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Saturday, April 24, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Trans Iowa V6: Pre-Race
Today will begin my series of reports to be found here on Trans Iowa V6. Today is the staging day. I will be loading up the "Truck Without A Name" and then driving to meet d.p. in Grinnell for some last minute prep before the big shindig at The Grinnell Steakhouse where we will be reuniting with many old friends and meeting a few others for the first time.
This is always the funnest part of the event, in many ways. We all look forward to this "excuse" to get together, hang out briefly, and pedal some bicycles for a really long time the next day or two. The pre-race is really too short, in many ways, but it is what it is. You can always sense the cameraderie, the nervousness, and the excitement in the air at these gatherings. It's just the tip of the iceberg though.
For those who wonder, I usually get up and say a few words, then we "call up" each racer individually, hand them their race packet, and then most will rush out of the room to peel out the first cues and look at their maps to see where we are headed. Then they look at the weather for the umpteenth millionth time, futz with their equipment, and second guess their set ups until it is time for lights out.
The alarm always comes too early to signal that your fitful nights "sleep", (if it can be called that), is over and it is time to suit up and toe the line. Then you see them coming. A few at first, then by bunches. Blinking lights, red and white. Twinkling off in the distance as they stream towards the start line. Some will be dropped off by car, no doubt, especially this year if it is raining. Then I will call for them to line up behind the truck. I'll give them some last minute "blessings", toot my horn at 4am sharp, and d.p. and I will lead out the throng of riders to the first gravel road sector.
That's a spectacle that few ever get to see, but is well worth it. One of my favorite parts of Trans Iowa.
That's it in a nutshell. Everything that leads up to the start of Trans Iowa V6. For updates on what I see out there, you might check into Twitter @ guitated1961, or search for Tweets with the #tiv6 tag. There probably won't be any audio-blogging since all the free sites are defunct. So if you were looking for me to do that, I won't be. Sorry! If you are racing in Trans Iowa, we encourage you to Tweet up your experiences and to hash tag the messages you Tweet with #tiv6 . It'll be fun, and a great way for folks to follow along from several vantage points.
Otherwise ya'all will have to wait patiently until Sunday night for a very brief report, or be lucky enough to be hanging out at The Barn where occaisional feeds will be phoned in to the folks there.
See ya on the other side!
This is always the funnest part of the event, in many ways. We all look forward to this "excuse" to get together, hang out briefly, and pedal some bicycles for a really long time the next day or two. The pre-race is really too short, in many ways, but it is what it is. You can always sense the cameraderie, the nervousness, and the excitement in the air at these gatherings. It's just the tip of the iceberg though.
For those who wonder, I usually get up and say a few words, then we "call up" each racer individually, hand them their race packet, and then most will rush out of the room to peel out the first cues and look at their maps to see where we are headed. Then they look at the weather for the umpteenth millionth time, futz with their equipment, and second guess their set ups until it is time for lights out.
The alarm always comes too early to signal that your fitful nights "sleep", (if it can be called that), is over and it is time to suit up and toe the line. Then you see them coming. A few at first, then by bunches. Blinking lights, red and white. Twinkling off in the distance as they stream towards the start line. Some will be dropped off by car, no doubt, especially this year if it is raining. Then I will call for them to line up behind the truck. I'll give them some last minute "blessings", toot my horn at 4am sharp, and d.p. and I will lead out the throng of riders to the first gravel road sector.
That's a spectacle that few ever get to see, but is well worth it. One of my favorite parts of Trans Iowa.
That's it in a nutshell. Everything that leads up to the start of Trans Iowa V6. For updates on what I see out there, you might check into Twitter @ guitated1961, or search for Tweets with the #tiv6 tag. There probably won't be any audio-blogging since all the free sites are defunct. So if you were looking for me to do that, I won't be. Sorry! If you are racing in Trans Iowa, we encourage you to Tweet up your experiences and to hash tag the messages you Tweet with #tiv6 . It'll be fun, and a great way for folks to follow along from several vantage points.
Otherwise ya'all will have to wait patiently until Sunday night for a very brief report, or be lucky enough to be hanging out at The Barn where occaisional feeds will be phoned in to the folks there.
See ya on the other side!
Trans Iowa V6: Pre-Race
Today will begin my series of reports to be found here on Trans Iowa V6. Today is the staging day. I will be loading up the "Truck Without A Name" and then driving to meet d.p. in Grinnell for some last minute prep before the big shindig at The Grinnell Steakhouse where we will be reuniting with many old friends and meeting a few others for the first time.
This is always the funnest part of the event, in many ways. We all look forward to this "excuse" to get together, hang out briefly, and pedal some bicycles for a really long time the next day or two. The pre-race is really too short, in many ways, but it is what it is. You can always sense the cameraderie, the nervousness, and the excitement in the air at these gatherings. It's just the tip of the iceberg though.
For those who wonder, I usually get up and say a few words, then we "call up" each racer individually, hand them their race packet, and then most will rush out of the room to peel out the first cues and look at their maps to see where we are headed. Then they look at the weather for the umpteenth millionth time, futz with their equipment, and second guess their set ups until it is time for lights out.
The alarm always comes too early to signal that your fitful nights "sleep", (if it can be called that), is over and it is time to suit up and toe the line. Then you see them coming. A few at first, then by bunches. Blinking lights, red and white. Twinkling off in the distance as they stream towards the start line. Some will be dropped off by car, no doubt, especially this year if it is raining. Then I will call for them to line up behind the truck. I'll give them some last minute "blessings", toot my horn at 4am sharp, and d.p. and I will lead out the throng of riders to the first gravel road sector.
That's a spectacle that few ever get to see, but is well worth it. One of my favorite parts of Trans Iowa.
That's it in a nutshell. Everything that leads up to the start of Trans Iowa V6. For updates on what I see out there, you might check into Twitter @ guitated1961, or search for Tweets with the #tiv6 tag. There probably won't be any audio-blogging since all the free sites are defunct. So if you were looking for me to do that, I won't be. Sorry! If you are racing in Trans Iowa, we encourage you to Tweet up your experiences and to hash tag the messages you Tweet with #tiv6 . It'll be fun, and a great way for folks to follow along from several vantage points.
Otherwise ya'all will have to wait patiently until Sunday night for a very brief report, or be lucky enough to be hanging out at The Barn where occaisional feeds will be phoned in to the folks there.
See ya on the other side!
This is always the funnest part of the event, in many ways. We all look forward to this "excuse" to get together, hang out briefly, and pedal some bicycles for a really long time the next day or two. The pre-race is really too short, in many ways, but it is what it is. You can always sense the cameraderie, the nervousness, and the excitement in the air at these gatherings. It's just the tip of the iceberg though.
For those who wonder, I usually get up and say a few words, then we "call up" each racer individually, hand them their race packet, and then most will rush out of the room to peel out the first cues and look at their maps to see where we are headed. Then they look at the weather for the umpteenth millionth time, futz with their equipment, and second guess their set ups until it is time for lights out.
The alarm always comes too early to signal that your fitful nights "sleep", (if it can be called that), is over and it is time to suit up and toe the line. Then you see them coming. A few at first, then by bunches. Blinking lights, red and white. Twinkling off in the distance as they stream towards the start line. Some will be dropped off by car, no doubt, especially this year if it is raining. Then I will call for them to line up behind the truck. I'll give them some last minute "blessings", toot my horn at 4am sharp, and d.p. and I will lead out the throng of riders to the first gravel road sector.
That's a spectacle that few ever get to see, but is well worth it. One of my favorite parts of Trans Iowa.
That's it in a nutshell. Everything that leads up to the start of Trans Iowa V6. For updates on what I see out there, you might check into Twitter @ guitated1961, or search for Tweets with the #tiv6 tag. There probably won't be any audio-blogging since all the free sites are defunct. So if you were looking for me to do that, I won't be. Sorry! If you are racing in Trans Iowa, we encourage you to Tweet up your experiences and to hash tag the messages you Tweet with #tiv6 . It'll be fun, and a great way for folks to follow along from several vantage points.
Otherwise ya'all will have to wait patiently until Sunday night for a very brief report, or be lucky enough to be hanging out at The Barn where occaisional feeds will be phoned in to the folks there.
See ya on the other side!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
One More Day!
Here are a few more thoughts from my wearied brain.........
As I have mentioned, there will be a barn where the event will host the finish line, the awards, and also will play host to support folks Saturday evening through to the end. It will be where we are phoning in updates, and this will be the only source of info during the event. Okay, just to let you know, the place will be warm, dry, and it has electricity, but................. IT IS A BARN. Basically it has wooden walls and a concrete floor with a ton of open space.
This means you will need to bring chairs to sit in, if you plan on hanging out. There will be refreshments and munchies, but you can bring whatcha want to eat and drink. There will be a campfire, (weather permitting), and some other fun. Bring a guitar. Sing dirges in the dark. Wonder at the spectacle that is Trans Iowa!
Finally, the barn has NO RESTROOM. The Jacb Krumm Nature Preserve, just about a quarter mile away, where you will be parking your cars, does have a restroom that will be unlocked and at our disposal. By the way, the road to the barn may not be driveable if it is wet, so please do not attempt to park near the barn.
There will be instructions on how to get there in each racers packet that will be distributed at the Pre-Race Meat-Up.
__________________
Weather Update: Some folks are crying, "Remember T.I.V2!!" already. The rain factor has them freaked out through and through. Look.........here's the deal: That year it rained for several days prior to the event. It didn't rain the day before, but the rains had done the damage already. Today is Thursday. It hasn't rained on the course yet. It isn't supposed to rain on the course until Friday, and it really needs to be rained on!! We've been on it, and the extent of the dust holes is unimaginable until you've seen them. Rain could pack it down. Saturday is forcast to be hit and miss thunder showers. Saturday night the rain chances increase a bit. How fast you go will determine much of your success or lack thereof. One good thing: The winds are forecast to be less than previously thought.
Okay, that's all for today. A final word before I go to T.I.V6 will be on tap for tomorrow...........
One More Day!
Here are a few more thoughts from my wearied brain.........
As I have mentioned, there will be a barn where the event will host the finish line, the awards, and also will play host to support folks Saturday evening through to the end. It will be where we are phoning in updates, and this will be the only source of info during the event. Okay, just to let you know, the place will be warm, dry, and it has electricity, but................. IT IS A BARN. Basically it has wooden walls and a concrete floor with a ton of open space.
This means you will need to bring chairs to sit in, if you plan on hanging out. There will be refreshments and munchies, but you can bring whatcha want to eat and drink. There will be a campfire, (weather permitting), and some other fun. Bring a guitar. Sing dirges in the dark. Wonder at the spectacle that is Trans Iowa!
Finally, the barn has NO RESTROOM. The Jacb Krumm Nature Preserve, just about a quarter mile away, where you will be parking your cars, does have a restroom that will be unlocked and at our disposal. By the way, the road to the barn may not be driveable if it is wet, so please do not attempt to park near the barn.
There will be instructions on how to get there in each racers packet that will be distributed at the Pre-Race Meat-Up.
__________________
Weather Update: Some folks are crying, "Remember T.I.V2!!" already. The rain factor has them freaked out through and through. Look.........here's the deal: That year it rained for several days prior to the event. It didn't rain the day before, but the rains had done the damage already. Today is Thursday. It hasn't rained on the course yet. It isn't supposed to rain on the course until Friday, and it really needs to be rained on!! We've been on it, and the extent of the dust holes is unimaginable until you've seen them. Rain could pack it down. Saturday is forcast to be hit and miss thunder showers. Saturday night the rain chances increase a bit. How fast you go will determine much of your success or lack thereof. One good thing: The winds are forecast to be less than previously thought.
Okay, that's all for today. A final word before I go to T.I.V6 will be on tap for tomorrow...........
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Trans Iowa V6: Mid-Week Update: Final
Dining Dollars/Welcome Bag: Sheryl Parmley of the Grinnell Chamber Of Commerce told me today that your racer welcome bag is already at the Comfort Inn And Suites in Grinnell. Amongst the information in the packet, you will find an envelope. Note! This is your Dining Dollar certificates! The Chamber has allotted some of their tourism budget to subsidize your meals while you stay in Grinnell. Two ten dollar certificates are within the envelope. You can use the Dining Dollars at The Grinnell Steakhouse, or any other member of the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce that sells food. Note: These are also for support people and volunteers.
IMPORTANT!! YOU MUST PICK UP THE WELCOME BAG YOURSELF!! We will not be bringing the bags with us to the Meat-Up. You forget, you pay up full price for your meal. Make sure you get the bag at The Comfort Inn and Suites front desk BEFORE you come to the Meat-Up.
Thank You!! Thanks to all who promptly answered my 11th hour question about what you wanted to eat. I appreciated the prompt responses, (from most of you!!)
Cue Sheets: d.p. has feverishly been working, hunched over some micro-sized print on maps, trying to make the cues make sense. A dizzying job of tediousness of the highest order. He has gotten the first draft to me, and I have sent back my suggestions/corrections already. The final major hurdle is almost cleared. What a relief that is!!
Weather And A Word On The Course: Okay, this has been on everyone's minds of late. Rain and wind look to be bearing down on this weekend, just in time for T.I.V6. Here are the factors going in and how poor weather may or may not affect the course.
Roads are dry. REALLY dry! The course has seen no appreciable rain for weeks. The roads really could benefit from some precipitation that would settle the dust and perhaps help to make the dusty holes that have cropped up set up into something less like a sand dune. Rain is forecast to hit on Friday. This looks to be the day that could have the heaviest amounts of precipitation, but it sounds as though it may come in as a hit or miss thing. Saturday and early Sunday look to have a much lesser chance for rain, with only showers on tap both days, and low amounts of total precip are expected. Friday will be the wild card then. As of now, it looks as though close to an inch may fall "if" it falls on course.
The real kicker is going to be the wind, which is forecast to be out of the Southeast to begin with and then turn Northeasterly at the end of Saturday night into Sunday. The winds are expected to be in the 14-20mph range with gusts up to 35mph. Rain may make things difficult, but to my mind, the wind will be what turns out to be the beast that everyone must face this year.
Course re-routes will be a consideration around some B Roads. We do have options to avoid some of them, but not all of them, and we will make on the fly determinations based upon current conditions and with consideration of how the riders are progressing on course. But here is one truth about T.I.V6: You will have to traverse a B Road. It might be unrideable. There may be no ditch to ride in, (most likely not). Be prepared for the worst. In fact, we may not take out any B roads at all! Even if it does rain.
Be Careful! Be Smart! The course we have laid out will have some speedy, fast descents right out of the box. It will be dark. People may be nervous to be up front, or in packs to avoid wind/weather. The roads are not the greatest and with the descents in the dark, it will make for a potentially dangerous situation. Be smart! Don't take unnecesary chances at mile 15 that will end your race. (Like what happened to a guy in T.I.V3)
Be At The Pre-Race Meat-Up On Time! Doors open to our meeting space at 5:00pm Friday and the meeting starts at 6:00pm!! You can't start unless you come to the meeting on time.
Be At The Start On Time! We Start At 4am sharp in front of Bikes To You in downtown Grinnell!!
Can't Come? E-mail me and let me know ASAP! It will save d.p. and I a lot of pre-race effort.
Trans Iowa V6: Mid-Week Update: Final
Dining Dollars/Welcome Bag: Sheryl Parmley of the Grinnell Chamber Of Commerce told me today that your racer welcome bag is already at the Comfort Inn And Suites in Grinnell. Amongst the information in the packet, you will find an envelope. Note! This is your Dining Dollar certificates! The Chamber has allotted some of their tourism budget to subsidize your meals while you stay in Grinnell. Two ten dollar certificates are within the envelope. You can use the Dining Dollars at The Grinnell Steakhouse, or any other member of the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce that sells food. Note: These are also for support people and volunteers.
IMPORTANT!! YOU MUST PICK UP THE WELCOME BAG YOURSELF!! We will not be bringing the bags with us to the Meat-Up. You forget, you pay up full price for your meal. Make sure you get the bag at The Comfort Inn and Suites front desk BEFORE you come to the Meat-Up.
Thank You!! Thanks to all who promptly answered my 11th hour question about what you wanted to eat. I appreciated the prompt responses, (from most of you!!)
Cue Sheets: d.p. has feverishly been working, hunched over some micro-sized print on maps, trying to make the cues make sense. A dizzying job of tediousness of the highest order. He has gotten the first draft to me, and I have sent back my suggestions/corrections already. The final major hurdle is almost cleared. What a relief that is!!
Weather And A Word On The Course: Okay, this has been on everyone's minds of late. Rain and wind look to be bearing down on this weekend, just in time for T.I.V6. Here are the factors going in and how poor weather may or may not affect the course.
Roads are dry. REALLY dry! The course has seen no appreciable rain for weeks. The roads really could benefit from some precipitation that would settle the dust and perhaps help to make the dusty holes that have cropped up set up into something less like a sand dune. Rain is forecast to hit on Friday. This looks to be the day that could have the heaviest amounts of precipitation, but it sounds as though it may come in as a hit or miss thing. Saturday and early Sunday look to have a much lesser chance for rain, with only showers on tap both days, and low amounts of total precip are expected. Friday will be the wild card then. As of now, it looks as though close to an inch may fall "if" it falls on course.
The real kicker is going to be the wind, which is forecast to be out of the Southeast to begin with and then turn Northeasterly at the end of Saturday night into Sunday. The winds are expected to be in the 14-20mph range with gusts up to 35mph. Rain may make things difficult, but to my mind, the wind will be what turns out to be the beast that everyone must face this year.
Course re-routes will be a consideration around some B Roads. We do have options to avoid some of them, but not all of them, and we will make on the fly determinations based upon current conditions and with consideration of how the riders are progressing on course. But here is one truth about T.I.V6: You will have to traverse a B Road. It might be unrideable. There may be no ditch to ride in, (most likely not). Be prepared for the worst. In fact, we may not take out any B roads at all! Even if it does rain.
Be Careful! Be Smart! The course we have laid out will have some speedy, fast descents right out of the box. It will be dark. People may be nervous to be up front, or in packs to avoid wind/weather. The roads are not the greatest and with the descents in the dark, it will make for a potentially dangerous situation. Be smart! Don't take unnecesary chances at mile 15 that will end your race. (Like what happened to a guy in T.I.V3)
Be At The Pre-Race Meat-Up On Time! Doors open to our meeting space at 5:00pm Friday and the meeting starts at 6:00pm!! You can't start unless you come to the meeting on time.
Be At The Start On Time! We Start At 4am sharp in front of Bikes To You in downtown Grinnell!!
Can't Come? E-mail me and let me know ASAP! It will save d.p. and I a lot of pre-race effort.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Bike Shop Tales: Going To The Show
The recently completed Sea Otter expo and cycling races reminded me of the Big Show and the first time I went......
Being in the cycling industry, or working at a shop back in the 90's meant that the biggest, most sought after "ticket" was the chance to go to Interbike. I had heard about Interbike, read the stories, and knew about the "schwag" to be had by simply walking into the showroom floor. So it was with great excitement and intrepidation that I learned that I was going to my first Interbike at Anaheim, California in 1995.
Intrepidation was a big feeling for me then not only because I hadn't been to a show before, but also because I had never flown anywhere in an airplane before. I wasn't to keen on that aspect of the trip at all! Tom made all the arrangements, and then all I had to do was show up, which was weird, but nice. Heck, I wouldn't have known what to do anyway! One thing is for sure, flying was a whole lot less of a hassle back then!
So, we had to fly out of Cedar Rapids to Minneapolis and then on a straight shot to Anaheim and John Wayne International Airport. Well, we were detained on the runway in the Twin Cities for awhile. The pilot was worried they would close JWI before we got there, as we would be pressing up against their 11pm shutdown time. Well, we made it, barely! I was petrified the whole way, not able to take my grip off my arm rests for the entire 3.5 hour flight. When we finally got to our little hotel room, Tom ran up to a nearby liquor store and got me a 12 pack, which I drained in record time. I was so nervous, I still wasn't drunk, and I couldn't get to sleep until 4am in the morning!
Well, the show was fantastic. I got to see all the latest and greatest stuff, which was amazing. Back then there was no internet coverage, no "instant" access to images or stories. Everything I was seeing and hearing would be "insider info" for at least the next two months, as that was about how long it took for the magazines to get their coverage to print. I felt really priveledged to have been there. It really made the trip special for me, and I am sure for others. Interbike has certainly lost that aspect!
The Anaheim Convention Center was a sprawling complex of several buildings that seemed to go on forever. The big booths and set ups were cool, but my favorite part was the basement where all the weird, marginal, and up and comers were relegated to show their wares. The vendors down there were creative and the weirdness was fun and off the charts. Really nothing that made much of a dent in reality, with a few exceptions, but it was like cycling's version of a circus side show. You knew it was a trainwreck of an idea that was being shown, but you couldn't help but look.
Next Week: I'll be taking the week off next week to use Tuesday for T.I.V6 wrap up. Come back in a couple weeks for some more stories on the Anaheim Interbike of 1995.
Being in the cycling industry, or working at a shop back in the 90's meant that the biggest, most sought after "ticket" was the chance to go to Interbike. I had heard about Interbike, read the stories, and knew about the "schwag" to be had by simply walking into the showroom floor. So it was with great excitement and intrepidation that I learned that I was going to my first Interbike at Anaheim, California in 1995.
Intrepidation was a big feeling for me then not only because I hadn't been to a show before, but also because I had never flown anywhere in an airplane before. I wasn't to keen on that aspect of the trip at all! Tom made all the arrangements, and then all I had to do was show up, which was weird, but nice. Heck, I wouldn't have known what to do anyway! One thing is for sure, flying was a whole lot less of a hassle back then!
So, we had to fly out of Cedar Rapids to Minneapolis and then on a straight shot to Anaheim and John Wayne International Airport. Well, we were detained on the runway in the Twin Cities for awhile. The pilot was worried they would close JWI before we got there, as we would be pressing up against their 11pm shutdown time. Well, we made it, barely! I was petrified the whole way, not able to take my grip off my arm rests for the entire 3.5 hour flight. When we finally got to our little hotel room, Tom ran up to a nearby liquor store and got me a 12 pack, which I drained in record time. I was so nervous, I still wasn't drunk, and I couldn't get to sleep until 4am in the morning!
Well, the show was fantastic. I got to see all the latest and greatest stuff, which was amazing. Back then there was no internet coverage, no "instant" access to images or stories. Everything I was seeing and hearing would be "insider info" for at least the next two months, as that was about how long it took for the magazines to get their coverage to print. I felt really priveledged to have been there. It really made the trip special for me, and I am sure for others. Interbike has certainly lost that aspect!
The Anaheim Convention Center was a sprawling complex of several buildings that seemed to go on forever. The big booths and set ups were cool, but my favorite part was the basement where all the weird, marginal, and up and comers were relegated to show their wares. The vendors down there were creative and the weirdness was fun and off the charts. Really nothing that made much of a dent in reality, with a few exceptions, but it was like cycling's version of a circus side show. You knew it was a trainwreck of an idea that was being shown, but you couldn't help but look.
Next Week: I'll be taking the week off next week to use Tuesday for T.I.V6 wrap up. Come back in a couple weeks for some more stories on the Anaheim Interbike of 1995.
Bike Shop Tales: Going To The Show
The recently completed Sea Otter expo and cycling races reminded me of the Big Show and the first time I went......
Being in the cycling industry, or working at a shop back in the 90's meant that the biggest, most sought after "ticket" was the chance to go to Interbike. I had heard about Interbike, read the stories, and knew about the "schwag" to be had by simply walking into the showroom floor. So it was with great excitement and intrepidation that I learned that I was going to my first Interbike at Anaheim, California in 1995.
Intrepidation was a big feeling for me then not only because I hadn't been to a show before, but also because I had never flown anywhere in an airplane before. I wasn't to keen on that aspect of the trip at all! Tom made all the arrangements, and then all I had to do was show up, which was weird, but nice. Heck, I wouldn't have known what to do anyway! One thing is for sure, flying was a whole lot less of a hassle back then!
So, we had to fly out of Cedar Rapids to Minneapolis and then on a straight shot to Anaheim and John Wayne International Airport. Well, we were detained on the runway in the Twin Cities for awhile. The pilot was worried they would close JWI before we got there, as we would be pressing up against their 11pm shutdown time. Well, we made it, barely! I was petrified the whole way, not able to take my grip off my arm rests for the entire 3.5 hour flight. When we finally got to our little hotel room, Tom ran up to a nearby liquor store and got me a 12 pack, which I drained in record time. I was so nervous, I still wasn't drunk, and I couldn't get to sleep until 4am in the morning!
Well, the show was fantastic. I got to see all the latest and greatest stuff, which was amazing. Back then there was no internet coverage, no "instant" access to images or stories. Everything I was seeing and hearing would be "insider info" for at least the next two months, as that was about how long it took for the magazines to get their coverage to print. I felt really priveledged to have been there. It really made the trip special for me, and I am sure for others. Interbike has certainly lost that aspect!
The Anaheim Convention Center was a sprawling complex of several buildings that seemed to go on forever. The big booths and set ups were cool, but my favorite part was the basement where all the weird, marginal, and up and comers were relegated to show their wares. The vendors down there were creative and the weirdness was fun and off the charts. Really nothing that made much of a dent in reality, with a few exceptions, but it was like cycling's version of a circus side show. You knew it was a trainwreck of an idea that was being shown, but you couldn't help but look.
Next Week: I'll be taking the week off next week to use Tuesday for T.I.V6 wrap up. Come back in a couple weeks for some more stories on the Anaheim Interbike of 1995.
Being in the cycling industry, or working at a shop back in the 90's meant that the biggest, most sought after "ticket" was the chance to go to Interbike. I had heard about Interbike, read the stories, and knew about the "schwag" to be had by simply walking into the showroom floor. So it was with great excitement and intrepidation that I learned that I was going to my first Interbike at Anaheim, California in 1995.
Intrepidation was a big feeling for me then not only because I hadn't been to a show before, but also because I had never flown anywhere in an airplane before. I wasn't to keen on that aspect of the trip at all! Tom made all the arrangements, and then all I had to do was show up, which was weird, but nice. Heck, I wouldn't have known what to do anyway! One thing is for sure, flying was a whole lot less of a hassle back then!
So, we had to fly out of Cedar Rapids to Minneapolis and then on a straight shot to Anaheim and John Wayne International Airport. Well, we were detained on the runway in the Twin Cities for awhile. The pilot was worried they would close JWI before we got there, as we would be pressing up against their 11pm shutdown time. Well, we made it, barely! I was petrified the whole way, not able to take my grip off my arm rests for the entire 3.5 hour flight. When we finally got to our little hotel room, Tom ran up to a nearby liquor store and got me a 12 pack, which I drained in record time. I was so nervous, I still wasn't drunk, and I couldn't get to sleep until 4am in the morning!
Well, the show was fantastic. I got to see all the latest and greatest stuff, which was amazing. Back then there was no internet coverage, no "instant" access to images or stories. Everything I was seeing and hearing would be "insider info" for at least the next two months, as that was about how long it took for the magazines to get their coverage to print. I felt really priveledged to have been there. It really made the trip special for me, and I am sure for others. Interbike has certainly lost that aspect!
The Anaheim Convention Center was a sprawling complex of several buildings that seemed to go on forever. The big booths and set ups were cool, but my favorite part was the basement where all the weird, marginal, and up and comers were relegated to show their wares. The vendors down there were creative and the weirdness was fun and off the charts. Really nothing that made much of a dent in reality, with a few exceptions, but it was like cycling's version of a circus side show. You knew it was a trainwreck of an idea that was being shown, but you couldn't help but look.
Next Week: I'll be taking the week off next week to use Tuesday for T.I.V6 wrap up. Come back in a couple weeks for some more stories on the Anaheim Interbike of 1995.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Trail Time
I was supposed to go ride at The Camp for a trail work day and for testing purposes. I loaded up two bikes, gear, and headed out. I drove all the way there, parked the Truck With No Name, and reached for my.........ahhh! No helmet!
So, I had to drive all the way home and with limited time on my hands, I decided I couldn't afford another round trip to the Camp. So I headed to Ullrich Park.
Now back in the day, Ullrich had zero trails. None! So Jeff Kerkove and I decided to do something about that back when he and I wrenched together at the shop. We were joined by a couple of local riders and we opened up a small, technical trail system in there. Well, with the benefit of about 8 years of running all around the U.S.A. and checking out some very well thought out and very well built trails, I think I can say with some authority that Ullrich Park's trails are terrible! Really. They are super poorly laid out. I was just looking around there and I could totally see how we screwed that up in there. Hopefully someday that will get rectified, but it would mean scrapping about everything out there and starting from ground zero. Besides this, it was muddy there!
So with this bummer on my mind I left there and headed to Geo Wyth State Park. It was okay for the most part. At least I got some decent riding in for the testing I needed to finish up. I also spied a few cool routes that could be implemented in there, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon! It's just hard to have ridden on excellently designed trails and then not look at your own backyard and think, "This could be soooo much better!"
Well, that was followed up by some excellent Sea Otter work by my buddy Grannygear for the site, which kept me pounding out the keyboard for hours last Saturday evening. Sunday was started by an excellent time with my family, church, and then I got another great test session in. So now things seem to be catching up in that regard, and T.I.V6 is the next big hurdle for me to leap over.
And it looks like it will be a wet one! Does anybody wish T.I.V6 woulda been this past weekend? I bet some of you do!
Trail Time
I was supposed to go ride at The Camp for a trail work day and for testing purposes. I loaded up two bikes, gear, and headed out. I drove all the way there, parked the Truck With No Name, and reached for my.........ahhh! No helmet!
So, I had to drive all the way home and with limited time on my hands, I decided I couldn't afford another round trip to the Camp. So I headed to Ullrich Park.
Now back in the day, Ullrich had zero trails. None! So Jeff Kerkove and I decided to do something about that back when he and I wrenched together at the shop. We were joined by a couple of local riders and we opened up a small, technical trail system in there. Well, with the benefit of about 8 years of running all around the U.S.A. and checking out some very well thought out and very well built trails, I think I can say with some authority that Ullrich Park's trails are terrible! Really. They are super poorly laid out. I was just looking around there and I could totally see how we screwed that up in there. Hopefully someday that will get rectified, but it would mean scrapping about everything out there and starting from ground zero. Besides this, it was muddy there!
So with this bummer on my mind I left there and headed to Geo Wyth State Park. It was okay for the most part. At least I got some decent riding in for the testing I needed to finish up. I also spied a few cool routes that could be implemented in there, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon! It's just hard to have ridden on excellently designed trails and then not look at your own backyard and think, "This could be soooo much better!"
Well, that was followed up by some excellent Sea Otter work by my buddy Grannygear for the site, which kept me pounding out the keyboard for hours last Saturday evening. Sunday was started by an excellent time with my family, church, and then I got another great test session in. So now things seem to be catching up in that regard, and T.I.V6 is the next big hurdle for me to leap over.
And it looks like it will be a wet one! Does anybody wish T.I.V6 woulda been this past weekend? I bet some of you do!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Trans Iowa Thoughts: The Countdown! 1!
Your Fair Warning!! Okay folks, one more nail biting week until Trans Iowa V6! We're excited to get this underway, but I have a few admonishments to make, which will be reiterated at the Pre-Race Meat-Up, just to make sure.
The nature of the course we use now is a "big assed loop", as Jeff Kerkove put it once a few years back. Due to the nature of how things lay out, you folks will be getting in deeper and deeper as you progress from one checkpoint to another this time around. This comes into play as you consider your bail out options. Especially if you were silly enough to come without a support person. I know a lot of you are planning to do this solo, so here's what you need to put into your "thinkrerer".
Further and Further From Home: The nature of this loop leads you further and further away from Grinnell as you progress into the event. It really is a big loop without a good bail out option for solo riders the further you get into this. In fact, you won't start back towards Grinnell until you are truly about half way into the mileage. Think about that for a minute: You are 150 miles into T.I.V6 and you are cooked and have no support person? That's going to be a long trek back to Grinnell over hilly roads no matter how you slice it. Maybe you are willing to deal with that, but trust me, it won't be very easy. What's more, the furthest point out comes after Checkpoint #2. So keep that in mind as well.
Nobody Knows, So Don't Ask! In an effort to squelch the outside support I observed and heard about last year, We have set up my checkpoint volunteers so that Checkpoint #1 folks do not know where Checkpoint #2 is, Checkpoint #2 people do not know where Checkpoint #3 is, and therefore, they can not tell anyone where the riders are going to next. This shouldn't be any problem at all except for control freaks. Here's the deal. Checkpoint people are not going to tell you anything about the course because they won't know. If you feel, as a support person, family member, or racer that you need to know, prepare to have your ducks in a row, because we will not be letting this info out unless it is for a dang good reason. (Most of the time, it isn't necessary at all, so you probably shouldn't bother)
This is why we have set up the Barn. You go there for your updates. We will be phoning in all pertinent data to our finishline volunteers there who will disseminate the info to all of you. We won't be putting out audio updates this year. This was totally misinterpreted as a "lifeline of personal info" on all race participants, which I never intended it to be, said several times that it never was intended to be that, but was consistently viewed as such dispite all of that. It was made to be a big pain in my arse every year I did it, and last year was the worst. If I ever do it again, I won't even tell anyone, but I probably won't do it. Again, hang out at The Barn. Have a good time, and find out what you "need to know". That's all I have to say about that.
What if your guy/gal DNF's? Well, first off, they better have a cell phone and they better call you with it. Their cue sheets will lead you to them, and if that is an issue, we will be available to answer any questions for riders DNF'ing, (they are to report to us anyway), and we can decipher exactly how you should proceed to extricate them from the course from a directions point of view if necessary. But the bottom line is as always: You are responsible for You. We are not going to bail you out, come get you, or bring you aid. You are on your own excursion and are taking part in T.I.V6 at your own risk.
That's why you'd better be taking this whole bail out option plan seriously. If you come alone, you are putting yourself at a great disadvantage should you need to DNF. Think about that for a minute.
The Weather: The wildcard of the event. Right now they are predicting that a big storm is to hit California at the beginning of the week which will progress across the country and end up here by, yep! You guessed it! Saturday morning. Saturday the winds are forecast to be gusty from the Southeast, continue that way into the evening, and then switch out of the Southwest by Sunday morning. Rain chances increase as the event continues. Hours of rain Saturday = 2 hours, Saturday night = 5hrs, and Sunday = 5hrs.
Of course, that's a week out and this can/will all change. For better or worse, I don't know at this point, but if this comes true, Trans Iowa V6 will go down as epic beyond words. Would anyone even finish? That's definitely a possibility with that forecast, and if we were to get a crazy thunderstorm, it would shut us down. Here is the skinny on bad weather straight from the T.I. site for your reference;
Weather Related Stoppage and Time Cut Off Rule: In case of severe weather during the event, we will do the folowing things so you can act accordingly. Remember: YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF!! If the sky is falling, or you see Dorothy's house go spinning by your head, you should take appropriate actions to protect yourself. We will not be responsible for ill advised heroics in inclement weather. Be smart, or be pig fodder! This is only given out so that you as an event participant will know what our actions will be in regards to keeping tabs on your progress and what will be done with prizing.
Weather related cancellation of the event will be enforced at the checkpoints. All participants will be directed as to where and when any prizing will be distributed at checkpoints by our volunteers. If you pull out before a checkpoint, you will need to contact the Event Director to find out if the event is being terminated. Results will not be tabulated if we have to stop the event. If cut off times to a checkpoint are not met by any event participant then the event will be terminated and all will be considered as DNF's.
Prizing will be distributed by raffle to the remaining participants in the event at the time of stoppage or when it becomes clear that the cut off times will not be met. Must be present to win. Decisions of the event directors is final.
So in the case of this Trans Iowa, we would most likely repair to The Barn, distribute some goodies, and party. Now you know.
See ya in a week. Look for another update on Wednesday and Thursday.
Trans Iowa Thoughts: The Countdown! 1!
Your Fair Warning!! Okay folks, one more nail biting week until Trans Iowa V6! We're excited to get this underway, but I have a few admonishments to make, which will be reiterated at the Pre-Race Meat-Up, just to make sure.
The nature of the course we use now is a "big assed loop", as Jeff Kerkove put it once a few years back. Due to the nature of how things lay out, you folks will be getting in deeper and deeper as you progress from one checkpoint to another this time around. This comes into play as you consider your bail out options. Especially if you were silly enough to come without a support person. I know a lot of you are planning to do this solo, so here's what you need to put into your "thinkrerer".
Further and Further From Home: The nature of this loop leads you further and further away from Grinnell as you progress into the event. It really is a big loop without a good bail out option for solo riders the further you get into this. In fact, you won't start back towards Grinnell until you are truly about half way into the mileage. Think about that for a minute: You are 150 miles into T.I.V6 and you are cooked and have no support person? That's going to be a long trek back to Grinnell over hilly roads no matter how you slice it. Maybe you are willing to deal with that, but trust me, it won't be very easy. What's more, the furthest point out comes after Checkpoint #2. So keep that in mind as well.
Nobody Knows, So Don't Ask! In an effort to squelch the outside support I observed and heard about last year, We have set up my checkpoint volunteers so that Checkpoint #1 folks do not know where Checkpoint #2 is, Checkpoint #2 people do not know where Checkpoint #3 is, and therefore, they can not tell anyone where the riders are going to next. This shouldn't be any problem at all except for control freaks. Here's the deal. Checkpoint people are not going to tell you anything about the course because they won't know. If you feel, as a support person, family member, or racer that you need to know, prepare to have your ducks in a row, because we will not be letting this info out unless it is for a dang good reason. (Most of the time, it isn't necessary at all, so you probably shouldn't bother)
This is why we have set up the Barn. You go there for your updates. We will be phoning in all pertinent data to our finishline volunteers there who will disseminate the info to all of you. We won't be putting out audio updates this year. This was totally misinterpreted as a "lifeline of personal info" on all race participants, which I never intended it to be, said several times that it never was intended to be that, but was consistently viewed as such dispite all of that. It was made to be a big pain in my arse every year I did it, and last year was the worst. If I ever do it again, I won't even tell anyone, but I probably won't do it. Again, hang out at The Barn. Have a good time, and find out what you "need to know". That's all I have to say about that.
What if your guy/gal DNF's? Well, first off, they better have a cell phone and they better call you with it. Their cue sheets will lead you to them, and if that is an issue, we will be available to answer any questions for riders DNF'ing, (they are to report to us anyway), and we can decipher exactly how you should proceed to extricate them from the course from a directions point of view if necessary. But the bottom line is as always: You are responsible for You. We are not going to bail you out, come get you, or bring you aid. You are on your own excursion and are taking part in T.I.V6 at your own risk.
That's why you'd better be taking this whole bail out option plan seriously. If you come alone, you are putting yourself at a great disadvantage should you need to DNF. Think about that for a minute.
The Weather: The wildcard of the event. Right now they are predicting that a big storm is to hit California at the beginning of the week which will progress across the country and end up here by, yep! You guessed it! Saturday morning. Saturday the winds are forecast to be gusty from the Southeast, continue that way into the evening, and then switch out of the Southwest by Sunday morning. Rain chances increase as the event continues. Hours of rain Saturday = 2 hours, Saturday night = 5hrs, and Sunday = 5hrs.
Of course, that's a week out and this can/will all change. For better or worse, I don't know at this point, but if this comes true, Trans Iowa V6 will go down as epic beyond words. Would anyone even finish? That's definitely a possibility with that forecast, and if we were to get a crazy thunderstorm, it would shut us down. Here is the skinny on bad weather straight from the T.I. site for your reference;
Weather Related Stoppage and Time Cut Off Rule: In case of severe weather during the event, we will do the folowing things so you can act accordingly. Remember: YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF!! If the sky is falling, or you see Dorothy's house go spinning by your head, you should take appropriate actions to protect yourself. We will not be responsible for ill advised heroics in inclement weather. Be smart, or be pig fodder! This is only given out so that you as an event participant will know what our actions will be in regards to keeping tabs on your progress and what will be done with prizing.
Weather related cancellation of the event will be enforced at the checkpoints. All participants will be directed as to where and when any prizing will be distributed at checkpoints by our volunteers. If you pull out before a checkpoint, you will need to contact the Event Director to find out if the event is being terminated. Results will not be tabulated if we have to stop the event. If cut off times to a checkpoint are not met by any event participant then the event will be terminated and all will be considered as DNF's.
Prizing will be distributed by raffle to the remaining participants in the event at the time of stoppage or when it becomes clear that the cut off times will not be met. Must be present to win. Decisions of the event directors is final.
So in the case of this Trans Iowa, we would most likely repair to The Barn, distribute some goodies, and party. Now you know.
See ya in a week. Look for another update on Wednesday and Thursday.
Friday, April 16, 2010
And You Are Doing This Bike Because.....?
<==Image from Singletrack World.
Well, come to find out that the powers that be at Yeti were not very fond, (putting it mildly) of 29"ers and said, "..we'd rather close the company down.." than make a 29"er. (The quote may have been slightly different, but the meaning of it was clear.) So, what gives?
Yeti is "officially" unveiling this rig today, so expect a good "spin" on the whole deal from the top brass at Yeti. However, this sort of statement about "never making a 29"er" isn't going to go away easily. Especially when the name of the bike is "Big Top", which Singletrack World's Chipps Chippendale picked up on as he mused, "..perhaps a reference to clown bikes, perhaps not.." I'm thinking Chipps is on to something there.
If Chipps is right, and when taken in context of Yeti's distaste of 29"ers previously, you have to think he is, then one might wonder "Why?" And secondly, "What did you do to make it worthwhile to us/you to make one?"
It is a hardtail, may have convertible drop outs for single speed conversion, and has a carbon fiber rear triangle in the classic Yeti loop stay style. Of course, it is a Yeti, so there is that cache' that it has going for it. That said, I think it is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things 29"er. (If one can say that 29"ers are "grand" at all) It just seems to be a bit disingenuous and, well.......a bit of a strange marketing ploy, considering the model name and all.
Of course, Yeti is not the first company to say that they would "never make a 29"er". That distinction was squarely the realm of Specialized bikes for several years. However, Specialized softened their tone, then came news that they were exploring the possibilities of a 29"er, and finally they announced they would be doing a few, ironically enough by introducing them at Sea Otter a few years ago. Specialized then backed it up by bringing something different, (at the time), and became fans of the genre afterwards.
Okay, so you can forgive them maybe for their initial skepticism, and when taken into context, Specialized had grounds for being skeptical in 2005. But this is Yeti, and it is 2010. A lot has changed in five years, and Yeti isn't Specialized and doesn't have ignorance or lack of technical advancements to fall back on as an alibi like Specialized did back then. Maybe this will all blow over and be no big deal in the end, (likely), but I find it very strange that any company that makes such an anti-29"er stand, as Yeti has, would then turn tail and make a 29"er anyway. At the very least, it is plain goofy.
<===Something doesn't "add up" here.....
Notice the head badge? Yeah........if you are going to do a good fake, you need to get the details correct. What is worse, the headtube badge is put on with an adhesive backing, so it isn't hard at all to take it off.
Nice try, but...........
Finally, I am not a "schooled journalist", so I don't often know or follow certain practices that the "elite media" follow. Things like not asking questions when the marketing guy asks for questions, for instance. Or like the time I was at a Trek Press Camp, and Tim Grahl and I were posting things up in real time with computers and cameras blazing while the "elite media" types sat around looking down their noses at us. Too funny!
So it is from this perspective that I found the following kind of interesting. Shimano releases information and images to the bigger media outlets for upcoming products with the stipulation that the information can not be released to the public until a certain date and time has been reached. This used to be not a problem before blogs and social media.
Now some media are getting twitchy trigger fingers. For instance, the latest Shimano information release is scheduled for today. 10 speed XT and SLX. Well, the aforementioned Singletrack World has had the info up since yesterday, with the post dated 4/16/10. However; the photos with the post are all dated 4/15/10. Whoops! Those pesky details again. I suppose they could say "Hey, it was 4/16/10 somewhere when we posted that Thursday night!" Funny stuff there. They weren't the only ones to have it up a day early though. It also was posted on a couple of other sites I found, but the photos were not dated and the evidence not so blatant as on Singletrack World.
With that I bid you a good weekend and miles of smiles on your bicycles.
And You Are Doing This Bike Because.....?
<==Image from Singletrack World.
Well, come to find out that the powers that be at Yeti were not very fond, (putting it mildly) of 29"ers and said, "..we'd rather close the company down.." than make a 29"er. (The quote may have been slightly different, but the meaning of it was clear.) So, what gives?
Yeti is "officially" unveiling this rig today, so expect a good "spin" on the whole deal from the top brass at Yeti. However, this sort of statement about "never making a 29"er" isn't going to go away easily. Especially when the name of the bike is "Big Top", which Singletrack World's Chipps Chippendale picked up on as he mused, "..perhaps a reference to clown bikes, perhaps not.." I'm thinking Chipps is on to something there.
If Chipps is right, and when taken in context of Yeti's distaste of 29"ers previously, you have to think he is, then one might wonder "Why?" And secondly, "What did you do to make it worthwhile to us/you to make one?"
It is a hardtail, may have convertible drop outs for single speed conversion, and has a carbon fiber rear triangle in the classic Yeti loop stay style. Of course, it is a Yeti, so there is that cache' that it has going for it. That said, I think it is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things 29"er. (If one can say that 29"ers are "grand" at all) It just seems to be a bit disingenuous and, well.......a bit of a strange marketing ploy, considering the model name and all.
Of course, Yeti is not the first company to say that they would "never make a 29"er". That distinction was squarely the realm of Specialized bikes for several years. However, Specialized softened their tone, then came news that they were exploring the possibilities of a 29"er, and finally they announced they would be doing a few, ironically enough by introducing them at Sea Otter a few years ago. Specialized then backed it up by bringing something different, (at the time), and became fans of the genre afterwards.
Okay, so you can forgive them maybe for their initial skepticism, and when taken into context, Specialized had grounds for being skeptical in 2005. But this is Yeti, and it is 2010. A lot has changed in five years, and Yeti isn't Specialized and doesn't have ignorance or lack of technical advancements to fall back on as an alibi like Specialized did back then. Maybe this will all blow over and be no big deal in the end, (likely), but I find it very strange that any company that makes such an anti-29"er stand, as Yeti has, would then turn tail and make a 29"er anyway. At the very least, it is plain goofy.
<===Something doesn't "add up" here.....
Notice the head badge? Yeah........if you are going to do a good fake, you need to get the details correct. What is worse, the headtube badge is put on with an adhesive backing, so it isn't hard at all to take it off.
Nice try, but...........
Finally, I am not a "schooled journalist", so I don't often know or follow certain practices that the "elite media" follow. Things like not asking questions when the marketing guy asks for questions, for instance. Or like the time I was at a Trek Press Camp, and Tim Grahl and I were posting things up in real time with computers and cameras blazing while the "elite media" types sat around looking down their noses at us. Too funny!
So it is from this perspective that I found the following kind of interesting. Shimano releases information and images to the bigger media outlets for upcoming products with the stipulation that the information can not be released to the public until a certain date and time has been reached. This used to be not a problem before blogs and social media.
Now some media are getting twitchy trigger fingers. For instance, the latest Shimano information release is scheduled for today. 10 speed XT and SLX. Well, the aforementioned Singletrack World has had the info up since yesterday, with the post dated 4/16/10. However; the photos with the post are all dated 4/15/10. Whoops! Those pesky details again. I suppose they could say "Hey, it was 4/16/10 somewhere when we posted that Thursday night!" Funny stuff there. They weren't the only ones to have it up a day early though. It also was posted on a couple of other sites I found, but the photos were not dated and the evidence not so blatant as on Singletrack World.
With that I bid you a good weekend and miles of smiles on your bicycles.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Not Feeling It
The day was beautiful. Hot even. The sky was clear and the signs of Spring were everywhere to be seen.
But I just wasn't feeling it.
<===Big wheels, big tires.
No snap, no life in the legs at all today, and I am pretty sure I know exactly the reason why that was.
Stress!
I had a rough start to the week with the situation my family was in, trying to secure a second car for our immediate needs. Sure, The Truck With No Name was running great, but being a standard cab rig, it doesn't seat four. So, we were needing a car and that was stressing out everyone. Then there is Trans Iowa V6, which imparts its own stresses at this time of year anyway. Add in a slew of work on the web side of things and yeah...............it was all just a bit too much.
<===The Big Mama back where it belongs.
Oh well. I'll be taking it kind of easy today and tomorrow. Good thing I decided not to go to Sea Otter! Man! I think I would have blown up.
Not Feeling It
The day was beautiful. Hot even. The sky was clear and the signs of Spring were everywhere to be seen.
But I just wasn't feeling it.
<===Big wheels, big tires.
No snap, no life in the legs at all today, and I am pretty sure I know exactly the reason why that was.
Stress!
I had a rough start to the week with the situation my family was in, trying to secure a second car for our immediate needs. Sure, The Truck With No Name was running great, but being a standard cab rig, it doesn't seat four. So, we were needing a car and that was stressing out everyone. Then there is Trans Iowa V6, which imparts its own stresses at this time of year anyway. Add in a slew of work on the web side of things and yeah...............it was all just a bit too much.
<===The Big Mama back where it belongs.
Oh well. I'll be taking it kind of easy today and tomorrow. Good thing I decided not to go to Sea Otter! Man! I think I would have blown up.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Trans Iowa V6: Mid-Week Update
This is the first of two Trans Iowa V6 Mid-Week updates I am doing to keep everyone up to date on what is going on with the last minute prep for this event. Waiting for Saturday and the usual update doesn't cut it anymore as there is information here that is vital to your preparations. You need this info now!
Pre-Race Meat-Up Details: This is the latest on the mandatory meeting for Trans Iowa V6 which will take place on April 23rd at the Grinnell Steakhouse, 2110 West Street, South. Their phone number is 641-236-0555. Here are the times for your consideration:
5:00pm: Arrival time at the Grinnell Steakhouse. Check in with Guitar Ted, make sure you get a raffle ticket, and make sure your name is ticked off on the call up sheet. Very Important! If you are not checked in, you won't get called up, and you won't recieve your race packet with the cue sheets. Meet and greet your fellow competitors. Beer will be available for purchase. (Must be 21 years of age or older) Begin eating as soon as you get there if you would like.
6:00pm Sharp!! Meeting starts over dinner. Once the meeting starts no one else will be allowed entry to the roster. Don't be late or you will not be in Trans Iowa! I will greet everyone and make some acknowledgements. I will give you the final words on the course, any "heads up" things to be aware of, and answer any questions from you racers. There will also be some items raffled off at this time.
6:45-7:00pm: Sometime in this slot I will begin the "Call Up". You will sign a waiver, pick up your race packets, and be free to leave at this point.
7:00pm - 7:30pm: We will clear out our stuff and allow the Grinnell Steakhouse folks to clean up. Note: The Steakhouse is open until 9:00pm if you want to hang out there longer.
Here are your menu items for the Meat-Up:
"Grill Your Own" Beef - $15.99 and Chicken or Pork - $13.99.
Veggie Kabobs - $10.99
Salad Bar also available upon request.
This will allow you to bump elbows with your fellow riders as you grill yer own critter to eat, or singe yer own veggies. We thought it'd be fun anyway!
Remember to pick up your Dining Dollars at the Comfort Inn and Suites before you come to the meeting!
A Note On Prizing: Yeah, we have some prizes, but they are neither bling-bling or going to help you find a mate. If you are looking to get rich by winning this event, I am sorry, but you better look elsewhere. Some prizing will be given to the top finishers in these 3 fields...
Open Men
Open Women
Open Singlespeed / Fixed Gear
Plus, there may be some Special Prizing given at the discretion of the Event Directors and Sponsors.
That said, you can expect prizing "packages" which are assembled at the discretion of the Event Directors which will include Oakley eyewear custom engraved for Trans Iowa, Ergon product including a back pack and grips, Twin Six jerseys, t-shirts, and socks, and some other "as yet to be determined" prizes to the top finishers.
There will be some Special Prizing as follows:
Salsa Frame/Tubus Rack: Salsa Cycles has offered a frame to one of the finishers of Trans Iowa, (Note: Not one of the top category finishers), that the Event Directors shall choose at random to have their choice of either a Fargo or Vaya frame. (Winner will recieve the correct frame size by dealing with Salsa Cycles directly after the event). Along with this, Wilson Cycles is offering a Tubus Rack to go along with your frame of choice.
Oakley "Lanterne Rouge" Prize: We thought it would be fun to honor the guy or gal that gutted it out to finish T.I.V6, even though they were in last place. Oakley thought so too. They are offering a special red pair of eyewear to the last place finisher that comes in within the time limits at this year's Trans Iowa.
Special Raffles: We will be doling out some special prizes at the Pre-Race Meat-Up and after the event from Trek, Bontrager, Twin Six, Banjo Brothers, Hiawatha Cyclery, and more.
And everyone gets something.... Every racer that gets to the Pre-Race Meat-Up in time gets a race packet with a Velocity water bottle cage, a Simple Strap by ByKyle, and stickers, buttons, and more!
The Numbers! Here are your mileage breakdowns for T.I.V6:
Grinnell to Checkpoint #1: 44.25 miles Cut Off Time: 8am
Checkpoint #1 to Checkpoint #2: 87.2 miles Cut Off Time: 5pm
Checkpoint #2 to Checkpoint #3: 75.8 miles Cut Off Time: 1am (Sunday)
Checkpoint #3 to The Barn 107.1miles Cut Off Time: 1pm (Sunday)
Total miles for T.I.V6 = 314.85 miles
Okay, that's a wrap for this report. look for more Trans Iowa Thoughts on Saturday!
Trans Iowa V6: Mid-Week Update
This is the first of two Trans Iowa V6 Mid-Week updates I am doing to keep everyone up to date on what is going on with the last minute prep for this event. Waiting for Saturday and the usual update doesn't cut it anymore as there is information here that is vital to your preparations. You need this info now!
Pre-Race Meat-Up Details: This is the latest on the mandatory meeting for Trans Iowa V6 which will take place on April 23rd at the Grinnell Steakhouse, 2110 West Street, South. Their phone number is 641-236-0555. Here are the times for your consideration:
5:00pm: Arrival time at the Grinnell Steakhouse. Check in with Guitar Ted, make sure you get a raffle ticket, and make sure your name is ticked off on the call up sheet. Very Important! If you are not checked in, you won't get called up, and you won't recieve your race packet with the cue sheets. Meet and greet your fellow competitors. Beer will be available for purchase. (Must be 21 years of age or older) Begin eating as soon as you get there if you would like.
6:00pm Sharp!! Meeting starts over dinner. Once the meeting starts no one else will be allowed entry to the roster. Don't be late or you will not be in Trans Iowa! I will greet everyone and make some acknowledgements. I will give you the final words on the course, any "heads up" things to be aware of, and answer any questions from you racers. There will also be some items raffled off at this time.
6:45-7:00pm: Sometime in this slot I will begin the "Call Up". You will sign a waiver, pick up your race packets, and be free to leave at this point.
7:00pm - 7:30pm: We will clear out our stuff and allow the Grinnell Steakhouse folks to clean up. Note: The Steakhouse is open until 9:00pm if you want to hang out there longer.
Here are your menu items for the Meat-Up:
"Grill Your Own" Beef - $15.99 and Chicken or Pork - $13.99.
Veggie Kabobs - $10.99
Salad Bar also available upon request.
This will allow you to bump elbows with your fellow riders as you grill yer own critter to eat, or singe yer own veggies. We thought it'd be fun anyway!
Remember to pick up your Dining Dollars at the Comfort Inn and Suites before you come to the meeting!
A Note On Prizing: Yeah, we have some prizes, but they are neither bling-bling or going to help you find a mate. If you are looking to get rich by winning this event, I am sorry, but you better look elsewhere. Some prizing will be given to the top finishers in these 3 fields...
Open Men
Open Women
Open Singlespeed / Fixed Gear
Plus, there may be some Special Prizing given at the discretion of the Event Directors and Sponsors.
That said, you can expect prizing "packages" which are assembled at the discretion of the Event Directors which will include Oakley eyewear custom engraved for Trans Iowa, Ergon product including a back pack and grips, Twin Six jerseys, t-shirts, and socks, and some other "as yet to be determined" prizes to the top finishers.
There will be some Special Prizing as follows:
Salsa Frame/Tubus Rack: Salsa Cycles has offered a frame to one of the finishers of Trans Iowa, (Note: Not one of the top category finishers), that the Event Directors shall choose at random to have their choice of either a Fargo or Vaya frame. (Winner will recieve the correct frame size by dealing with Salsa Cycles directly after the event). Along with this, Wilson Cycles is offering a Tubus Rack to go along with your frame of choice.
Oakley "Lanterne Rouge" Prize: We thought it would be fun to honor the guy or gal that gutted it out to finish T.I.V6, even though they were in last place. Oakley thought so too. They are offering a special red pair of eyewear to the last place finisher that comes in within the time limits at this year's Trans Iowa.
Special Raffles: We will be doling out some special prizes at the Pre-Race Meat-Up and after the event from Trek, Bontrager, Twin Six, Banjo Brothers, Hiawatha Cyclery, and more.
And everyone gets something.... Every racer that gets to the Pre-Race Meat-Up in time gets a race packet with a Velocity water bottle cage, a Simple Strap by ByKyle, and stickers, buttons, and more!
The Numbers! Here are your mileage breakdowns for T.I.V6:
Grinnell to Checkpoint #1: 44.25 miles Cut Off Time: 8am
Checkpoint #1 to Checkpoint #2: 87.2 miles Cut Off Time: 5pm
Checkpoint #2 to Checkpoint #3: 75.8 miles Cut Off Time: 1am (Sunday)
Checkpoint #3 to The Barn 107.1miles Cut Off Time: 1pm (Sunday)
Total miles for T.I.V6 = 314.85 miles
Okay, that's a wrap for this report. look for more Trans Iowa Thoughts on Saturday!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Bike Shop Tales: Back In The Shop
Now for another look back in the shop area of Advantage Cycles............
Probably one of the lesser know pursuits of a bike geek is that of rummaging through an old bike shops parts bin area. You bike geeks know exactly what I am taliking about! Usually the older shops have either been picked through, or the owner knows what he has and won't let it go. Sometimes you can run across the odd, out of the way, older shop where deals that will blow your mind can still be had in this day and age. Advantage Cyclery really wasn't that kind of shop, but it had parts laying around that even some old skool shops would have found to be odd and valuable.
Advantage wasn't all that old a shop, so you wouldn't expect to find anything much in its parts bin at all. However; Tom was a parts junky, and he knew a classic part when he saw it. There was treasure in them thar shelves and I was privy to all of it.
Campagnolo stuff was one of Tom's favorites, and he even had some of the odd mountain bike parts made by the company. Euclid brake lever sets, the twist shifters, and some other odds and ends. He had a huge stash of Campy mountain bike rims too. Of course, the road stuff was on the shelves there. That's where I scored my Campy friction bar end shifters that I still use to this day.
You know, it's funny how some of that stuff was seen as pretty worthless back then that I wish that I had been smart enough to grab. Tom had a set of 7spd XT cassette hubs in black ano that were in the box he would have practically given to me had I expressed interest in them. That hubset would be worth some bucks to a vintage mtb collector now, but that's how it goes sometimes.
It was a unique place because of that, for sure. I learned a lot about cycling's past hardware while working on the latest and greatest new stuff. And there was a ton of that as well. The old stuff and new stuff lived side by side in those days. We were going through tons of serviceable bottom brackets, for instance. We had a machinists cabinet stuffed with DN-6 and every other kind of spindle. Cups and bearings from Tange, Sugino, SunTour, and others. At the same time the cartridge bottom bracket was prevalent and we were doing UN-52's all day long with the occaisional UN-72 and the 90 series on a rare occaision.
We had standard headsets of all sizes. We overhauled them all the time, while at the other end we were working on the new Aheadset standard and thinking it was super cool. Stuff like that was what made that time special. It was a transitional time in componentry that was fun to be a part of.
Next week: Going To The Show.........
Probably one of the lesser know pursuits of a bike geek is that of rummaging through an old bike shops parts bin area. You bike geeks know exactly what I am taliking about! Usually the older shops have either been picked through, or the owner knows what he has and won't let it go. Sometimes you can run across the odd, out of the way, older shop where deals that will blow your mind can still be had in this day and age. Advantage Cyclery really wasn't that kind of shop, but it had parts laying around that even some old skool shops would have found to be odd and valuable.
Advantage wasn't all that old a shop, so you wouldn't expect to find anything much in its parts bin at all. However; Tom was a parts junky, and he knew a classic part when he saw it. There was treasure in them thar shelves and I was privy to all of it.
Campagnolo stuff was one of Tom's favorites, and he even had some of the odd mountain bike parts made by the company. Euclid brake lever sets, the twist shifters, and some other odds and ends. He had a huge stash of Campy mountain bike rims too. Of course, the road stuff was on the shelves there. That's where I scored my Campy friction bar end shifters that I still use to this day.
You know, it's funny how some of that stuff was seen as pretty worthless back then that I wish that I had been smart enough to grab. Tom had a set of 7spd XT cassette hubs in black ano that were in the box he would have practically given to me had I expressed interest in them. That hubset would be worth some bucks to a vintage mtb collector now, but that's how it goes sometimes.
It was a unique place because of that, for sure. I learned a lot about cycling's past hardware while working on the latest and greatest new stuff. And there was a ton of that as well. The old stuff and new stuff lived side by side in those days. We were going through tons of serviceable bottom brackets, for instance. We had a machinists cabinet stuffed with DN-6 and every other kind of spindle. Cups and bearings from Tange, Sugino, SunTour, and others. At the same time the cartridge bottom bracket was prevalent and we were doing UN-52's all day long with the occaisional UN-72 and the 90 series on a rare occaision.
We had standard headsets of all sizes. We overhauled them all the time, while at the other end we were working on the new Aheadset standard and thinking it was super cool. Stuff like that was what made that time special. It was a transitional time in componentry that was fun to be a part of.
Next week: Going To The Show.........
Bike Shop Tales: Back In The Shop
Now for another look back in the shop area of Advantage Cycles............
Probably one of the lesser know pursuits of a bike geek is that of rummaging through an old bike shops parts bin area. You bike geeks know exactly what I am taliking about! Usually the older shops have either been picked through, or the owner knows what he has and won't let it go. Sometimes you can run across the odd, out of the way, older shop where deals that will blow your mind can still be had in this day and age. Advantage Cyclery really wasn't that kind of shop, but it had parts laying around that even some old skool shops would have found to be odd and valuable.
Advantage wasn't all that old a shop, so you wouldn't expect to find anything much in its parts bin at all. However; Tom was a parts junky, and he knew a classic part when he saw it. There was treasure in them thar shelves and I was privy to all of it.
Campagnolo stuff was one of Tom's favorites, and he even had some of the odd mountain bike parts made by the company. Euclid brake lever sets, the twist shifters, and some other odds and ends. He had a huge stash of Campy mountain bike rims too. Of course, the road stuff was on the shelves there. That's where I scored my Campy friction bar end shifters that I still use to this day.
You know, it's funny how some of that stuff was seen as pretty worthless back then that I wish that I had been smart enough to grab. Tom had a set of 7spd XT cassette hubs in black ano that were in the box he would have practically given to me had I expressed interest in them. That hubset would be worth some bucks to a vintage mtb collector now, but that's how it goes sometimes.
It was a unique place because of that, for sure. I learned a lot about cycling's past hardware while working on the latest and greatest new stuff. And there was a ton of that as well. The old stuff and new stuff lived side by side in those days. We were going through tons of serviceable bottom brackets, for instance. We had a machinists cabinet stuffed with DN-6 and every other kind of spindle. Cups and bearings from Tange, Sugino, SunTour, and others. At the same time the cartridge bottom bracket was prevalent and we were doing UN-52's all day long with the occaisional UN-72 and the 90 series on a rare occaision.
We had standard headsets of all sizes. We overhauled them all the time, while at the other end we were working on the new Aheadset standard and thinking it was super cool. Stuff like that was what made that time special. It was a transitional time in componentry that was fun to be a part of.
Next week: Going To The Show.........
Probably one of the lesser know pursuits of a bike geek is that of rummaging through an old bike shops parts bin area. You bike geeks know exactly what I am taliking about! Usually the older shops have either been picked through, or the owner knows what he has and won't let it go. Sometimes you can run across the odd, out of the way, older shop where deals that will blow your mind can still be had in this day and age. Advantage Cyclery really wasn't that kind of shop, but it had parts laying around that even some old skool shops would have found to be odd and valuable.
Advantage wasn't all that old a shop, so you wouldn't expect to find anything much in its parts bin at all. However; Tom was a parts junky, and he knew a classic part when he saw it. There was treasure in them thar shelves and I was privy to all of it.
Campagnolo stuff was one of Tom's favorites, and he even had some of the odd mountain bike parts made by the company. Euclid brake lever sets, the twist shifters, and some other odds and ends. He had a huge stash of Campy mountain bike rims too. Of course, the road stuff was on the shelves there. That's where I scored my Campy friction bar end shifters that I still use to this day.
You know, it's funny how some of that stuff was seen as pretty worthless back then that I wish that I had been smart enough to grab. Tom had a set of 7spd XT cassette hubs in black ano that were in the box he would have practically given to me had I expressed interest in them. That hubset would be worth some bucks to a vintage mtb collector now, but that's how it goes sometimes.
It was a unique place because of that, for sure. I learned a lot about cycling's past hardware while working on the latest and greatest new stuff. And there was a ton of that as well. The old stuff and new stuff lived side by side in those days. We were going through tons of serviceable bottom brackets, for instance. We had a machinists cabinet stuffed with DN-6 and every other kind of spindle. Cups and bearings from Tange, Sugino, SunTour, and others. At the same time the cartridge bottom bracket was prevalent and we were doing UN-52's all day long with the occaisional UN-72 and the 90 series on a rare occaision.
We had standard headsets of all sizes. We overhauled them all the time, while at the other end we were working on the new Aheadset standard and thinking it was super cool. Stuff like that was what made that time special. It was a transitional time in componentry that was fun to be a part of.
Next week: Going To The Show.........
Monday, April 12, 2010
Of Hope And Promise
Spring has sprung and all that cliche' stuff. Yup! And I am really enjoying it. Maybe it was the unusually snowy, long, cold winter, but something seems special about this past week and being able to witness the opening of spring.
Sometimes it seems as though it is like one of those fading neon signs, you know.....the ones that change color. The ground kind of fades from brown to a light shade of green. Then the green intensifies. Nothing else has really changed since fall but the greening of the ground cover. It's kind of neat. Now the ground-scape will really start to change shape as plants begin their annual shooting up. Before long, the green will take over, and the contours of the landscape will be lost in a cacophony of wild plants and trees which will screen off the views through the woods.
I was taking lots of brief opportunities to spy out the places that would later be too difficult to get to later in the spring and summer. I went down along the bank of the Cedar and saw the eagle's nest on the west side bank. Nobody was home today, and later I saw one of the pair soaring over the south section of the Camp.
I wasn't out long today, as I had only a brief amount of time to spend on this glorious day. And it was a glorious one. Just about perfect in temperature, no bugs, (yet!), and being out in the woods sheltered me from the wind. Good stuff and I was glad to get out even just for a bit.
The bonus was that the first little flowers of the year were opening all over the floor of the woods and I got the chance to ride here when they were in bloom. I may seem a bit odd to some folks, but I really like flowers, and I have zero talent to grow them, so when I get to see them in the wild, I feel like it is something special. I like them anyway.
I hope that you were able to enjoy some time out on a bicycle too.
Of Hope And Promise
Spring has sprung and all that cliche' stuff. Yup! And I am really enjoying it. Maybe it was the unusually snowy, long, cold winter, but something seems special about this past week and being able to witness the opening of spring.
Sometimes it seems as though it is like one of those fading neon signs, you know.....the ones that change color. The ground kind of fades from brown to a light shade of green. Then the green intensifies. Nothing else has really changed since fall but the greening of the ground cover. It's kind of neat. Now the ground-scape will really start to change shape as plants begin their annual shooting up. Before long, the green will take over, and the contours of the landscape will be lost in a cacophony of wild plants and trees which will screen off the views through the woods.
I was taking lots of brief opportunities to spy out the places that would later be too difficult to get to later in the spring and summer. I went down along the bank of the Cedar and saw the eagle's nest on the west side bank. Nobody was home today, and later I saw one of the pair soaring over the south section of the Camp.
I wasn't out long today, as I had only a brief amount of time to spend on this glorious day. And it was a glorious one. Just about perfect in temperature, no bugs, (yet!), and being out in the woods sheltered me from the wind. Good stuff and I was glad to get out even just for a bit.
The bonus was that the first little flowers of the year were opening all over the floor of the woods and I got the chance to ride here when they were in bloom. I may seem a bit odd to some folks, but I really like flowers, and I have zero talent to grow them, so when I get to see them in the wild, I feel like it is something special. I like them anyway.
I hope that you were able to enjoy some time out on a bicycle too.
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