, not mine!) As a matter of fact, John is the only other winner of Trans Iowa. Some pretty rare company there with Ira Ryan being the winner of V1 and V3.







<===Cornbread gets his props from Skip Cronin after rolling in about 3:30am.

Charles Parsons rolled in about an hour after the first three and then their crew quickly loaded up and sped away. It was about 1:30am, and d.p. and I were standing there alone.....for a minute or two!

Then the Lincoln Super Fan Van rolled up and staked out a claim waiting for their man Corey to make his final run in and finish Trans Iowa. We took our leisure and chatted, whooped it up, (mostly Matt Gersib!) and laughed heartily. However; even the most valiant super fan gets fatigued and one by one they trailed off to the van for some "z's". Time crawled by, the bars closed, drunks meandered up the street. Where was Corey?

Through talking with Skip I learned that Corey can be ahem!.........directionally challenged. I became somewhat concerned about 3am and d.p, finally said. "Let's go!". No more needed to be said, we were going out to search for Cornbread and bring him on in if we had to.

Of course, your mind starts to play with you at such an hour and with 24 hours on the clock already, we were really struggling to stay sane as it was. We reasoned that he should be near Edgewood, so we started the search close to town. We headed East, and then just over a rise in the road d.p, spotted the lights. It was Corey all right. We pulled up and chatted with him. I was making an assessment as to his ability to ride it on in. He seemed lucent and was reasoning well. He told us he had missed several turns and was wandering around in the hollows for awhile. Wondering if he just shouldn't lie down and sleep, he decided against it when he heard coyotes yipping near by.

Then we continued always just within his eyesight- we didn't want him to make any false turns. Actually, it seemed to me that he picked up the pace mightily at the end there. maybe it was just me and sleep deprivation, but it seemed that way.

I told d.p., "Hey, I've got an idea." I let Corey get pretty close to the rear of our vehicle, I turned on the 4-ways, and led him on in, beeping the horn Tour de France style. Ah, what the heck, I thought. We gotta have some fun since it was the end of Trans Iowa V4. So what if it was 3:30am in the morning!



<===John Gorilla hoisting the limestone block d.p. fashioned for the T.I.V4 winner.

I drove on back to Decorah in the dead of night with d.p. We couldn't say much, we were so wasted! By the time we got to our rooms, the soft glow of the coming day could be seen in the Eastern sky.

We slept for about two and a half hours and then I sprung up and met John and Joe at the Kwik Star to download their prizing to them. We took a few shots, and said goodbye. T.I.V4 was behind me. I went and filled the gas tank, washed off over 500 miles of grit and grime, and headed home.




<===Lots of gravel to be traveled......

That's it. Trans Iowa V4.

I just want to take this chance to extend my thanks to all those who made this event what it was this year. The volunteers, the riders, the support people, and anyone who has had a hand in helping make T.I.V4 a great event.

I enjoyed it. I hope you did too.


See ya'all down the trail.....................