Maintaining Part II

More rain, more maintenance! I got to looking at the frozen titanium pinch bolts for the eccentric bottom bracket and broke two 5mm wrenches before saying 'no mas!

Dang! I guess all that snow riding froze the little buggers into place......forever! Galvanic corrosion is like that. I suppose I could try the "hot wrench", but that doesn't appeal to me on several levels.

34 X 20T gearing is what I am stuck with for single speeding now. Not the end of the world, mind you, but it does go against "T-6 Brent's Rule Of Single Speeding". I'm supposed to be on to an 18 tooth cog out back now, (actually, a seventeen tooth cog!), and this gear I originally set the Dillinger up with was with snow riding in mind. Well, what can ya do? I guess I'll have to make up for it by taking the Dillinger to somewhere with steeper, or longer climbs.

Actually, that sounds quite fun. 

More maintenance to be done yet, so back down to The Lab!

Maintaining

This is a weekend where I have to stick close to home, so I am not going on any adventures this weekend. This is becoming a weekend that I am spending on some maintenance. Not like I don't have a slew of bicycles needing it!

So project #1 was to get the Fargo back together, since I robbed parts off of it to get the Dos Niner up and running for last weekend. I decided to leave the Dos as is and I went ahead and scavenged an old Shimano cartridge bottom bracket, old Shimano five arm 110/74BCD crank, and some old touring bike chain rings to cobble up a 2X crankset. I found a 44T ring and a 28T granny that I matched together, slapped on the Fargo, and whattya know? It seems to work just fine, (field test still needed), and that old cartridge BB spins like a champ.

This nearly matches what I was running on the Dos Niner, which is a 44T/29T set up. My chainline is juuuust about there on the Fargo, but I think the slight bit that it is off shouldn't be an issue. It is going to be used mostly for gravel pursuits this summer, so that gearing should be fine. That done, I threw on the next bike to be worked on, the Dillinger.

I had taken the big, 120mm fork off, slapped the Dillinger fork back on, and put on a different wheel set. Trouble arose as I needed to tension the the eccentric, which I found had frozen pinch bolts. Gah! Penetrating oil applied, I had to leave it for another session. Most likely tomorrow.

There is more needing attention. Things like switching out a tire to another rim for tubeless use, hack another light mount, and clean up the Gryphon which has dried up limestone goo all over it. (Joy!)

It's gotta be done sometime or another! 

Maintaining

This is a weekend where I have to stick close to home, so I am not going on any adventures this weekend. This is becoming a weekend that I am spending on some maintenance. Not like I don't have a slew of bicycles needing it!

So project #1 was to get the Fargo back together, since I robbed parts off of it to get the Dos Niner up and running for last weekend. I decided to leave the Dos as is and I went ahead and scavenged an old Shimano cartridge bottom bracket, old Shimano five arm 110/74BCD crank, and some old touring bike chain rings to cobble up a 2X crankset. I found a 44T ring and a 28T granny that I matched together, slapped on the Fargo, and whattya know? It seems to work just fine, (field test still needed), and that old cartridge BB spins like a champ.

This nearly matches what I was running on the Dos Niner, which is a 44T/29T set up. My chainline is juuuust about there on the Fargo, but I think the slight bit that it is off shouldn't be an issue. It is going to be used mostly for gravel pursuits this summer, so that gearing should be fine. That done, I threw on the next bike to be worked on, the Dillinger.

I had taken the big, 120mm fork off, slapped the Dillinger fork back on, and put on a different wheel set. Trouble arose as I needed to tension the the eccentric, which I found had frozen pinch bolts. Gah! Penetrating oil applied, I had to leave it for another session. Most likely tomorrow.

There is more needing attention. Things like switching out a tire to another rim for tubeless use, hack another light mount, and clean up the Gryphon which has dried up limestone goo all over it. (Joy!)

It's gotta be done sometime or another! 

Peanutbutter Roads

David Pals and I did another stint of night time gravel grinding and despite the heavy rain earlier in the day, it wasn't too bad out there.

We headed out of Toledo again, and I had a route sort of planned in my head, but once again it was foiled. Oh well! We found some pretty cool roads though.

The one thing about riding in Tama County is that you don't get that leisurely pace where conversation comes easily. Too many hills one right after another! We're either huffing it up a steep hill, or we're hanging on as we fly down the other side, catching our breath before huffing it up one more steep hill and starting the process all over again!

That's why we have the "art of the stop" down pat. We will stop, catch our breath, turn off the lights, and just soak it all in. The fire flies are spectacular right now, by the way, and the night time sky is always awe inspiring.

Then it's decision time on what way to go. We pick a direction, sometimes talking it over, others with no verbalization at all, and we go on for awhile, huffing, coasting, repeating, until another stop.

The roads seemed to get progressively worse on this ride. We found a B road, and that was actually ride able, but we found a gravel road afterward that was so thick and sloppy, we had to pedal going downhill! Now that just ain't right!

The road was so slow, and energy sapping, I thought I must be paying penance for T.I.V6 or something! I at least got a taste of the flying mud on the downhills, and the grinding, slow going everywhere else.

Well, we cut the route short a bit, since we were working so hard anyway. David and I chatted for awhile afterward, and then we made our separate ways home. I'll miss the night rides for a bit. David is doing Trans Wisconsin, and I'll hopefully be in Minnesota. Might be a bit before the night time gravel grinders get going again, but we'll get back to it.

I just hope the roads are drier next time!

Peanutbutter Roads

David Pals and I did another stint of night time gravel grinding and despite the heavy rain earlier in the day, it wasn't too bad out there.

We headed out of Toledo again, and I had a route sort of planned in my head, but once again it was foiled. Oh well! We found some pretty cool roads though.

The one thing about riding in Tama County is that you don't get that leisurely pace where conversation comes easily. Too many hills one right after another! We're either huffing it up a steep hill, or we're hanging on as we fly down the other side, catching our breath before huffing it up one more steep hill and starting the process all over again!

That's why we have the "art of the stop" down pat. We will stop, catch our breath, turn off the lights, and just soak it all in. The fire flies are spectacular right now, by the way, and the night time sky is always awe inspiring.

Then it's decision time on what way to go. We pick a direction, sometimes talking it over, others with no verbalization at all, and we go on for awhile, huffing, coasting, repeating, until another stop.

The roads seemed to get progressively worse on this ride. We found a B road, and that was actually ride able, but we found a gravel road afterward that was so thick and sloppy, we had to pedal going downhill! Now that just ain't right!

The road was so slow, and energy sapping, I thought I must be paying penance for T.I.V6 or something! I at least got a taste of the flying mud on the downhills, and the grinding, slow going everywhere else.

Well, we cut the route short a bit, since we were working so hard anyway. David and I chatted for awhile afterward, and then we made our separate ways home. I'll miss the night rides for a bit. David is doing Trans Wisconsin, and I'll hopefully be in Minnesota. Might be a bit before the night time gravel grinders get going again, but we'll get back to it.

I just hope the roads are drier next time!

Bluebird Skies

After the weekend's blast furnace ride it was nice to enjoy a beautiful, warm, breezy summer day in Iowa. I headed up to the Camp and hit the trails which were a mix of small muddy patches, tacky dirt, and cool air under the thick, lush trees.

The bugs were even somewhat absent this finest of days and I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet little window of time I had to ride.

I rode the Blackbuck single speed with the 34 X 18 gear. I was a bit afraid that I was going to suffer mightily because of the weekends madness and my not being used to that tall a gear on steep stuff. Well, happily I was able to climb a lot more than I thought I would be able to, and without back pain. Good stuff. Sure, I had to walk a couple steeps, but I was more than pleased with my abilities especially after frying my legs in Kansas. 

I've got the Blackbuck set up now with the big, monstrous Specialized Purgatory 2.4's. The tires are mounted on Gordos, which make them look like monster truck tires against the svelte steel tubing of the Blackbuck. It really looks like a "fat tire flyer"!

Adding to the retro-look is the new Mountain Goat Cycles "Goat Horns" handle bar I am checking out. These are much like the Rawland Elgokse I also checked out last year, only the bar is permanently attached on the Goat Horns in the traditional manner. Chromed, "Bull Moose" style, and solid. These make the cruiser-ish lines of the Blackbuck even more neo-klunker-style. Almost made me want to polish up a set of old SunTour ratcheting top mounts and run gears on her. Almost!

Anyway, after playing cat and mouse with a deer for a bit, I high tailed it back home to do some chores. Ended the day grilling out with my family.

Hope your day was as good as mine!

Bluebird Skies

After the weekend's blast furnace ride it was nice to enjoy a beautiful, warm, breezy summer day in Iowa. I headed up to the Camp and hit the trails which were a mix of small muddy patches, tacky dirt, and cool air under the thick, lush trees.

The bugs were even somewhat absent this finest of days and I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet little window of time I had to ride.

I rode the Blackbuck single speed with the 34 X 18 gear. I was a bit afraid that I was going to suffer mightily because of the weekends madness and my not being used to that tall a gear on steep stuff. Well, happily I was able to climb a lot more than I thought I would be able to, and without back pain. Good stuff. Sure, I had to walk a couple steeps, but I was more than pleased with my abilities especially after frying my legs in Kansas. 

I've got the Blackbuck set up now with the big, monstrous Specialized Purgatory 2.4's. The tires are mounted on Gordos, which make them look like monster truck tires against the svelte steel tubing of the Blackbuck. It really looks like a "fat tire flyer"!

Adding to the retro-look is the new Mountain Goat Cycles "Goat Horns" handle bar I am checking out. These are much like the Rawland Elgokse I also checked out last year, only the bar is permanently attached on the Goat Horns in the traditional manner. Chromed, "Bull Moose" style, and solid. These make the cruiser-ish lines of the Blackbuck even more neo-klunker-style. Almost made me want to polish up a set of old SunTour ratcheting top mounts and run gears on her. Almost!

Anyway, after playing cat and mouse with a deer for a bit, I high tailed it back home to do some chores. Ended the day grilling out with my family.

Hope your day was as good as mine!

The Renegade Sportsman Book Review

I recently received my copy of the Renegade Sportsman by Zach Dundas for a Father's Day gift from Mrs. Guitar Ted who purchased it on-line. I had mentioned earlier that I would be reviewing the book here on the blog. So, that is what this is all about. First though, there needs to be a bit of explanation..........

Why Review A Book? Great question! This blog is mostly bicycle related, so reviewing books of any sort is weird, and especially so since it doesn't appear on the surface that this book is cycling related at all.
Actually, there is plenty of cycling related material between its covers.

Ground Rules: Secondly, I will admit up front that I am not even a casual book reader. I barely register on "bookworm radar". Heck, I think I've only read three books in my time as an adult, including college! So I do not purport to be any sort of expert on authors, styles, or what is good, bad, or ugly in the book world. I am reviewing this book for two simple reasons: One- Trans Iowa "figures heavily", (Zach's own description, not mime), into the book. Secondly, there are other notable cycling references here including the messenger alley cats, bike polo, and the Single Speed Cyclo-Cross World Championships.

The Review: The Renegade Sportsman starts out by giving me a very tactile feel of paper. In an age of digitized press and i-Pads, this was almost shocking to me. It's kind of a rough looking package, which given the title is appropriate, I guess. Also, in a sort of renegade move, there is no table of contents either. I looked several times to no avail. This sort of assailed my retro-book tendencies. I guess "back in the day" tables of contents were a given. Maybe this is the "new math" for publishers these days concerning books, I don't know! The cover, (as shown above), is a garish yellow and red affair, so it's easily spotted amongst the usual fare consisting of the Dirt Rag, Guitar Player, and Entertainment Weekly magazines that litter the reading stand in the bathroom. A nice touch, I thought, by whomever was in charge of the marketing department.

Inside the book you will find what author Zach Dundas refers to as "renegade sports". These are what we would think of as the seamy underbelly of populist sports culture. Mr. Dundas weaves his tales of his observation and participation in these "sports" while pitting them against the massive mega-sports complex and the machinations thereof. His basic contention is that these oddities of American participatory "sports', these "renegade" ideas, are where the "real deal" is. Sports as we know it, the leagues and the divisions, and the colleges, and the gobbledy-gook that surrounds it, has careened off into a realm the likes of which is so unimaginable and unwieldy that the average citizen is left to forming "fantasy" leagues to somehow feel a part of it. Video unreality is packaged as a way to become "part of the action" and to feel any sort of connection with what is going on with "The Big Leagues" these days. Mr. Dundas seeks to find redemption in the actions of the protagonists in his book which range from drunken running clubs to crazed single speed cyclo-crossers, female roller bladers, and yes.....even Trans Iowa.

Is Mr. Dundas' mission accomplished? He does make a strong case, that is for sure. The book is entertaining, vulgar, spectacular, droll, and certainly funny enough. As a theory, it might fall a bit short, but in the end, who cares? The stuff between the bright yellow covers of "The Renegade Sportsman" is a good read. I am somewhat doubtful that things like the Hash House Harriers, or Trans Iowa is going to score any sort of coup against the modern day titans of sport, but maybe the stories of the "Renegade Sportsman" will inspire more folks to become their own movers and shakers instead of bland observers being force fed marketing driven, made for television muck that passes for sports in the 21st Century.

A Word About The Trans Iowa Chapter: I think I would be remiss if I didn't comment directly on the Trans Iowa chapter of the book, since, well.......I am a main character in it! Yes, it is rather unsettling to read something somebody else wrote about you. Rather surreal, actually. I will say that after three plus years it brings back some details of the event for me into sharp focus, while others are glossed over or omitted entirely that I thought would make for good copy. It's like that when you deal with impressions folks have. Something my Mom reminds me of from time to time. Things she thought would be of paramount significance in my life are often things I don't even remember. So a little of that is to be expected with something I am so close to.

Beyond this, Mr. Dundas' rendering of Trans Iowa is both entertaining, (waay more fun to read about than it was to go through!), and accurate. Well, with the exception of one glaring detail, not really having to do with the event at all. I am reported to be a bicycle mechanic, (true), in an Iowa City shop, (not true). My apologies if that offends the sensibilities of any of the bicycle shop employees and owners in Cedar Falls and Iowa City! Other than this minor gaff, the entire chapter is more than I could have ever hoped for. Since the book is wide ranging in it's scope concerning what types of sports are covered, it would have been easy for Trans Iowa to be just a minor aside. In my opinion, it seems to be what Zach Dundas claimed to me it would be, a chapter that figures heavily in the overall book. Even "Outside" contributor/author, Jon Billman tracked me down at the Dirty Kanza 200 and told me that I needed to read the June issue of "Outside" for his review of "The Renegade Sportsman". He told me his favorite chapter in the book was about T.I. and that he says so in the piece he wrote. It is humbling for sure, but I won't hide the fact that I am proud of it too.

Conclusions: I would give the book a thumbs up for a lighthearted, thought provoking look at alternative sports in America. There are really good chapters with direct cycling connections and even some cycling advocacy can be found here. I would give caution for the explicit language, sexual innuendo, and for the off beat ideas the book may spark in fertile minds. (Not sure I would like a Hash House Harrier kennel tramping through my back yard, for instance!) That said, I had fun reading it, and of course, I liked the Trans Iowa chapter best!

So, there ya go. That's my review of the book. If you would like to check it out for yourself, you can get it on Amazon here.

The Renegade Sportsman Book Review

I recently received my copy of the Renegade Sportsman by Zach Dundas for a Father's Day gift from Mrs. Guitar Ted who purchased it on-line. I had mentioned earlier that I would be reviewing the book here on the blog. So, that is what this is all about. First though, there needs to be a bit of explanation..........

Why Review A Book? Great question! This blog is mostly bicycle related, so reviewing books of any sort is weird, and especially so since it doesn't appear on the surface that this book is cycling related at all.
Actually, there is plenty of cycling related material between its covers.

Ground Rules: Secondly, I will admit up front that I am not even a casual book reader. I barely register on "bookworm radar". Heck, I think I've only read three books in my time as an adult, including college! So I do not purport to be any sort of expert on authors, styles, or what is good, bad, or ugly in the book world. I am reviewing this book for two simple reasons: One- Trans Iowa "figures heavily", (Zach's own description, not mime), into the book. Secondly, there are other notable cycling references here including the messenger alley cats, bike polo, and the Single Speed Cyclo-Cross World Championships.

The Review: The Renegade Sportsman starts out by giving me a very tactile feel of paper. In an age of digitized press and i-Pads, this was almost shocking to me. It's kind of a rough looking package, which given the title is appropriate, I guess. Also, in a sort of renegade move, there is no table of contents either. I looked several times to no avail. This sort of assailed my retro-book tendencies. I guess "back in the day" tables of contents were a given. Maybe this is the "new math" for publishers these days concerning books, I don't know! The cover, (as shown above), is a garish yellow and red affair, so it's easily spotted amongst the usual fare consisting of the Dirt Rag, Guitar Player, and Entertainment Weekly magazines that litter the reading stand in the bathroom. A nice touch, I thought, by whomever was in charge of the marketing department.

Inside the book you will find what author Zach Dundas refers to as "renegade sports". These are what we would think of as the seamy underbelly of populist sports culture. Mr. Dundas weaves his tales of his observation and participation in these "sports" while pitting them against the massive mega-sports complex and the machinations thereof. His basic contention is that these oddities of American participatory "sports', these "renegade" ideas, are where the "real deal" is. Sports as we know it, the leagues and the divisions, and the colleges, and the gobbledy-gook that surrounds it, has careened off into a realm the likes of which is so unimaginable and unwieldy that the average citizen is left to forming "fantasy" leagues to somehow feel a part of it. Video unreality is packaged as a way to become "part of the action" and to feel any sort of connection with what is going on with "The Big Leagues" these days. Mr. Dundas seeks to find redemption in the actions of the protagonists in his book which range from drunken running clubs to crazed single speed cyclo-crossers, female roller bladers, and yes.....even Trans Iowa.

Is Mr. Dundas' mission accomplished? He does make a strong case, that is for sure. The book is entertaining, vulgar, spectacular, droll, and certainly funny enough. As a theory, it might fall a bit short, but in the end, who cares? The stuff between the bright yellow covers of "The Renegade Sportsman" is a good read. I am somewhat doubtful that things like the Hash House Harriers, or Trans Iowa is going to score any sort of coup against the modern day titans of sport, but maybe the stories of the "Renegade Sportsman" will inspire more folks to become their own movers and shakers instead of bland observers being force fed marketing driven, made for television muck that passes for sports in the 21st Century.

A Word About The Trans Iowa Chapter: I think I would be remiss if I didn't comment directly on the Trans Iowa chapter of the book, since, well.......I am a main character in it! Yes, it is rather unsettling to read something somebody else wrote about you. Rather surreal, actually. I will say that after three plus years it brings back some details of the event for me into sharp focus, while others are glossed over or omitted entirely that I thought would make for good copy. It's like that when you deal with impressions folks have. Something my Mom reminds me of from time to time. Things she thought would be of paramount significance in my life are often things I don't even remember. So a little of that is to be expected with something I am so close to.

Beyond this, Mr. Dundas' rendering of Trans Iowa is both entertaining, (waay more fun to read about than it was to go through!), and accurate. Well, with the exception of one glaring detail, not really having to do with the event at all. I am reported to be a bicycle mechanic, (true), in an Iowa City shop, (not true). My apologies if that offends the sensibilities of any of the bicycle shop employees and owners in Cedar Falls and Iowa City! Other than this minor gaff, the entire chapter is more than I could have ever hoped for. Since the book is wide ranging in it's scope concerning what types of sports are covered, it would have been easy for Trans Iowa to be just a minor aside. In my opinion, it seems to be what Zach Dundas claimed to me it would be, a chapter that figures heavily in the overall book. Even "Outside" contributor/author, Jon Billman tracked me down at the Dirty Kanza 200 and told me that I needed to read the June issue of "Outside" for his review of "The Renegade Sportsman". He told me his favorite chapter in the book was about T.I. and that he says so in the piece he wrote. It is humbling for sure, but I won't hide the fact that I am proud of it too.

Conclusions: I would give the book a thumbs up for a lighthearted, thought provoking look at alternative sports in America. There are really good chapters with direct cycling connections and even some cycling advocacy can be found here. I would give caution for the explicit language, sexual innuendo, and for the off beat ideas the book may spark in fertile minds. (Not sure I would like a Hash House Harrier kennel tramping through my back yard, for instance!) That said, I had fun reading it, and of course, I liked the Trans Iowa chapter best!

So, there ya go. That's my review of the book. If you would like to check it out for yourself, you can get it on Amazon here.

Hot, Dry, And Nasty! The Dirty Kanza 200 Report!

Note: Due to a Blogger technical issue, this post is going up very late. I am going to let it run for Tuesday as well because of this. Thanks for your patience in this matter. I now restore you to the previously scheduled post!

<===My companions for the weekend were the very gracious Mike Johnson and Amy Jardon. (Thanks ya'all!)


My Dirty Kanza 200 experience for 2010 could be totally summed up in this statement: "Same day, different year", but that doesn't really explain it all that well, so here is the full tale in brief with some other notes on others performances.

Friday was a travel day and the pre-race meeting. It was a pleasant trip down with great company. Nothing too rushed either, we made a couple well timed stops along the way which broke up the miles nicely.

Conversation was mainly targeted on the weather and course. We knew it was forecast to be about 90 degrees and windy, but it had sounded as though the winds would be favorable, coming from the South/Southwest to begin with and then throughout the day. The nightime would bring a switch to West, then Northerly winds. If a rider could time things correctly, there would be very little head wind, and a mostly tail wind to push you throughout the day. Wishful thinking? Yes, but Mike and I were hopeful all would go well for us.

Emporia had the welcome mat out for the riders this year with signs and recognition by the townspeople. The event had moved from the old venue near the interstate on the west side of town to downtown at the old Granada Theatre which was a restored grand old place. The main motel was changed to The Best Western near the southwest edge of the city. Typically well organzed, the Dirty Kanza promoters, Joel Dyke and Jim Cummings, had things running like a well oiled machine this year too. Thanks go out to those two fine gents and all their awesome volunteers, of which there were many.

Joel and Jim announced a cool new award to go out to the "rider with the best attitude" in honor of my Trans Iowa co-director, David Pals, (referred to here most often as "d.p.") It was a huge, vivid picture taken by an awesome photographer by the name of Eric the Adventure Monkey. David is well known for his ever present smile and even keeled attitude no matter the circumstances on rides. He handily displayed these attributes during his DK 200 attempts in years past and Jim and Joel felt inspired to make an award that wouldn't necessarily be for a winner, or even a front runner in the Dirty Kanza 200. This was what they came up with, and it was a really cool gesture on their part, in my opinion.

<===Local yokel, Jeremy Fry, in front of the Granada Theater before the start.

The event kicked off in front of the Granada Theatre at a minute or two past 6am. Things went pretty smoothly on the way out of town considering there were 160 starters. Everybody was cool and calm. The front runners shot off like they were coming out of a cannon, and once they hit the gravel outside of town, it was an awesome site to see. Gravel dust in their wake, the tightly knit pack wound out of my sight, nere to be seen again by me. I was doing my own measured pace. I knew the opening salvo of this event from last year where I managed to crawl in to the first checkpoint in Cottonwood Falls with a spasming back and a swimming head from a bad head cold. This day I felt great, and I was looking forward to making it further down the course.

Everything seemed to be working out great in the opening part of the event for me. I was taking in food and water on a regular basis and the wind had not picked up yet. I noted the first guy fixing a flat at mile seven. Two more by mile eight. Mile nine saw a mountain bike rider with a flat. Then I saw local Ron Saul with a flat at mile 11. Whoa! The flats were kicking in hard and early. It was a constant theme that I heard throughout the rest of the event. Thankfully, my 2.1 WTB Vulpines were rockin' like Dokken! (<===Ha!) The bike, my Salsa Dos Niner, was doing great. No problems mechanically. It was going well, but it was early.

The course was its typical beautiful, awesome, and brutal self. The roads were more eroded and rutted than last year, which caught out the lead pack at mile 25 or so when all the guys were trying to funnel down to two tracks. Something went wrong, and a lot of riders piled up. Troy Krause and Dennis Grelk got the worst of it. The flinty stone tore up and punctured flesh, battered their equipment, and caused much blood flow. Fortunately, Lincolnite Butch Johnson came up on the scene and was packing a full medical kit. He cleaned up and patched up the boys the best he could while someone bashed Troy's wheel back into ride-able shape. The two casualties of the DK's unforgiving nature wobbled onward. Troy ended up pulling out quite a respectable finish afterward,(8th place!), but I do not think Dennis fared as well. I was told he required stitches to his chin and elbow at a local hospital.

<==High up on the Open Range!

As for me I was rolling up on the high open range when I came upon Omaha local Eric Brunt. He was fixing his third flat of the day already! But you know what? Eric was smiling and having a great time despite it all. What a great guy! I was happy I stopped to chat a few minutes with him.

Onward I went as the course now started to turn more westwards and I started feeling the wind coming up stronger and stronger. The heat was also being ratcheted up along with the wind. Soon I found myself running straight on into it on a southwards push into Texaco Hill. It was downright brutal, and as confirmed by several of my fellow sufferers, things were as bad as last year at this point. Wow! I couldn't believe how similar it was. The wind was whistling and moaning in the overhead wires making me look at times thinking I was being overtaken by some spirit of the prairie. It was surreal to say the least. I was forced into walking a couple of stretches of Texaco Hill just because my leg muscles were so fried. It helped a bit to alternate between walking and riding for sure.

<===Dirty Kanza's unique spectators along the course.

I got past that big climb and looked forward to getting turned back northwards and being pushed by a tailwind for once. Unfortunately, as cyclists know, when you get a tailwind, you get hotter. Boy did I ever! I cooked and had to stop and douse myself with a half a bottle of precious water to knock down the core temp before it got out of hand. I was really hurting now. I stayed standing on the side of the road a bit until I regained my composure.

Once I got going again things came back to me a bit. I now had a mostly downhill course with a wind at my back. I was hitting speeds of close to 40mph, having fun, and cruising along. But it wasn't long before I had sucked down the last of my water, ironically at about the same part of the course as last year. I had gone through threee liters of water and a bottle and a half of water bottles, (the other half being poured on myself to knock down my temperature). I was about 9-10 miles out yet, and the heat was oppressive.

<==The Dos Niner did me well.

So I ran into the checkpoint at Cottonwood Falls with some strong pedaling, but I was tapped out. I could hardly stand up when I got off the bike, and shade and water were definitely on the menu. I ate some pre-made sandwiches I had to refuel too. Mike Johnson's wife Amy was there to crew for us and she did an awesome job attending to me, something I am definitely not used to while bike riding! Thanks Amy! I told her that if things didn't get better in an hour, I was probably done for the day. Well, they didn't get better, and I pulled the plug at noon, or there abouts.

The event was bittersweet for me for sure. I know I do not do well in a combination of wind, lower humidity, and heat, that's for sure! Race director Jim Cummins said the humidity was "high", and maybe it was for Kansas' Flint Hills region, but here in Iowa, it doesn't get that dry very often with that much heat. I just am not wired for that! No excuses though, I just didn't have what it takes to do a Dirty Kanza 200 in those conditions. Hats off to all the finishers! I am amazed by each and every one of you!

Speaking of finishers, the local boys did well. Mike came in with Ron Saul and Jeremy Fry at 12:45am. Jeremy looked like he was paying the price for having been in the lead group till a flat took him down, but Ron and Mike looked rather fresh, considering the day. Congratulations to you three local hard cores!

Corey, "Cornbread" Godfrey won the event in an amazing time of just over 13 hours. I have watched Corey ride well for a few years now, always snooping around the front of these events. He seemed to get snake bitten by something every time, but it all came together for him this year at the Dirty Kanza, and it couldn't have happened to a better guy! Congratulations Corey!

There were a lot of other amazing stories at this year's Dirty Kanza 200, and those are well worth seeking out. My tale isn't anything much, but, there it is. I guess I could always try it again, but I am left questioning whether this time of year in Kansas will be anything other than a windy, dry, and hot blast furnace that I am not suited for. We'll see.

Once again, I would have had this up earlier, but technicalities prevented me from doing so. Hope ya'all don't mind the late report.

Hot, Dry, And Nasty! The Dirty Kanza 200 Report!

Note: Due to a Blogger technical issue, this post is going up very late. I am going to let it run for Tuesday as well because of this. Thanks for your patience in this matter. I now restore you to the previously scheduled post!

<===My companions for the weekend were the very gracious Mike Johnson and Amy Jardon. (Thanks ya'all!)


My Dirty Kanza 200 experience for 2010 could be totally summed up in this statement: "Same day, different year", but that doesn't really explain it all that well, so here is the full tale in brief with some other notes on others performances.

Friday was a travel day and the pre-race meeting. It was a pleasant trip down with great company. Nothing too rushed either, we made a couple well timed stops along the way which broke up the miles nicely.

Conversation was mainly targeted on the weather and course. We knew it was forecast to be about 90 degrees and windy, but it had sounded as though the winds would be favorable, coming from the South/Southwest to begin with and then throughout the day. The nightime would bring a switch to West, then Northerly winds. If a rider could time things correctly, there would be very little head wind, and a mostly tail wind to push you throughout the day. Wishful thinking? Yes, but Mike and I were hopeful all would go well for us.

Emporia had the welcome mat out for the riders this year with signs and recognition by the townspeople. The event had moved from the old venue near the interstate on the west side of town to downtown at the old Granada Theatre which was a restored grand old place. The main motel was changed to The Best Western near the southwest edge of the city. Typically well organzed, the Dirty Kanza promoters, Joel Dyke and Jim Cummings, had things running like a well oiled machine this year too. Thanks go out to those two fine gents and all their awesome volunteers, of which there were many.

Joel and Jim announced a cool new award to go out to the "rider with the best attitude" in honor of my Trans Iowa co-director, David Pals, (referred to here most often as "d.p.") It was a huge, vivid picture taken by an awesome photographer by the name of Eric the Adventure Monkey. David is well known for his ever present smile and even keeled attitude no matter the circumstances on rides. He handily displayed these attributes during his DK 200 attempts in years past and Jim and Joel felt inspired to make an award that wouldn't necessarily be for a winner, or even a front runner in the Dirty Kanza 200. This was what they came up with, and it was a really cool gesture on their part, in my opinion.

<===Local yokel, Jeremy Fry, in front of the Granada Theater before the start.

The event kicked off in front of the Granada Theatre at a minute or two past 6am. Things went pretty smoothly on the way out of town considering there were 160 starters. Everybody was cool and calm. The front runners shot off like they were coming out of a cannon, and once they hit the gravel outside of town, it was an awesome site to see. Gravel dust in their wake, the tightly knit pack wound out of my sight, nere to be seen again by me. I was doing my own measured pace. I knew the opening salvo of this event from last year where I managed to crawl in to the first checkpoint in Cottonwood Falls with a spasming back and a swimming head from a bad head cold. This day I felt great, and I was looking forward to making it further down the course.

Everything seemed to be working out great in the opening part of the event for me. I was taking in food and water on a regular basis and the wind had not picked up yet. I noted the first guy fixing a flat at mile seven. Two more by mile eight. Mile nine saw a mountain bike rider with a flat. Then I saw local Ron Saul with a flat at mile 11. Whoa! The flats were kicking in hard and early. It was a constant theme that I heard throughout the rest of the event. Thankfully, my 2.1 WTB Vulpines were rockin' like Dokken! (<===Ha!) The bike, my Salsa Dos Niner, was doing great. No problems mechanically. It was going well, but it was early.

The course was its typical beautiful, awesome, and brutal self. The roads were more eroded and rutted than last year, which caught out the lead pack at mile 25 or so when all the guys were trying to funnel down to two tracks. Something went wrong, and a lot of riders piled up. Troy Krause and Dennis Grelk got the worst of it. The flinty stone tore up and punctured flesh, battered their equipment, and caused much blood flow. Fortunately, Lincolnite Butch Johnson came up on the scene and was packing a full medical kit. He cleaned up and patched up the boys the best he could while someone bashed Troy's wheel back into ride-able shape. The two casualties of the DK's unforgiving nature wobbled onward. Troy ended up pulling out quite a respectable finish afterward,(8th place!), but I do not think Dennis fared as well. I was told he required stitches to his chin and elbow at a local hospital.

<==High up on the Open Range!

As for me I was rolling up on the high open range when I came upon Omaha local Eric Brunt. He was fixing his third flat of the day already! But you know what? Eric was smiling and having a great time despite it all. What a great guy! I was happy I stopped to chat a few minutes with him.

Onward I went as the course now started to turn more westwards and I started feeling the wind coming up stronger and stronger. The heat was also being ratcheted up along with the wind. Soon I found myself running straight on into it on a southwards push into Texaco Hill. It was downright brutal, and as confirmed by several of my fellow sufferers, things were as bad as last year at this point. Wow! I couldn't believe how similar it was. The wind was whistling and moaning in the overhead wires making me look at times thinking I was being overtaken by some spirit of the prairie. It was surreal to say the least. I was forced into walking a couple of stretches of Texaco Hill just because my leg muscles were so fried. It helped a bit to alternate between walking and riding for sure.

<===Dirty Kanza's unique spectators along the course.

I got past that big climb and looked forward to getting turned back northwards and being pushed by a tailwind for once. Unfortunately, as cyclists know, when you get a tailwind, you get hotter. Boy did I ever! I cooked and had to stop and douse myself with a half a bottle of precious water to knock down the core temp before it got out of hand. I was really hurting now. I stayed standing on the side of the road a bit until I regained my composure.

Once I got going again things came back to me a bit. I now had a mostly downhill course with a wind at my back. I was hitting speeds of close to 40mph, having fun, and cruising along. But it wasn't long before I had sucked down the last of my water, ironically at about the same part of the course as last year. I had gone through threee liters of water and a bottle and a half of water bottles, (the other half being poured on myself to knock down my temperature). I was about 9-10 miles out yet, and the heat was oppressive.

<==The Dos Niner did me well.

So I ran into the checkpoint at Cottonwood Falls with some strong pedaling, but I was tapped out. I could hardly stand up when I got off the bike, and shade and water were definitely on the menu. I ate some pre-made sandwiches I had to refuel too. Mike Johnson's wife Amy was there to crew for us and she did an awesome job attending to me, something I am definitely not used to while bike riding! Thanks Amy! I told her that if things didn't get better in an hour, I was probably done for the day. Well, they didn't get better, and I pulled the plug at noon, or there abouts.

The event was bittersweet for me for sure. I know I do not do well in a combination of wind, lower humidity, and heat, that's for sure! Race director Jim Cummins said the humidity was "high", and maybe it was for Kansas' Flint Hills region, but here in Iowa, it doesn't get that dry very often with that much heat. I just am not wired for that! No excuses though, I just didn't have what it takes to do a Dirty Kanza 200 in those conditions. Hats off to all the finishers! I am amazed by each and every one of you!

Speaking of finishers, the local boys did well. Mike came in with Ron Saul and Jeremy Fry at 12:45am. Jeremy looked like he was paying the price for having been in the lead group till a flat took him down, but Ron and Mike looked rather fresh, considering the day. Congratulations to you three local hard cores!

Corey, "Cornbread" Godfrey won the event in an amazing time of just over 13 hours. I have watched Corey ride well for a few years now, always snooping around the front of these events. He seemed to get snake bitten by something every time, but it all came together for him this year at the Dirty Kanza, and it couldn't have happened to a better guy! Congratulations Corey!

There were a lot of other amazing stories at this year's Dirty Kanza 200, and those are well worth seeking out. My tale isn't anything much, but, there it is. I guess I could always try it again, but I am left questioning whether this time of year in Kansas will be anything other than a windy, dry, and hot blast furnace that I am not suited for. We'll see.

Once again, I would have had this up earlier, but technicalities prevented me from doing so. Hope ya'all don't mind the late report.

Whelp! That Didn't Go So Well For Me!

First off, I should apologize for the lack of any audio updates. I lost the pin# for the service and couldn't find it in time to leave Friday. Again, I sincerely apologize to any who were looking for that.

Secondly, the heat and wind pretty much took me out at Checkpoint#1 here at Dirty Kanza. While attrition rates are far lower up to that point than last year, I am suspecting I won't be the only one on that list. However; I hope there are more finishers than last year.

Look for a more detailed report later, although I am sure it won't be near as interesting as others will have that finished.

Whelp! That Didn't Go So Well For Me!

First off, I should apologize for the lack of any audio updates. I lost the pin# for the service and couldn't find it in time to leave Friday. Again, I sincerely apologize to any who were looking for that.

Secondly, the heat and wind pretty much took me out at Checkpoint#1 here at Dirty Kanza. While attrition rates are far lower up to that point than last year, I am suspecting I won't be the only one on that list. However; I hope there are more finishers than last year.

Look for a more detailed report later, although I am sure it won't be near as interesting as others will have that finished.

Dirty Kanza 200 Bound!

Okay folks, it's on from here. I am on my way right now to Kansas to participate in the Dirty Kanza 200. There are quite a few area and Iowa based riders in the event this go round including Mike Johnson, Jeremy Fry, Ron Saul, my T.I. co-director David Pals, and Paul Jacobson, just to mention a few. We'll be sweating it out in humid, 90 plus degree temps in sweltering sun shine all day and into the night, (for some of us). It'll be a true test of endurance, that's for sure!

I'll be photographin' and audio-bloggin' the event too. Yep! That's right. I will be filing audio posts live from the Dirty Kanza 200 and you'll find those popping up right here on this blog starting today sometime and running through till Sunday morning. I'll be using the Hipcast service again, like I did for T.I.V6. So, if you recall that, then you'll know what to look for.

A Dirty Kanza Primer: For those that have no clue about the Flint Hills area, here are some facts and descriptions for you to chew on.

The Flint Hills, which run north to south, roughly, through much of the eastern third of Kansas, is an area of thin soil mixed in with broken limestone and flint to the point that farming is......well, a ridiculous proposition. Trying to farm in soil riddled with skull sized rocks is pretty laughable, but some Kansans pull it off none the less. What these giant rolling hills are good for is growing thick, lush grasses. In fact, The Flint Hills are one of only two large areas of tall grass prairie left standing in the world! (The other is in South Africa) If you've ever traveled the Kansas Turnpike southwards from Emporia to Wichita, you've gotten a glimpse of the rolling sea of green grass that seems to go on forever. It does seem pretty vast, but imagine that at one time that was what the entire Great Plains looked like! A pretty amazing thing when you consider how our ancestors navigated through this vast ocean of vege without GPS, and many times without a compass!

What you don't see from I-35 is how those seemingly benign, gently rolling curves of green are riddled with streams and how those streams and creeks have cut veins so deeply into valleys all over that climbs measured in miles are not uncommon out there. You don't see how the counties use the native scree and broken rock as "gravel" for roadways. The chunkiness of this aggregate is at some points, astounding. Large, sharp, fist sized stones waiting to slice tires are commonplace. We often spend more time dodging rocks than we do looking around at the awe inspiring scenery.

Then you see how the ravines that carry away rain water run right across the road ways, since there are rarely any ditches here. Water carries away the finer stones and leaves the nasty, big rocks submerged in the running water over the road where many a tire gets pinch flatted. The roads in the Flint Hills are an unforgiving lot!

Those roads run in the typical Mid-western grid in some places. Other places you'll find a winding path amongst broken rock out croppings with nary another road in sight for miles to either side. Just tall, lean stalks of grass waving in the wind as a constant reminder of what once was. The prairie still remains and is not to be dealt with lightly here. A bad fall, poor water strategy, or bad nutritional plan will really bite you in a big way here in this remote area. You won't find a ranch house, a road, or other travelers on these remoter roads in the Flint Hills. In fact, the whole area is pretty lightly populated. Well.......in terms of humans, that is.

Cows and plenty of them range all over this grassy paradise for bovines. Some of the richest "finishing" feed one could want for cattle is found here, and that's exactly how ranchers in the Flint Hills make a living. They rent out the rich grasslands to feeder cattlemen with cattle needing finishing before slaughter. Some of the area is "open range" because of this. That means that cattle can roam across roads, (where there are roads!), and stand around pretty much where ever they have a mind to. This has resulted in unplanned stops by riders in the past and in one edition of the DK 200, a rider even got knocked off his bike, and out of the event, by a cow that seemed to be quite unimpressed with the efforts being put out by the DK 200 challengers.

This is where I will be riding along with approximately 200 other freaks and enthusiasts this weekend. Stay tuned for the updates coming soon. I'll also file a report here next week.

Dirty Kanza 200 Bound!

Okay folks, it's on from here. I am on my way right now to Kansas to participate in the Dirty Kanza 200. There are quite a few area and Iowa based riders in the event this go round including Mike Johnson, Jeremy Fry, Ron Saul, my T.I. co-director David Pals, and Paul Jacobson, just to mention a few. We'll be sweating it out in humid, 90 plus degree temps in sweltering sun shine all day and into the night, (for some of us). It'll be a true test of endurance, that's for sure!

I'll be photographin' and audio-bloggin' the event too. Yep! That's right. I will be filing audio posts live from the Dirty Kanza 200 and you'll find those popping up right here on this blog starting today sometime and running through till Sunday morning. I'll be using the Hipcast service again, like I did for T.I.V6. So, if you recall that, then you'll know what to look for.

A Dirty Kanza Primer: For those that have no clue about the Flint Hills area, here are some facts and descriptions for you to chew on.

The Flint Hills, which run north to south, roughly, through much of the eastern third of Kansas, is an area of thin soil mixed in with broken limestone and flint to the point that farming is......well, a ridiculous proposition. Trying to farm in soil riddled with skull sized rocks is pretty laughable, but some Kansans pull it off none the less. What these giant rolling hills are good for is growing thick, lush grasses. In fact, The Flint Hills are one of only two large areas of tall grass prairie left standing in the world! (The other is in South Africa) If you've ever traveled the Kansas Turnpike southwards from Emporia to Wichita, you've gotten a glimpse of the rolling sea of green grass that seems to go on forever. It does seem pretty vast, but imagine that at one time that was what the entire Great Plains looked like! A pretty amazing thing when you consider how our ancestors navigated through this vast ocean of vege without GPS, and many times without a compass!

What you don't see from I-35 is how those seemingly benign, gently rolling curves of green are riddled with streams and how those streams and creeks have cut veins so deeply into valleys all over that climbs measured in miles are not uncommon out there. You don't see how the counties use the native scree and broken rock as "gravel" for roadways. The chunkiness of this aggregate is at some points, astounding. Large, sharp, fist sized stones waiting to slice tires are commonplace. We often spend more time dodging rocks than we do looking around at the awe inspiring scenery.

Then you see how the ravines that carry away rain water run right across the road ways, since there are rarely any ditches here. Water carries away the finer stones and leaves the nasty, big rocks submerged in the running water over the road where many a tire gets pinch flatted. The roads in the Flint Hills are an unforgiving lot!

Those roads run in the typical Mid-western grid in some places. Other places you'll find a winding path amongst broken rock out croppings with nary another road in sight for miles to either side. Just tall, lean stalks of grass waving in the wind as a constant reminder of what once was. The prairie still remains and is not to be dealt with lightly here. A bad fall, poor water strategy, or bad nutritional plan will really bite you in a big way here in this remote area. You won't find a ranch house, a road, or other travelers on these remoter roads in the Flint Hills. In fact, the whole area is pretty lightly populated. Well.......in terms of humans, that is.

Cows and plenty of them range all over this grassy paradise for bovines. Some of the richest "finishing" feed one could want for cattle is found here, and that's exactly how ranchers in the Flint Hills make a living. They rent out the rich grasslands to feeder cattlemen with cattle needing finishing before slaughter. Some of the area is "open range" because of this. That means that cattle can roam across roads, (where there are roads!), and stand around pretty much where ever they have a mind to. This has resulted in unplanned stops by riders in the past and in one edition of the DK 200, a rider even got knocked off his bike, and out of the event, by a cow that seemed to be quite unimpressed with the efforts being put out by the DK 200 challengers.

This is where I will be riding along with approximately 200 other freaks and enthusiasts this weekend. Stay tuned for the updates coming soon. I'll also file a report here next week.

I Aim To Please!

I was visiting an old friend the other day, one who isn't really a "bike-nik" at all. He has known me since childhood, so he keeps tabs on my comings and goings here on the "inner-webs".

<===Not fond of this shot myself!

He's never at a loss for words and he had some comments and concerns about things 'round here. So, being an accommodating dude, I am obliging him today with a bit of content here that was suggested by him.

"First off", he said to me, "how is it that there are no images of Guitar Ted on Guitar Ted's site? What's up with that? You should put up more images of yourself, whether you like them or not!" So, here I have added one from my recent Jasper County trek with d.p. Hope no one gags on their coffee!

<===Gratuitous guitar imagery.

"Secondly, why is it "Guitar Ted Productions" and I never see anything on there about guitars. What's the deal?" Well, he's right, although I just posted the other day about guitars, it doesn't come up all that often here. So, I figured I'd just grab some of them that were at hand, and take a picture. I could have kept going with more guitars, but I figured that would just be piling on. <======Ha!

Then he continued with the "How did the Guitar Ted thing come up?" ruse. Well, I had him on that one. I posted that whole story up once and for all right off when I started blogging in 2005. But, he came back with, "But if somebody new starts reading your site, they won't have a clue." Touche'! So for all you newbies out there, here is the link to "The Story of Guitar Ted"


Okay, he had a lot more ideas that he laid on me, but those were the ones specific to this site, I think.....er.....maybe. Anyway! Hope that helps some of you out there with this site and why things are the way that they are.

I Aim To Please!

I was visiting an old friend the other day, one who isn't really a "bike-nik" at all. He has known me since childhood, so he keeps tabs on my comings and goings here on the "inner-webs".

<===Not fond of this shot myself!

He's never at a loss for words and he had some comments and concerns about things 'round here. So, being an accommodating dude, I am obliging him today with a bit of content here that was suggested by him.

"First off", he said to me, "how is it that there are no images of Guitar Ted on Guitar Ted's site? What's up with that? You should put up more images of yourself, whether you like them or not!" So, here I have added one from my recent Jasper County trek with d.p. Hope no one gags on their coffee!

<===Gratuitous guitar imagery.

"Secondly, why is it "Guitar Ted Productions" and I never see anything on there about guitars. What's the deal?" Well, he's right, although I just posted the other day about guitars, it doesn't come up all that often here. So, I figured I'd just grab some of them that were at hand, and take a picture. I could have kept going with more guitars, but I figured that would just be piling on. <======Ha!

Then he continued with the "How did the Guitar Ted thing come up?" ruse. Well, I had him on that one. I posted that whole story up once and for all right off when I started blogging in 2005. But, he came back with, "But if somebody new starts reading your site, they won't have a clue." Touche'! So for all you newbies out there, here is the link to "The Story of Guitar Ted"


Okay, he had a lot more ideas that he laid on me, but those were the ones specific to this site, I think.....er.....maybe. Anyway! Hope that helps some of you out there with this site and why things are the way that they are.

Better Now Than Later!

So I am commuting on my Dirty Kanza set up, just to get settled in and used to everything these last few days before gravel grinding's next big event. Well, everything feels really good so far, and I am feeling great about the rig and my plans. Then, well......you know how it goes!

I was riding home when everything went awry with the plan. Call it "Murphy's Law", bad luck, or "the excrement striking the wind machine", but I had trouble. The crank arms- both of them- came loose on my ISIS drive crank set. Now this isn't anything too surprising to me, since ISIS has not been veddy-veddy-goot-ta me. No, no- It has struck me down before, so I wasn't about to fix this deal, I was about replacing it. Like with a non-ISIS drive crank!

So, that's what I did. I swapped out cranks, and bottom brackets, and yes it was a pain to have that happen right before the event. But............it happened right before the event! Better now than down in Kansas!
 

Better Now Than Later!

So I am commuting on my Dirty Kanza set up, just to get settled in and used to everything these last few days before gravel grinding's next big event. Well, everything feels really good so far, and I am feeling great about the rig and my plans. Then, well......you know how it goes!

I was riding home when everything went awry with the plan. Call it "Murphy's Law", bad luck, or "the excrement striking the wind machine", but I had trouble. The crank arms- both of them- came loose on my ISIS drive crank set. Now this isn't anything too surprising to me, since ISIS has not been veddy-veddy-goot-ta me. No, no- It has struck me down before, so I wasn't about to fix this deal, I was about replacing it. Like with a non-ISIS drive crank!

So, that's what I did. I swapped out cranks, and bottom brackets, and yes it was a pain to have that happen right before the event. But............it happened right before the event! Better now than down in Kansas!
 

Women And Bike Shops: A Problem Or Part Of One?

T

<===The Scene In Front Of Guitar Ted Productions World Headquarters On Memorial Day.

Warning! Rant Mode: ON

I've seen some chit-chat on the internet, in the shop I work at, and in a trade paper regarding the problems women have in local bike shops getting snubbed, getting poor service, or being observed as attractive members of the opposite sex rather than customers.

No doubt this all occurs and should be frowned upon, looked into, and eradicated as much as humanly possible. However; may I suggest something that may seem a bit radical? Something a bit different that nobody I have read or talked to seems to be seeing here?

It is a people problem. A human relations issue. It isn't gender specific either. Heck, I've been snubbed in bike shops. I've been treated with condescension, and even been "eyed up" before in a bike shop. And if you haven't guessed yet, I am a male.

Yes, cycling is full of males, not so many females. That is true. However; I've worked with plenty of females in both bicycle shops I have worked at going back to 1993. Of course, this may be an odd situation compared to "normals", but I'm betting not so much any more these days. I think it is fair to say that there are more females in shops than ever before. Could be wrong there, but I am betting I am not.

Yet this discussion about females and cycling persists on many levels, so it can't be that having more females in cycling shops is the answer. It helps for sure, but it won't be the answer. Wanna know why? Because in our culture the way we see females is whack, that's one big reason why. Another big reason is because a lot of women find cycling dangerous, and well.........it hurts and it is stinky. There are guys that don't buy into cycling for similar reasons. And you know what? They are right. It is dangerous and it does hurt and it is "stinky".

So shall we just give up? No, I think it can be and should be better. Cycling can be made to be more comfortable for most, definitely more safe, and well..........probably less stinky. But let's get back to the bigger picture- Human relations.

Human relations is where bicycle shops are wanting. There are big challenges that local bike shop owners face regarding this, but think about this- If the staff at a bicycle shop can relate to humans- be they male or female- on a fair and equitable basis with courtesy and kindness, yet being experts in cycling and staying "in charge" of the transactions going on in the store, then females would get along with bicycle shops just fine. As would everyone. Don't you think?

Now the obvious thing about the previous paragraph is that most local bike shops would barely get an employee trained before they had to go back to school, or the "season" was over and they had to be layed off again. It is somewhat unrealistic to expect what amounts to being "temps" to do the job that a committed "lifer" would do in a bicycle shop setting. Could it be better? Yes, but maybe, just maybe, everyone's expectations are set a bit too high here in terms of the bike shop world.

Sometimes I think we expect governmental and commercial institutions to solve issues that are cultural, moral, and value based and I think a little of that applies to this bike shop deal, and in other areas of our society. Can bike shops, and more specifically, the people that work in them, make a difference? Heck yes! But it runs deeper than that, and it is more personal than that. Oh yeah..........and more spiritual too.

So in the end, yes- Women are getting poor treatment at some bicycle shops, women are not being attracted to cycling like they could be, and are not being treated fairly at events like they should be. But it isn't a deal that is going to be "solved" by the "cycling industry", "bicycle shops", or what have you. It's going to take more than that. It's going to take people changing and individuals deciding they want to treat others "right". Whether they are in the cycling industry or not. Then you'll see some definite change for the good.

That's my take.

Rant Mode: OFF

Women And Bike Shops: A Problem Or Part Of One?

T

<===The Scene In Front Of Guitar Ted Productions World Headquarters On Memorial Day.

Warning! Rant Mode: ON

I've seen some chit-chat on the internet, in the shop I work at, and in a trade paper regarding the problems women have in local bike shops getting snubbed, getting poor service, or being observed as attractive members of the opposite sex rather than customers.

No doubt this all occurs and should be frowned upon, looked into, and eradicated as much as humanly possible. However; may I suggest something that may seem a bit radical? Something a bit different that nobody I have read or talked to seems to be seeing here?

It is a people problem. A human relations issue. It isn't gender specific either. Heck, I've been snubbed in bike shops. I've been treated with condescension, and even been "eyed up" before in a bike shop. And if you haven't guessed yet, I am a male.

Yes, cycling is full of males, not so many females. That is true. However; I've worked with plenty of females in both bicycle shops I have worked at going back to 1993. Of course, this may be an odd situation compared to "normals", but I'm betting not so much any more these days. I think it is fair to say that there are more females in shops than ever before. Could be wrong there, but I am betting I am not.

Yet this discussion about females and cycling persists on many levels, so it can't be that having more females in cycling shops is the answer. It helps for sure, but it won't be the answer. Wanna know why? Because in our culture the way we see females is whack, that's one big reason why. Another big reason is because a lot of women find cycling dangerous, and well.........it hurts and it is stinky. There are guys that don't buy into cycling for similar reasons. And you know what? They are right. It is dangerous and it does hurt and it is "stinky".

So shall we just give up? No, I think it can be and should be better. Cycling can be made to be more comfortable for most, definitely more safe, and well..........probably less stinky. But let's get back to the bigger picture- Human relations.

Human relations is where bicycle shops are wanting. There are big challenges that local bike shop owners face regarding this, but think about this- If the staff at a bicycle shop can relate to humans- be they male or female- on a fair and equitable basis with courtesy and kindness, yet being experts in cycling and staying "in charge" of the transactions going on in the store, then females would get along with bicycle shops just fine. As would everyone. Don't you think?

Now the obvious thing about the previous paragraph is that most local bike shops would barely get an employee trained before they had to go back to school, or the "season" was over and they had to be layed off again. It is somewhat unrealistic to expect what amounts to being "temps" to do the job that a committed "lifer" would do in a bicycle shop setting. Could it be better? Yes, but maybe, just maybe, everyone's expectations are set a bit too high here in terms of the bike shop world.

Sometimes I think we expect governmental and commercial institutions to solve issues that are cultural, moral, and value based and I think a little of that applies to this bike shop deal, and in other areas of our society. Can bike shops, and more specifically, the people that work in them, make a difference? Heck yes! But it runs deeper than that, and it is more personal than that. Oh yeah..........and more spiritual too.

So in the end, yes- Women are getting poor treatment at some bicycle shops, women are not being attracted to cycling like they could be, and are not being treated fairly at events like they should be. But it isn't a deal that is going to be "solved" by the "cycling industry", "bicycle shops", or what have you. It's going to take more than that. It's going to take people changing and individuals deciding they want to treat others "right". Whether they are in the cycling industry or not. Then you'll see some definite change for the good.

That's my take.

Rant Mode: OFF

Weekend Report

<===Making hay in Iowa

This weekend I wanted to put in a moderately tough ride in order to do two things. First I wanted to do a last ride on a test bike for Twenty Nine Inches.  Secondly, I wanted to get in some moderate training for the Dirty Kanza 200 this coming weekend.

Well, I didn't get much of a ride, since my back started twinging and sending me signals that it "wasn't happy" with my hard efforts of late. So, I wisely shut it down and went into "rest mode" to give it a break before the event. I'll probably do a light ride or two now in the early part of the week with the full kit to work out any last minute details and then rest, rest, rest!

I did get to play at my church this weekend, which went really well. I dug out the old Hamer Blitz, (check out a similar guitar to mine here) Mine is like the white one shown at the top of the page in the link, but mine is an '84, the trem has been blocked, and mine has a half white/half black paint job with the dividing line between the colors running diagonally from the upper bass side bout down to the lower treble side bout, basically dissecting the pointy bits! (You can see all my guitars in this 2005 photo here)

So anyway, that was fun, and I hadn't played that guitar for a while, so I'd forgotten how well it can sound.

The rest of the day Sunday was pretty mellow with a game of catch with my son, and then just kicking back and relaxing. Tomorrow I want to do the aforementioned ride and then who knows what. I'll probably obsess over what to take down to Kansas for the weekend!

Weekend Report

<===Making hay in Iowa

This weekend I wanted to put in a moderately tough ride in order to do two things. First I wanted to do a last ride on a test bike for Twenty Nine Inches.  Secondly, I wanted to get in some moderate training for the Dirty Kanza 200 this coming weekend.

Well, I didn't get much of a ride, since my back started twinging and sending me signals that it "wasn't happy" with my hard efforts of late. So, I wisely shut it down and went into "rest mode" to give it a break before the event. I'll probably do a light ride or two now in the early part of the week with the full kit to work out any last minute details and then rest, rest, rest!

I did get to play at my church this weekend, which went really well. I dug out the old Hamer Blitz, (check out a similar guitar to mine here) Mine is like the white one shown at the top of the page in the link, but mine is an '84, the trem has been blocked, and mine has a half white/half black paint job with the dividing line between the colors running diagonally from the upper bass side bout down to the lower treble side bout, basically dissecting the pointy bits! (You can see all my guitars in this 2005 photo here)

So anyway, that was fun, and I hadn't played that guitar for a while, so I'd forgotten how well it can sound.

The rest of the day Sunday was pretty mellow with a game of catch with my son, and then just kicking back and relaxing. Tomorrow I want to do the aforementioned ride and then who knows what. I'll probably obsess over what to take down to Kansas for the weekend!