Trans Iowa V6: Thoughts Part X

Melt That Snow!! So, I have a lot of recon work to get going on here before March comes. I have one enemy now. Snow. Well........snow and ice! Okay, two enemies. Anyway, I need to get some work done and get it tucked away for this event.

Because of this, I have declined an invite to CIRREM at the end of February. If the weather turns out to be good enough to ride bikes, it'll be good enough to do recon, so that's the plan. Gotta sacrifice some fun to get the job done! Too bad too, 'cause a lot of good folks are committing to this event and I would love to go, but I just can't fritter away a single opportunity now to get recon done. When I get that out of the way, then I can rest a little easier. However; you should go if you can. It's going to be a great opener to the 2010 gravel scene.



Sponsor's Corner: I will be highlighting a few sponsors now as the lead up to Trans Iowa V6 comes along. First up is the shop where I work,

Europa Cycle and Ski.

Europa will be graciously supporting Trans Iowa with our logistical needs. Not very glamorous stuff, but very, very necessary to get the event off the ground. Thanks for the support! Visit Europa Cycle and Ski if you are ever in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area and say "hi".



Next up is Banjo Brothers. This is the company that makes some really great bags and accessories for your bicycle including a killer commuter back pack, one of which will be a prize at Trans Iowa along with two messenger bags.

One other thing Banjo Brothers makes that is a really useful tool for you T.I.V6 riders is this top tube bag which comes highly recommended by me. I use one quite a bit, and mine is an earlier version. These are even better now with a couple of tweaks since I got mine. Fourteen smackers is MSRP and you'll get a ton of usefulness for that coinage. I can get a cell phone, small point and shoot, and a couple of gels in mine easily. Check it out!

Waiting List: The Waiting List expires in 16 days. If you are in T.I.V6 now, but won't make it, do me a favor and let me know NOW! I have a big list of waiters and I can get that place filled. I have already transferred in a few folks already. If you are on the list, and you don't hear from me by January 31st, then I am sorry, but the transfers will be cut off at that time. You'll have to wait until your chance at getting into T.I.V7 comes up for next year.

Need A Room? We have a special lodging rate secured for a block of 20 rooms in Grinnell. Click the link to see where or for more details on how to access the special rate, see the Latest News section on the T.I.V6 site.

Pre-Race Meet Up: This is mandatory for you to attend to get your cue sheets for the first leg of the event and to get the low down on any last minute information. Details on when and where are being discussed, but an announcement will be forthcoming very soon. The time will be approximately 5:00pm on the 23rd of April in Grinnell. I will be adding this reminder to every post about T.I.V6 until the event, so there should be no excuses for not showing up. Here's why it is of utmost importance:

When we secure the room/restaurant for the Pre-Race Meet up, you will be informed where to go to check in with me: Guitar Ted. Each person expecting to race on Saturday morning will need to meet me and make sure I check your name off on the roster. Here you will also sign off on a waiver. Once you have been checked off and have signed the waiver, you are invited to eat. If you choose not to eat, stick around anyway, because at about 6:30pm we will start the pre-race packet pick up. Because you have checked in with me at the door, I will not have to waste time calling out names of folks that didn't show up. Note: I will only call up names that were checked at the door before the pre-race packet pick up! If you are late, lost, or just hoping to score an unused spot on the roster, too bad. It won't be happening. So, to repeat- if you fail to get checked in before the call up, you will not be racing! I will return to this every post from here on out, here and on the T.I.V6 site. More fine details to come, so stay tuned! (Oh, and don't think you can check in early either.)

I hope to have more on this very soon.

Trans Iowa V6: Thoughts Part X

Melt That Snow!! So, I have a lot of recon work to get going on here before March comes. I have one enemy now. Snow. Well........snow and ice! Okay, two enemies. Anyway, I need to get some work done and get it tucked away for this event.

Because of this, I have declined an invite to CIRREM at the end of February. If the weather turns out to be good enough to ride bikes, it'll be good enough to do recon, so that's the plan. Gotta sacrifice some fun to get the job done! Too bad too, 'cause a lot of good folks are committing to this event and I would love to go, but I just can't fritter away a single opportunity now to get recon done. When I get that out of the way, then I can rest a little easier. However; you should go if you can. It's going to be a great opener to the 2010 gravel scene.



Sponsor's Corner: I will be highlighting a few sponsors now as the lead up to Trans Iowa V6 comes along. First up is the shop where I work,

Europa Cycle and Ski.

Europa will be graciously supporting Trans Iowa with our logistical needs. Not very glamorous stuff, but very, very necessary to get the event off the ground. Thanks for the support! Visit Europa Cycle and Ski if you are ever in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area and say "hi".



Next up is Banjo Brothers. This is the company that makes some really great bags and accessories for your bicycle including a killer commuter back pack, one of which will be a prize at Trans Iowa along with two messenger bags.

One other thing Banjo Brothers makes that is a really useful tool for you T.I.V6 riders is this top tube bag which comes highly recommended by me. I use one quite a bit, and mine is an earlier version. These are even better now with a couple of tweaks since I got mine. Fourteen smackers is MSRP and you'll get a ton of usefulness for that coinage. I can get a cell phone, small point and shoot, and a couple of gels in mine easily. Check it out!

Waiting List: The Waiting List expires in 16 days. If you are in T.I.V6 now, but won't make it, do me a favor and let me know NOW! I have a big list of waiters and I can get that place filled. I have already transferred in a few folks already. If you are on the list, and you don't hear from me by January 31st, then I am sorry, but the transfers will be cut off at that time. You'll have to wait until your chance at getting into T.I.V7 comes up for next year.

Need A Room? We have a special lodging rate secured for a block of 20 rooms in Grinnell. Click the link to see where or for more details on how to access the special rate, see the Latest News section on the T.I.V6 site.

Pre-Race Meet Up: This is mandatory for you to attend to get your cue sheets for the first leg of the event and to get the low down on any last minute information. Details on when and where are being discussed, but an announcement will be forthcoming very soon. The time will be approximately 5:00pm on the 23rd of April in Grinnell. I will be adding this reminder to every post about T.I.V6 until the event, so there should be no excuses for not showing up. Here's why it is of utmost importance:

When we secure the room/restaurant for the Pre-Race Meet up, you will be informed where to go to check in with me: Guitar Ted. Each person expecting to race on Saturday morning will need to meet me and make sure I check your name off on the roster. Here you will also sign off on a waiver. Once you have been checked off and have signed the waiver, you are invited to eat. If you choose not to eat, stick around anyway, because at about 6:30pm we will start the pre-race packet pick up. Because you have checked in with me at the door, I will not have to waste time calling out names of folks that didn't show up. Note: I will only call up names that were checked at the door before the pre-race packet pick up! If you are late, lost, or just hoping to score an unused spot on the roster, too bad. It won't be happening. So, to repeat- if you fail to get checked in before the call up, you will not be racing! I will return to this every post from here on out, here and on the T.I.V6 site. More fine details to come, so stay tuned! (Oh, and don't think you can check in early either.)

I hope to have more on this very soon.

Thursday News And Views

<===Head badge for the Blackbuck.

I was stoked to find out that Mark Slate of OS Bikes is going to bring out a couple more sizes of the Blackbuck. Not only that, but they will have the head badges shown here. These are sweet bikes for the money. No word on exactly when these will show up, but hopefully in time for folks to ride in 2010.

Rumor has it there may be a "multi-terrain" model in the works too.





<===Now this is more like it!

I just got ahold of the bigger, beefier, gnarlier Ardent from Maxxis. This tire is just going to be much better than the 2.25 was. I can tell already by the deeper, bigger tread blocks, beefier sidewalls, and the very tubeless ready looking bead. (Maxxis doesn't officially make a tubeless ready 29"er tire)

These will be going on the Velocity P-35 rims I recently got in, and that is going to make for one burly wheel set. Of course, I am going to do tubeless right outta the box with these. Once I get a couple of rotors, and reduce the travel on my Rock Shox Reba, this will all come together on a bike for revealing later. It's going to be a fun ride!



<===Dreaming of going places in 2010.

MG and the guys out in Nebraska hooked me up with this shirt recently. It reminds me of those surreal trails in Nebraska that I dearly would love to go check out again, only for more than just half a day!

This place is just super cool. Potter's Pasture is something I have never seen the likes of anywhere, nor heard of anything like it. If there is some way I can sneak in a weekend to go here, I am going to sure try and do it, but this year is filling in fast! June, July, and August already have "must do" rides scheduled. Man! Can we get something done about making summer three more months longer? That might just do it!

Thursday News And Views

<===Head badge for the Blackbuck.

I was stoked to find out that Mark Slate of OS Bikes is going to bring out a couple more sizes of the Blackbuck. Not only that, but they will have the head badges shown here. These are sweet bikes for the money. No word on exactly when these will show up, but hopefully in time for folks to ride in 2010.

Rumor has it there may be a "multi-terrain" model in the works too.





<===Now this is more like it!

I just got ahold of the bigger, beefier, gnarlier Ardent from Maxxis. This tire is just going to be much better than the 2.25 was. I can tell already by the deeper, bigger tread blocks, beefier sidewalls, and the very tubeless ready looking bead. (Maxxis doesn't officially make a tubeless ready 29"er tire)

These will be going on the Velocity P-35 rims I recently got in, and that is going to make for one burly wheel set. Of course, I am going to do tubeless right outta the box with these. Once I get a couple of rotors, and reduce the travel on my Rock Shox Reba, this will all come together on a bike for revealing later. It's going to be a fun ride!



<===Dreaming of going places in 2010.

MG and the guys out in Nebraska hooked me up with this shirt recently. It reminds me of those surreal trails in Nebraska that I dearly would love to go check out again, only for more than just half a day!

This place is just super cool. Potter's Pasture is something I have never seen the likes of anywhere, nor heard of anything like it. If there is some way I can sneak in a weekend to go here, I am going to sure try and do it, but this year is filling in fast! June, July, and August already have "must do" rides scheduled. Man! Can we get something done about making summer three more months longer? That might just do it!

A "Klunker" Of A Side Project

Well.........I went and did it! This may surprise a few people, but if you knew me, it wouldn't be a surprise at all. I'll explain.......

I've always been a closet history buff. I don't spend a lot of time on it, but I am "that guy" that will make the family stop sometimes and read the plaque on the side of the road. Okay, so I like to know where we came from because I find it very intriguing. So, to that end, when I got into mountain bikes I dug into the history of it all. It wasn't easy back in the early 90's! No internet, no "older riders" to ask, and no books had been written yet, since well.........some folks thought it might still be a passing fad back then!

Well, that didn't stop me. I always had an eye out for references to the earlier days and read whatever I could. I pieced some of it together that way back then, but oh! When I got on-line in '99 it was on! I was looking up everything I could find on the history of cycling off road.

Then last year I met someone that really got me to thinking about the Marin gang and the bikes they rode. That kind of set off a seed to growing and well, it brings me to this present time. I went "over center" and bought myself a project frame to make a "klunker" out of. Parts acquisition will take awhile, I am sure, but that's okay. It's something I am going to take my time on.

So, what is the frame? Well, it isn't one of those "primo" pre-war Schwinns, but it is a Schwinn. It is a 1952 Schwinn DX, and it needs a lot of love. I got a ratty old frame and fork to start me out with that needs a braze job on the seat stays. I can tackle that though. The parts to hang on it may be the toughest thing of all to get!

I have access to some gold anodized Ukai 1.75" rims that are currently laced up to a Schwinn high flange front hub and a Sturmey Archer 3 speed rear hub, but the rims are what I really am interested in here. I'll probably opt for a "hybrid" build, (gears, canti or drum brakes), but I could go single speed if I find the right hub. We'll see.

Anyway, it will be something of a diversion, and if all goes well, it will be fun to re-create a tiny part of mountain bike history to ride around on for kicks.

A "Klunker" Of A Side Project

Well.........I went and did it! This may surprise a few people, but if you knew me, it wouldn't be a surprise at all. I'll explain.......

I've always been a closet history buff. I don't spend a lot of time on it, but I am "that guy" that will make the family stop sometimes and read the plaque on the side of the road. Okay, so I like to know where we came from because I find it very intriguing. So, to that end, when I got into mountain bikes I dug into the history of it all. It wasn't easy back in the early 90's! No internet, no "older riders" to ask, and no books had been written yet, since well.........some folks thought it might still be a passing fad back then!

Well, that didn't stop me. I always had an eye out for references to the earlier days and read whatever I could. I pieced some of it together that way back then, but oh! When I got on-line in '99 it was on! I was looking up everything I could find on the history of cycling off road.

Then last year I met someone that really got me to thinking about the Marin gang and the bikes they rode. That kind of set off a seed to growing and well, it brings me to this present time. I went "over center" and bought myself a project frame to make a "klunker" out of. Parts acquisition will take awhile, I am sure, but that's okay. It's something I am going to take my time on.

So, what is the frame? Well, it isn't one of those "primo" pre-war Schwinns, but it is a Schwinn. It is a 1952 Schwinn DX, and it needs a lot of love. I got a ratty old frame and fork to start me out with that needs a braze job on the seat stays. I can tackle that though. The parts to hang on it may be the toughest thing of all to get!

I have access to some gold anodized Ukai 1.75" rims that are currently laced up to a Schwinn high flange front hub and a Sturmey Archer 3 speed rear hub, but the rims are what I really am interested in here. I'll probably opt for a "hybrid" build, (gears, canti or drum brakes), but I could go single speed if I find the right hub. We'll see.

Anyway, it will be something of a diversion, and if all goes well, it will be fun to re-create a tiny part of mountain bike history to ride around on for kicks.

Bike Shop Tales: More On The Trails

Last week I wrote about the legendary beginnings of the trail network in our local State Park. More on that now.........

So whatever the real story was on the beginnings of the trail making in the late 80's/early 90's, the fact was that by 1993 trail making was happening almost year round in the State Park. Of course, in 1993 the area was hit by the biggest flooding since 1961. That made for approximately a year of zero activity in the park since it was mostly underwater at that point. After the flotsam and jetsam of that natural disaster had subsided, a curious and legendary feature of the trails in George Wyth was discovered. The "Pit Of Death".

The story goes that two Advantage Cyclery wrenches were the ones to discover the pit. It was Troy and Duane, who were intensely competitive individuals. Neither was about to give the other any quarter in even the most meaningless of rides. So it was that these two were speeding through the fitness trail leading to the Campgrounds from the West. Nose to tail, heads buried in an anaerobic drunken state, no doubt. Always trying to prove who was fastest, to hell with everything else. Damn the torpedoes and all.

So, as they were blazing along at Mach I, Troy in the lead, they suddenly found that the trail had disappeared beneath their wheels. Seconds that must have seemed like an hour passed before the next thing you know, the two riders and their bikes were lying in a heap at the bottom of a 15 foot deep pit. A pit eroded by flood waters during the Flood of '93 that no one knew was there. Well, we heard all about it afterward!

Duane and Troy never did settle who's fault it was that they crashed that day, but they told the story oft and loudly for months afterwards, and it never ceased to make me laugh. Those two together were a constant comedy team, although they were being deadly serious about it all. Too good!

Anyway, the "Pit Of Death" was as I said, a 15 foot deep and 10 yards wide gaping hole in the trail that was carved out by swirling flood water. At first, it wasn't really ride able, however, enough people were "dropping in" on it that the edges became less severe and we found that if you could dare not touch the brakes, you could clean the obstacle. Down in and pop back up the facing bank. It was a heady move for most of us since the bulk of the terrain was really tame in the park. Not many could clean it in the beginning.

By 1994, "The Pit Of Death" was claiming about two rigid forks a week, sometimes frames along with them, and sending numerous people to the hospital. Budget constraints and red tape prevented the Park from doing anything about the hole, amazingly enough, and we had the feature all through the '94 riding season. By '95 it was being eroded down to a point that it was beginning to be more novelty than anything, but yet it was still claiming a fork, frame, and the occasional tooth until the State had it filled with sand late in the year.

The Pit sent Advantage Cyclery a lot of repair work, and I learned how to cut new fork threads, remove and replace crown races, and install lots of headsets due to that hole in the ground. It was a good learning experience on that front as well.

One final story about "The Pit Of Death", and my favorite: When we were doing the weekly night rides, we would occasionally talk new folks into coming out and trying the scene. Once we were able to talk a very lithe, pleasant looking red headed gal into trying out the night lights. It had rained earlier in the day, but we assured her the trails wouldn't be too bad that evening.

Well, she showed up on her Bianchi Nyala in a white t-shirt, cut offs, and a helmet tipped back on her head, graduation cap style. Once we had her helmet on straight, and her lights set, we took off. Of course, the first real "check" in the ride was "The Pit". We all dropped in as she waited looking rather nervous about the whole ordeal.

She was going to bail around the cutoff trail that had developed to avoid "The Pit", but I think we all shamed her into trying it. After about five minutes of coaching, (more like badgering) by the "honch riders" in the group, she dropped in.

Well, as you have probably guessed, she bit it. Right over the bars she went, landing face down, arms sprawled out to her sides in the muddy bottom. Then the kicker: Her bike landed front tire first right in the middle of her gleaming white t-shirt, leaving a perfect tread print on it. As the bike bounced away, we all gasped and stood in horror waiting for signs of life.

I recall that a hint of a giggle wafted up out of "The Pit". Then there was no mistaking it. She was laughing! We all busted a gut simultaneously at the evidence of her embarrassment. We helped her get out of the pit then and put her back on her bike, none the worse for wear.


And you know- she finished that ride!


Next week: More On The Wyth Trail Development

Bike Shop Tales: More On The Trails

Last week I wrote about the legendary beginnings of the trail network in our local State Park. More on that now.........

So whatever the real story was on the beginnings of the trail making in the late 80's/early 90's, the fact was that by 1993 trail making was happening almost year round in the State Park. Of course, in 1993 the area was hit by the biggest flooding since 1961. That made for approximately a year of zero activity in the park since it was mostly underwater at that point. After the flotsam and jetsam of that natural disaster had subsided, a curious and legendary feature of the trails in George Wyth was discovered. The "Pit Of Death".

The story goes that two Advantage Cyclery wrenches were the ones to discover the pit. It was Troy and Duane, who were intensely competitive individuals. Neither was about to give the other any quarter in even the most meaningless of rides. So it was that these two were speeding through the fitness trail leading to the Campgrounds from the West. Nose to tail, heads buried in an anaerobic drunken state, no doubt. Always trying to prove who was fastest, to hell with everything else. Damn the torpedoes and all.

So, as they were blazing along at Mach I, Troy in the lead, they suddenly found that the trail had disappeared beneath their wheels. Seconds that must have seemed like an hour passed before the next thing you know, the two riders and their bikes were lying in a heap at the bottom of a 15 foot deep pit. A pit eroded by flood waters during the Flood of '93 that no one knew was there. Well, we heard all about it afterward!

Duane and Troy never did settle who's fault it was that they crashed that day, but they told the story oft and loudly for months afterwards, and it never ceased to make me laugh. Those two together were a constant comedy team, although they were being deadly serious about it all. Too good!

Anyway, the "Pit Of Death" was as I said, a 15 foot deep and 10 yards wide gaping hole in the trail that was carved out by swirling flood water. At first, it wasn't really ride able, however, enough people were "dropping in" on it that the edges became less severe and we found that if you could dare not touch the brakes, you could clean the obstacle. Down in and pop back up the facing bank. It was a heady move for most of us since the bulk of the terrain was really tame in the park. Not many could clean it in the beginning.

By 1994, "The Pit Of Death" was claiming about two rigid forks a week, sometimes frames along with them, and sending numerous people to the hospital. Budget constraints and red tape prevented the Park from doing anything about the hole, amazingly enough, and we had the feature all through the '94 riding season. By '95 it was being eroded down to a point that it was beginning to be more novelty than anything, but yet it was still claiming a fork, frame, and the occasional tooth until the State had it filled with sand late in the year.

The Pit sent Advantage Cyclery a lot of repair work, and I learned how to cut new fork threads, remove and replace crown races, and install lots of headsets due to that hole in the ground. It was a good learning experience on that front as well.

One final story about "The Pit Of Death", and my favorite: When we were doing the weekly night rides, we would occasionally talk new folks into coming out and trying the scene. Once we were able to talk a very lithe, pleasant looking red headed gal into trying out the night lights. It had rained earlier in the day, but we assured her the trails wouldn't be too bad that evening.

Well, she showed up on her Bianchi Nyala in a white t-shirt, cut offs, and a helmet tipped back on her head, graduation cap style. Once we had her helmet on straight, and her lights set, we took off. Of course, the first real "check" in the ride was "The Pit". We all dropped in as she waited looking rather nervous about the whole ordeal.

She was going to bail around the cutoff trail that had developed to avoid "The Pit", but I think we all shamed her into trying it. After about five minutes of coaching, (more like badgering) by the "honch riders" in the group, she dropped in.

Well, as you have probably guessed, she bit it. Right over the bars she went, landing face down, arms sprawled out to her sides in the muddy bottom. Then the kicker: Her bike landed front tire first right in the middle of her gleaming white t-shirt, leaving a perfect tread print on it. As the bike bounced away, we all gasped and stood in horror waiting for signs of life.

I recall that a hint of a giggle wafted up out of "The Pit". Then there was no mistaking it. She was laughing! We all busted a gut simultaneously at the evidence of her embarrassment. We helped her get out of the pit then and put her back on her bike, none the worse for wear.


And you know- she finished that ride!


Next week: More On The Wyth Trail Development

Winter Beauty

Winter is hitting a lot of us really hard this year. Harder than it has for a long, long time. I know I've cussed it out my fair share! But there is a certain tranquility in winter that I find intoxicating. I really enjoy the snow, ice, and cold if everything is just right.

Saturday everything pretty much fell into place in that regard. the winds were calm, the clouds were absent, and the sun was shining with a force that hinted at spring to come. In times like these I relish a cross country ski in the Green Belt. The Green Belt is rarely used for XC skiing, and to me, that makes it even better. Today I was rewarded with fresh snow unmarked by humans for well over a week.

The smooth snow was punctuated by the comings and goings of many deer, but other than that, I was busting new trail again. Fun! Besides the primo ski conditions, I was out to find some good photo opportunities, and I found plenty of those Saturday.

The stark contrasts of blindingly white snow, dark trees and shadows just screams black and white photography to my mind. So I almost always try to get some B&W work in at this time of year.

Now mind you- I don't even know what I am doing with my camera, and I am no photographer. That said, I find these shots satisfying to me. I guess that all that matters, but I figured I would show them off anyway. See what you all think! In the end, it just makes for a peaceful, stress free time and helps to make winter a whole lot more palatable. And hey! I can call it training too! Even better.

By the way, you can click on the pics to make them ginormous!

Winter Beauty

Winter is hitting a lot of us really hard this year. Harder than it has for a long, long time. I know I've cussed it out my fair share! But there is a certain tranquility in winter that I find intoxicating. I really enjoy the snow, ice, and cold if everything is just right.

Saturday everything pretty much fell into place in that regard. the winds were calm, the clouds were absent, and the sun was shining with a force that hinted at spring to come. In times like these I relish a cross country ski in the Green Belt. The Green Belt is rarely used for XC skiing, and to me, that makes it even better. Today I was rewarded with fresh snow unmarked by humans for well over a week.

The smooth snow was punctuated by the comings and goings of many deer, but other than that, I was busting new trail again. Fun! Besides the primo ski conditions, I was out to find some good photo opportunities, and I found plenty of those Saturday.

The stark contrasts of blindingly white snow, dark trees and shadows just screams black and white photography to my mind. So I almost always try to get some B&W work in at this time of year.

Now mind you- I don't even know what I am doing with my camera, and I am no photographer. That said, I find these shots satisfying to me. I guess that all that matters, but I figured I would show them off anyway. See what you all think! In the end, it just makes for a peaceful, stress free time and helps to make winter a whole lot more palatable. And hey! I can call it training too! Even better.

By the way, you can click on the pics to make them ginormous!

You Snooze, You Lose

Well, after a blazing start to the Dirty Kanza 200 registration, the event filled up in 12 hours! Event Co-directors Jim Cummins and Joel Dyke must have secretly added 10 more entry spots at some point, but no matter. The event is filled and registration is closed.

If you went to their registration page late you were greeted by the following:

Online Registration is closed.Sucker. Try again next year.

You snooze, you lose! (Kinda harsh, but it got the point across, I guess)

At any rate, your's truly got in and so did some locals flying under the Velo Syndikat banner. Hmm...............wonder what's up there? (Actually, I know- I am just not sure it is a publicly traded commodity yet!)

Look for DK 200 training and gear bits in the future.

Better buckle down and start training! Giddy up!

You Snooze, You Lose

Well, after a blazing start to the Dirty Kanza 200 registration, the event filled up in 12 hours! Event Co-directors Jim Cummins and Joel Dyke must have secretly added 10 more entry spots at some point, but no matter. The event is filled and registration is closed.

If you went to their registration page late you were greeted by the following:

Online Registration is closed.Sucker. Try again next year.

You snooze, you lose! (Kinda harsh, but it got the point across, I guess)

At any rate, your's truly got in and so did some locals flying under the Velo Syndikat banner. Hmm...............wonder what's up there? (Actually, I know- I am just not sure it is a publicly traded commodity yet!)

Look for DK 200 training and gear bits in the future.

Better buckle down and start training! Giddy up!

So, Are You Going?

<===You gotta click this for the larger view. Lots of details in there! (From 2009 DK 200 course, photo by Guitar Ted)

Tonight at midnight the Dirty Kanza 200 opens up registration for one of the top gravel events in the World. Are you going? I am.

Maybe I am crazy, but I like this place. Check out the report I did from last year, and especially the short videos I did.

If you do, you will notice the massive wind noise, the lack of clouds, and bright sunshine that resulted in the decimation of the approximately 85 rider strong feild last may. Yep! It was brutal.

So why? Why go back for such a beatdown?

If I could properly explain it, I would. Call it a sickness, I guess. There are a lot of us that have it too. All I know is that I want to complete the course and because of my ill-preparedness in the first attempt and sickness the second time I feel like I have not given this my best shot. I can do better.

So late tonight I'll be sitting here waiting to register for another crazy trip to Kansas. Are you in?

So, Are You Going?

<===You gotta click this for the larger view. Lots of details in there! (From 2009 DK 200 course, photo by Guitar Ted)

Tonight at midnight the Dirty Kanza 200 opens up registration for one of the top gravel events in the World. Are you going? I am.

Maybe I am crazy, but I like this place. Check out the report I did from last year, and especially the short videos I did.

If you do, you will notice the massive wind noise, the lack of clouds, and bright sunshine that resulted in the decimation of the approximately 85 rider strong feild last may. Yep! It was brutal.

So why? Why go back for such a beatdown?

If I could properly explain it, I would. Call it a sickness, I guess. There are a lot of us that have it too. All I know is that I want to complete the course and because of my ill-preparedness in the first attempt and sickness the second time I feel like I have not given this my best shot. I can do better.

So late tonight I'll be sitting here waiting to register for another crazy trip to Kansas. Are you in?

Gravel Grinder News: Thoughts

<===Ben Shockey's new event is the latest news at GGN.

As many of you know, I started a little blogsite to chronicle all the crazy gravel based events i could find out about and have links to their respective sites so everyone could use it as a resource that was into such rides. Well, I threw it up on the site originally intended for the Trans Iowa History that I wanted to document. That ended up on a different host and this blog was just sitting there. So I threw the idea of Gravel Grinder News on the template to see if it would stick. Boy! Did it ever! I have received much encouragement and comment about the little endeavor.

So much encouragement that I think that this idea will be taking the next step, as it were, and going to a "dot-com" address. What happens after that, I am not sure. This is where I want to ask you readers out there for your ideas. What do you want out of a gravel/back roads event site? Simple dates, times, places, and links? Do you want tips/ideas on how to tackle these events? Do you want to see it go so far as to become a reveiw/test site for bikes and related gear?

Maybe you'd just like the ability to comment! Ha ha!

Whatever your thoughts, I invite you to type them out in the comments section here and let me know. I am all ears on this one.

In fact, I wasn't very excited about jumping in on this for a long time. I originally felt that the idea would end up being picked up on by someone else, but alas.......no one did. When I kept seeing requests for a "listing" of all the gravel events, and seeing that the lists that were out there were (a) poor and never updated, or (b) tied to another event's site, I decided to take this on now.

The risk is that it will become something too unweildy for me and/or become left in the corner to rot due to my being too busy. Well, there is always a risk, I guess, but so far it hasn't been any burden at all to keep up. I just want it to be something folks want and will use. Let me know what you think, please, and comment. Thanks!

Gravel Grinder News: Thoughts

<===Ben Shockey's new event is the latest news at GGN.

As many of you know, I started a little blogsite to chronicle all the crazy gravel based events i could find out about and have links to their respective sites so everyone could use it as a resource that was into such rides. Well, I threw it up on the site originally intended for the Trans Iowa History that I wanted to document. That ended up on a different host and this blog was just sitting there. So I threw the idea of Gravel Grinder News on the template to see if it would stick. Boy! Did it ever! I have received much encouragement and comment about the little endeavor.

So much encouragement that I think that this idea will be taking the next step, as it were, and going to a "dot-com" address. What happens after that, I am not sure. This is where I want to ask you readers out there for your ideas. What do you want out of a gravel/back roads event site? Simple dates, times, places, and links? Do you want tips/ideas on how to tackle these events? Do you want to see it go so far as to become a reveiw/test site for bikes and related gear?

Maybe you'd just like the ability to comment! Ha ha!

Whatever your thoughts, I invite you to type them out in the comments section here and let me know. I am all ears on this one.

In fact, I wasn't very excited about jumping in on this for a long time. I originally felt that the idea would end up being picked up on by someone else, but alas.......no one did. When I kept seeing requests for a "listing" of all the gravel events, and seeing that the lists that were out there were (a) poor and never updated, or (b) tied to another event's site, I decided to take this on now.

The risk is that it will become something too unweildy for me and/or become left in the corner to rot due to my being too busy. Well, there is always a risk, I guess, but so far it hasn't been any burden at all to keep up. I just want it to be something folks want and will use. Let me know what you think, please, and comment. Thanks!

Highs And Lows

<==The Karate Monkey does another tour of winter duty.

I got in a lot of things I needed to do on Wednesday. Errands, and web work were some of those things. A battery for "the truck with no name" was one of those things. I got it swapped out and running again. That felt good.

I did a hour and a half ride with errands mixed in. Temperature was about 7 degrees Fahrenheit. Pretty chilly, but it was great to be riding. Oh yeah.......the Woodchippers? They are great. I think I'm going to really come to appreciate this design. I'll probably double wrap them later. That's the only tweak though. The rest is spot on.

Well, I got back home and cooled down only to realize that I didn't know where the keys for the other rig were. Yeah, and these keys are the "smart" keys, with the alarm, door locks, yadda-yadda. I scramble around the house for an hour searching ever more frantically. Then it hits me. I may have lost them on my travels by bike today. And it had started snowing. Fat chance of finding them now. If I did lose them out there. I don't know. Did I mention it was the only set of keys we ever had for this rig? Yeah, because getting a duplicate set was really expensive!

And with that four figure mistake slowly setting in, I was depressed and really angry with myself. Great way to end the day, huh?

Oh well, there's always tomorrow...............

And you know, sometimes tomorrow comes today. Later on I thought on it and figured out a possible scenario. I was right. I found the keys.

And all was back to normal again.

Highs And Lows

<==The Karate Monkey does another tour of winter duty.

I got in a lot of things I needed to do on Wednesday. Errands, and web work were some of those things. A battery for "the truck with no name" was one of those things. I got it swapped out and running again. That felt good.

I did a hour and a half ride with errands mixed in. Temperature was about 7 degrees Fahrenheit. Pretty chilly, but it was great to be riding. Oh yeah.......the Woodchippers? They are great. I think I'm going to really come to appreciate this design. I'll probably double wrap them later. That's the only tweak though. The rest is spot on.

Well, I got back home and cooled down only to realize that I didn't know where the keys for the other rig were. Yeah, and these keys are the "smart" keys, with the alarm, door locks, yadda-yadda. I scramble around the house for an hour searching ever more frantically. Then it hits me. I may have lost them on my travels by bike today. And it had started snowing. Fat chance of finding them now. If I did lose them out there. I don't know. Did I mention it was the only set of keys we ever had for this rig? Yeah, because getting a duplicate set was really expensive!

And with that four figure mistake slowly setting in, I was depressed and really angry with myself. Great way to end the day, huh?

Oh well, there's always tomorrow...............

And you know, sometimes tomorrow comes today. Later on I thought on it and figured out a possible scenario. I was right. I found the keys.

And all was back to normal again.

The Picture Gets A Little Clearer

<===Hoping to get a bit of snow biking in before it snows again!

2010 planning is going on here at Guitar Ted Productions. Talking over things with the family and setting some dates with some firmness now that another piece of the 2010 puzzle has been revealed.

What's that you say? Why the "second" Fargo Adventure Ride which is set for June 17th-18th with an optional Cable area mountain bike excursion following directly. I went on last years version of this and it comes highly recommended! Now as for Gnat calling this the "second" annual Fargo Adventure, well he must be using some "new math" or the first Fargo Adventure Ride was the prologue to these other ones.

All I can say is that it is too bad this years Fargo Adventure ride won't be taking in a ride on "Mr. Raftypants".

So with that event scrabbled onto my calendar for 2010, I have set in motion the wheels of figuring out how to fit all the puzzle pieces together.

Lessee...........

I will be going to Frostbike next month, March will see me going to Texas to visit the family I have there and ride the excellent Franklin Mountain State Park trails in El Paso. Then I come back and will be putting on Trans Iowa in April. May is a "sandwich month" with nothing going on as yet. June will bring the Dirty Kanza 200 and the Fargo Adventure Ride #2, then July will be GTDRI. August might bring the Good Life Gravel Adventure, but that date has yet to be announced. September is Interbike, and then I'll get to watch the leaves fall off the trees again in October after several months of riding and having fun. (hopefully!)

I don't doubt that some things will change on this list while other unforeseen things will pop up. Stay tuned. It's gonna be a wild ride in 2010!

The Picture Gets A Little Clearer

<===Hoping to get a bit of snow biking in before it snows again!

2010 planning is going on here at Guitar Ted Productions. Talking over things with the family and setting some dates with some firmness now that another piece of the 2010 puzzle has been revealed.

What's that you say? Why the "second" Fargo Adventure Ride which is set for June 17th-18th with an optional Cable area mountain bike excursion following directly. I went on last years version of this and it comes highly recommended! Now as for Gnat calling this the "second" annual Fargo Adventure, well he must be using some "new math" or the first Fargo Adventure Ride was the prologue to these other ones.

All I can say is that it is too bad this years Fargo Adventure ride won't be taking in a ride on "Mr. Raftypants".

So with that event scrabbled onto my calendar for 2010, I have set in motion the wheels of figuring out how to fit all the puzzle pieces together.

Lessee...........

I will be going to Frostbike next month, March will see me going to Texas to visit the family I have there and ride the excellent Franklin Mountain State Park trails in El Paso. Then I come back and will be putting on Trans Iowa in April. May is a "sandwich month" with nothing going on as yet. June will bring the Dirty Kanza 200 and the Fargo Adventure Ride #2, then July will be GTDRI. August might bring the Good Life Gravel Adventure, but that date has yet to be announced. September is Interbike, and then I'll get to watch the leaves fall off the trees again in October after several months of riding and having fun. (hopefully!)

I don't doubt that some things will change on this list while other unforeseen things will pop up. Stay tuned. It's gonna be a wild ride in 2010!

Bike Shop Tales: Rogue Trails And Rebel Riders

Back in the earliest days of Advantage Cyclery, before I worked there, a bunch of stuff happened that set the stage for what went on while I was there in regards to trail riding........

A bit of local history regarding the off road scene in my area is necessary here, I think, to give you out there some backdrop to understand what was happening in the mid 90's at Advantage Cyclery and with me. So, from the foggiest of memory and from almost legendary, word of mouth tales, here is how I understood the earliest days of off roading in and around Advantage Cyclery's locale.

Of course, being in the Mid-West, the whole off roading thing took awhile to catch on. Certainly there were people riding dirt single track going waaaay back. I was even single speeding on dirt single track way back in the early 70's. The thing was, nobody knew we were doing anything "special". It was just riding bikes. And maybe it should have stayed that way, but I digress......

In the late 80's, or there abouts, a small, secretive band of off roaders were loosely knit under the moniker, The Dead Bikeman. As far as I could gather, these fellows were responsible for many of the earliest off road trails cut into the woods in George Wyth State Park. Now there was a "fitness trail" in the park and several "walkways" that consisted of mown, ten to twelve foot wide swaths cut through the woods. These made for tempting places to ride off road, but the Park officials frowned on the bicycles off road, and especially so since the Park had a paved path that ran right through it specifically built for bicyclists to use.

In fact, stories of the Park Rangers stopping cyclists on these mown pathways and ticketing them were rampant in the time around '89-90. This no doubt fueled the reasons for the "rogue trails" that started to emerge about that time. Hidden in the thickets and away from where Rangers eyes were pointed, the riders could use these trails at their discretion and go undetected. Plus, they were a heck of a lot more fun than what the fitness trails were. Stories of these trails leaked out over time to other avid off roaders, but it seems that the Dead Bikeman, or whomever were responsible, were reluctant to have just anybody know about the treasure that lay in the canopy of the State Park. So if you got wind of a trail, it was time to explore, and if you found it, it was like a really big deal, akin to kissing your first girl. Well.....maybe not that good! But pretty dang close!

In time others got into the act of cutting trail in the Park. By about 1994 it seemed that the Park had relaxed the rules regulating cycling off road. I seem to remember there being some "official blessing" given for riding the "fitness trails", but whether the Park officials even knew about the rogue trails was anybodies guess, and really, we didn't give it a second thought. Anyway, this signalled what I would say was the pinnacle of off roading in this area. New trails, new people getting in on the action, and all resulting in a ton of activity at Advantage Cyclery.

You could say that I got in on the action at just the right time.

Next week: More On The Trails

Bike Shop Tales: Rogue Trails And Rebel Riders

Back in the earliest days of Advantage Cyclery, before I worked there, a bunch of stuff happened that set the stage for what went on while I was there in regards to trail riding........

A bit of local history regarding the off road scene in my area is necessary here, I think, to give you out there some backdrop to understand what was happening in the mid 90's at Advantage Cyclery and with me. So, from the foggiest of memory and from almost legendary, word of mouth tales, here is how I understood the earliest days of off roading in and around Advantage Cyclery's locale.

Of course, being in the Mid-West, the whole off roading thing took awhile to catch on. Certainly there were people riding dirt single track going waaaay back. I was even single speeding on dirt single track way back in the early 70's. The thing was, nobody knew we were doing anything "special". It was just riding bikes. And maybe it should have stayed that way, but I digress......

In the late 80's, or there abouts, a small, secretive band of off roaders were loosely knit under the moniker, The Dead Bikeman. As far as I could gather, these fellows were responsible for many of the earliest off road trails cut into the woods in George Wyth State Park. Now there was a "fitness trail" in the park and several "walkways" that consisted of mown, ten to twelve foot wide swaths cut through the woods. These made for tempting places to ride off road, but the Park officials frowned on the bicycles off road, and especially so since the Park had a paved path that ran right through it specifically built for bicyclists to use.

In fact, stories of the Park Rangers stopping cyclists on these mown pathways and ticketing them were rampant in the time around '89-90. This no doubt fueled the reasons for the "rogue trails" that started to emerge about that time. Hidden in the thickets and away from where Rangers eyes were pointed, the riders could use these trails at their discretion and go undetected. Plus, they were a heck of a lot more fun than what the fitness trails were. Stories of these trails leaked out over time to other avid off roaders, but it seems that the Dead Bikeman, or whomever were responsible, were reluctant to have just anybody know about the treasure that lay in the canopy of the State Park. So if you got wind of a trail, it was time to explore, and if you found it, it was like a really big deal, akin to kissing your first girl. Well.....maybe not that good! But pretty dang close!

In time others got into the act of cutting trail in the Park. By about 1994 it seemed that the Park had relaxed the rules regulating cycling off road. I seem to remember there being some "official blessing" given for riding the "fitness trails", but whether the Park officials even knew about the rogue trails was anybodies guess, and really, we didn't give it a second thought. Anyway, this signalled what I would say was the pinnacle of off roading in this area. New trails, new people getting in on the action, and all resulting in a ton of activity at Advantage Cyclery.

You could say that I got in on the action at just the right time.

Next week: More On The Trails

Backlog Of Stuff!

<==Christmas Eve Treat!

It has been awhile since I could write about the current goings on here what with the Rearview Of '09 going on. Well, plenty of stuff was happening, let me assure you!

A-Lo, my former co-worker and now resident Velocity U.S.A. wonk, was in town and passed off this pimpy set of Velocity wheels for testing on Twenty Nine Inches. They feature Velocity's new hubs and the new P-35 rims. The rims were designed in conjunction with Kirk Pacenti and are a whopping 35mm wide! Velocity is recommending a Stan's rim strip for now, but will have their own system to set these up tubeless in the future, I am told.


<===Check out that wide rim profile!

The hubs are Velocity's newest hubs and I have a 20mm through axle front hub here with a single speed specific rear hub that interfaces with a thread on freewheel. The bearings are really smoooooth!! Disc specific too, by the way.

These will be fitted with some Ardent 2.4 inch rubber tubeless and slammed on the following bike sometime soon................




<===But first, could you please pass the Gray Poupon?

Yeah....those yellowy-green beasts are weird looking, but underneath that Kevlar exterior lies the carbon fiber goodness that is a Ragley Bikes Carnegie's Bar. Oh yeah! It has indicated to me that it has some lovely "give" but still retaining that great feel of control. Directly swapped out without a stem change, the Carnegie's is a really great "alt-bar" for mtb-ing. Look for more words on this cool little bit of componentry coming soon. Oh, by the way, the look of this will be changing, so don't get to hung up on the "phlegm yellow" look, although I know Johnny Rotten would have been proud of it. Ragley's head honch, Brant Richards was kind enough to let me have this pre-production proto-type to play with. Thus the looks.

<===Snow on the Soul.

Bicycling has been on the down low of late. So much snow, ice , and cold make it a lot harder to get out and play, but I have a few rides on this new Soul Cycles Dillinger Gen III frame which is a pretty nice riding frame. The fork is a cro-mo steel unit that is optimized for a 100mm travel suspension correction. It's all been tweaked recently by Chad at Soul Cycles with a total commitment to disc only brakes and a re-routing of the cable guides. All wrapped up in a gorgeous midnight blue color. Soul Cycles really nails it in the looks category, that's for sure. Watch Twenty Nine Inches for the upcoming review to see if the performance can match the high standards set by the good looks.

Notice the white cages on that Dillinger? Well, they are Velocity's new water bottle cages. The long running aluminum anodized ones were discontinued due to the ancient machine that made them and it's propensity for breaking down. Velocity decided to ditch that old design, and now with this new design they have something that is pretty close to a Cat Eye cage in looks and even in bottle retention. Yes- this cage does not like to let go of bottles. It almost works too good. I want to relent on passing judgement until warmer weather, but right now the grip on bottles here is insane.

And the Velocity wheels? Well, after I reduce the travel on my white Rock Shox through axle fork to 100mm, I will be popping it on the Dillinger with these wild, white wheels. Stay tuned!

Backlog Of Stuff!

<==Christmas Eve Treat!

It has been awhile since I could write about the current goings on here what with the Rearview Of '09 going on. Well, plenty of stuff was happening, let me assure you!

A-Lo, my former co-worker and now resident Velocity U.S.A. wonk, was in town and passed off this pimpy set of Velocity wheels for testing on Twenty Nine Inches. They feature Velocity's new hubs and the new P-35 rims. The rims were designed in conjunction with Kirk Pacenti and are a whopping 35mm wide! Velocity is recommending a Stan's rim strip for now, but will have their own system to set these up tubeless in the future, I am told.


<===Check out that wide rim profile!

The hubs are Velocity's newest hubs and I have a 20mm through axle front hub here with a single speed specific rear hub that interfaces with a thread on freewheel. The bearings are really smoooooth!! Disc specific too, by the way.

These will be fitted with some Ardent 2.4 inch rubber tubeless and slammed on the following bike sometime soon................




<===But first, could you please pass the Gray Poupon?

Yeah....those yellowy-green beasts are weird looking, but underneath that Kevlar exterior lies the carbon fiber goodness that is a Ragley Bikes Carnegie's Bar. Oh yeah! It has indicated to me that it has some lovely "give" but still retaining that great feel of control. Directly swapped out without a stem change, the Carnegie's is a really great "alt-bar" for mtb-ing. Look for more words on this cool little bit of componentry coming soon. Oh, by the way, the look of this will be changing, so don't get to hung up on the "phlegm yellow" look, although I know Johnny Rotten would have been proud of it. Ragley's head honch, Brant Richards was kind enough to let me have this pre-production proto-type to play with. Thus the looks.

<===Snow on the Soul.

Bicycling has been on the down low of late. So much snow, ice , and cold make it a lot harder to get out and play, but I have a few rides on this new Soul Cycles Dillinger Gen III frame which is a pretty nice riding frame. The fork is a cro-mo steel unit that is optimized for a 100mm travel suspension correction. It's all been tweaked recently by Chad at Soul Cycles with a total commitment to disc only brakes and a re-routing of the cable guides. All wrapped up in a gorgeous midnight blue color. Soul Cycles really nails it in the looks category, that's for sure. Watch Twenty Nine Inches for the upcoming review to see if the performance can match the high standards set by the good looks.

Notice the white cages on that Dillinger? Well, they are Velocity's new water bottle cages. The long running aluminum anodized ones were discontinued due to the ancient machine that made them and it's propensity for breaking down. Velocity decided to ditch that old design, and now with this new design they have something that is pretty close to a Cat Eye cage in looks and even in bottle retention. Yes- this cage does not like to let go of bottles. It almost works too good. I want to relent on passing judgement until warmer weather, but right now the grip on bottles here is insane.

And the Velocity wheels? Well, after I reduce the travel on my white Rock Shox through axle fork to 100mm, I will be popping it on the Dillinger with these wild, white wheels. Stay tuned!

Trans Iowa V6: Thoughts Part IX

<====Situation Room- T.I.V2- Time running out....

Rules: Most competitive events have rules. Boundaries, if you will, that dictate how an event will unfold to some degree, but really, they are there so the people inside an event know what to expect. If these parameters are effectively communicated, the participants know what to expect if they find themselves outside said boundaries.

Usually these types of rules, or boundaries, are best if they are simple, and unwavering. Look at it this way: It is like a line drawn in the sand, Cross it and face the consequences. I think we all "get that". Easy to understand. Easy to see that a consequence will occur if your actions cause you to "cross that line". You don't have to agree with it, and in the case of these ultra-endurance events, you don't have to show up if you don't like the way the event is run, or more specifically, the rules.

My intentions in writing this post are to draw attention to time cut offs. We use them in Trans Iowa. The reason we use them is to help us keep track of you, the event participants, and also to add another element to the event. An urgency to keep moving, to continue to test yourself. To add a mental/logistical component to the event.

I think my time limits for the event have been very fair in light of my intentions. It is simple. Cover 10 miles every hour and you'll be a finisher. Not "10mph" mind you- no, I said you must cover at least 10 miles every hour to complete a Trans Iowa. This means that in reality, you've got to go slightly faster than 10mph because you'll have to stop for things. Mechanicals, flat tires, nutrition, rest, and maybe even figuring in waiting for traffic to safely cross roads. Going 10mph means you'd never get to stop for the entire 320-ish miles. Not likely is it?

Added to this, I have relaxed the mileage per hour needed to cover the miles of Trans Iowa in recent years. Last year it averaged in the 9 plus miles covered per hour to complete the course. Still, some folks were not on pace. It is tough. It is meant to be.

Checkpoints are closed in relation to the slowest average time needed to reach them. So, if you are late getting to one, even by a minute, you are done. Disqualified. Your efforts resulted in a falling short of the measure by which everyone in a T.I. is being measured. Even if you are late by one minute.

I have been on the recieving end of some heated discussion of how the time cut off wasn't fair. But if I don't stick to my guns. If I do not enforce the rules, then why even have them? How does that reflect on folks that do live by the expectations of the time cut offs? Doesn't that cheapen their accomplisments. I think it does.

Recently I have gotten wind of other event directors that don't enforce checkpoint cut off times. Well, they are free to run their events as they see fit. But I ask, "Why even bother having time cut offs if you don't enforce them?" Just let anybody roll in when they can. I mean, either you do it, or you don't. Playing the "gray area" is just goofy. My opinion.

Whatever- Trans Iowa will not be run that way. You can expect that as long as I am at the helm, and as much as I am able to, the cut off times will be enforced in a black and white manner. You either make it, or you don't.

And now you know where you stand as a event participant. No wondering if there is someone getting a ten minute grace on a checkpoint. You either get there on time, or not. Folks can read a watch. It shouldn't be hard to figure this out.

Trans Iowa V6: Thoughts Part IX

<====Situation Room- T.I.V2- Time running out....

Rules: Most competitive events have rules. Boundaries, if you will, that dictate how an event will unfold to some degree, but really, they are there so the people inside an event know what to expect. If these parameters are effectively communicated, the participants know what to expect if they find themselves outside said boundaries.

Usually these types of rules, or boundaries, are best if they are simple, and unwavering. Look at it this way: It is like a line drawn in the sand, Cross it and face the consequences. I think we all "get that". Easy to understand. Easy to see that a consequence will occur if your actions cause you to "cross that line". You don't have to agree with it, and in the case of these ultra-endurance events, you don't have to show up if you don't like the way the event is run, or more specifically, the rules.

My intentions in writing this post are to draw attention to time cut offs. We use them in Trans Iowa. The reason we use them is to help us keep track of you, the event participants, and also to add another element to the event. An urgency to keep moving, to continue to test yourself. To add a mental/logistical component to the event.

I think my time limits for the event have been very fair in light of my intentions. It is simple. Cover 10 miles every hour and you'll be a finisher. Not "10mph" mind you- no, I said you must cover at least 10 miles every hour to complete a Trans Iowa. This means that in reality, you've got to go slightly faster than 10mph because you'll have to stop for things. Mechanicals, flat tires, nutrition, rest, and maybe even figuring in waiting for traffic to safely cross roads. Going 10mph means you'd never get to stop for the entire 320-ish miles. Not likely is it?

Added to this, I have relaxed the mileage per hour needed to cover the miles of Trans Iowa in recent years. Last year it averaged in the 9 plus miles covered per hour to complete the course. Still, some folks were not on pace. It is tough. It is meant to be.

Checkpoints are closed in relation to the slowest average time needed to reach them. So, if you are late getting to one, even by a minute, you are done. Disqualified. Your efforts resulted in a falling short of the measure by which everyone in a T.I. is being measured. Even if you are late by one minute.

I have been on the recieving end of some heated discussion of how the time cut off wasn't fair. But if I don't stick to my guns. If I do not enforce the rules, then why even have them? How does that reflect on folks that do live by the expectations of the time cut offs? Doesn't that cheapen their accomplisments. I think it does.

Recently I have gotten wind of other event directors that don't enforce checkpoint cut off times. Well, they are free to run their events as they see fit. But I ask, "Why even bother having time cut offs if you don't enforce them?" Just let anybody roll in when they can. I mean, either you do it, or you don't. Playing the "gray area" is just goofy. My opinion.

Whatever- Trans Iowa will not be run that way. You can expect that as long as I am at the helm, and as much as I am able to, the cut off times will be enforced in a black and white manner. You either make it, or you don't.

And now you know where you stand as a event participant. No wondering if there is someone getting a ten minute grace on a checkpoint. You either get there on time, or not. Folks can read a watch. It shouldn't be hard to figure this out.

Happy New Year!!

It's the start of a new decade. WooHoo! Well, with that I want to write down some goals and thoughts coming into this new year............

Riding: It is what it is all about. Riding. I want to get into better shape for the coming season because when I got into good shape last year it just made the riding a lot more fun. Still, there was a lot of room for improvement and I hope to hone in on some finer fitness this year to make my riding more fun.

Added to this is the fact that I want to do a few competitive, long distance things in 2010 and the goal is to finish those events.

Places: It is always fun to go different places to ride. Last year I did seven different states and this year I would like to increase that number. Specifically I am looking forward to getting to El Paso, Texas, Rock Lake Loop, Cable, Wisconsin, Nebraska including the Lincoln/Omaha area and Potter's Pasture. Minnesota and the Murphy-Hanrahan system and also Lebanon Hills. These and more are on the radar for 2010.

People: Of course, riding with other folks is the key component to making any ride way, way better. I hope to continue to ride with those of you that I rode with in 2009. I want to re-connect with some of you I missed last year, and of course, there are a lot of new people to meet on rides that I don't even know yet, and I really look forward to that.

Writing: The sites Twenty Nine Inches and The Cyclist are my big jobs and getting the hang of "running those ships" is still a work in progress. This blog is what it is and I hope to continue my series, my ranting, and local focus along with some newsy bits and behind the scenes stuff that won't get on the other sites. Gravel Grinder News will continue and I hope will be a resource that folks find helpful.

Events: Of course, the "Big One", T.I.V6- is the main focus here. Then I will be doing the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational in July. Beyond that, I won't be doing squat for putting on events. Nothing. Nada. I will aim to attend others events though. That much is for sure. 2010 won't see a Big Wheeled Ballyhoo from me, nor will I be dreaming up anything else new. (Although I'll admit having an itch to do a "gravel-BRAI" alongside the pavement version the last week of July- but I will resist such temptations!) No, I'd rather do Fargo Adventure Rides, Dirty Kanza, Good Life Gravel Adventure, and stuff like that in 2010.

Well, that's a good overview of 2010 expectations for myself. Whatever happens, I hope 2010 brings you all much joy, retained good health, joy in relationships, miles of smiles, and epic rides.

See ya down the trail in 2010!

Happy New Year!!

It's the start of a new decade. WooHoo! Well, with that I want to write down some goals and thoughts coming into this new year............

Riding: It is what it is all about. Riding. I want to get into better shape for the coming season because when I got into good shape last year it just made the riding a lot more fun. Still, there was a lot of room for improvement and I hope to hone in on some finer fitness this year to make my riding more fun.

Added to this is the fact that I want to do a few competitive, long distance things in 2010 and the goal is to finish those events.

Places: It is always fun to go different places to ride. Last year I did seven different states and this year I would like to increase that number. Specifically I am looking forward to getting to El Paso, Texas, Rock Lake Loop, Cable, Wisconsin, Nebraska including the Lincoln/Omaha area and Potter's Pasture. Minnesota and the Murphy-Hanrahan system and also Lebanon Hills. These and more are on the radar for 2010.

People: Of course, riding with other folks is the key component to making any ride way, way better. I hope to continue to ride with those of you that I rode with in 2009. I want to re-connect with some of you I missed last year, and of course, there are a lot of new people to meet on rides that I don't even know yet, and I really look forward to that.

Writing: The sites Twenty Nine Inches and The Cyclist are my big jobs and getting the hang of "running those ships" is still a work in progress. This blog is what it is and I hope to continue my series, my ranting, and local focus along with some newsy bits and behind the scenes stuff that won't get on the other sites. Gravel Grinder News will continue and I hope will be a resource that folks find helpful.

Events: Of course, the "Big One", T.I.V6- is the main focus here. Then I will be doing the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational in July. Beyond that, I won't be doing squat for putting on events. Nothing. Nada. I will aim to attend others events though. That much is for sure. 2010 won't see a Big Wheeled Ballyhoo from me, nor will I be dreaming up anything else new. (Although I'll admit having an itch to do a "gravel-BRAI" alongside the pavement version the last week of July- but I will resist such temptations!) No, I'd rather do Fargo Adventure Rides, Dirty Kanza, Good Life Gravel Adventure, and stuff like that in 2010.

Well, that's a good overview of 2010 expectations for myself. Whatever happens, I hope 2010 brings you all much joy, retained good health, joy in relationships, miles of smiles, and epic rides.

See ya down the trail in 2010!