Gravel On The Menu: Soon.....

Well, with the bum knee I obtained recently, there will be a definite shift to doing some heavy gravel road work in my future. That should be okay, given that I have a fair amount of recon riding ahead of me for the GTDRI, which will be at the end of July.

I suspect I'll be finally putting those Geax Evolution tires to rock then, and riding a fair bit on the new Salsa Cycles Cowbell II bars I recently got in to try out. Then I will be spin, spin, spinning away the miles on gravel to rehab the knee and not put too much force on it for a bit.

And as for that knee, it is swollen, gets stiff, gets "loosey-goosey", and is sometimes aches beyond words. If I stay on the Advil regimen, it sometimes feels perfectly normal. Basically, I think it is just inflamed, bruised, and ticked off at me for the time being.  The hole I punched through to the knee cap is closed now, so that skin should be repairing itself, and there are no worries with that. Mrs. Guitar Ted made sure there would be no chances for infection, that's for sure!

I have been walking on it a bit, just to keep active, but alternating that with some ice, and some elevation of the leg at times. However; it mostly has been either walking, or sitting around taking it easy. Hard to do with two mountain bikes and some awesome technical trails that I don't get to ride on just any ol' time staring me in the face every day I am here. 

So, pretty soon I will be getting back at it, but with a bit different focus for awhile. Gravel. It's what's on the menu....

Gravel On The Menu: Soon.....

Well, with the bum knee I obtained recently, there will be a definite shift to doing some heavy gravel road work in my future. That should be okay, given that I have a fair amount of recon riding ahead of me for the GTDRI, which will be at the end of July.

I suspect I'll be finally putting those Geax Evolution tires to rock then, and riding a fair bit on the new Salsa Cycles Cowbell II bars I recently got in to try out. Then I will be spin, spin, spinning away the miles on gravel to rehab the knee and not put too much force on it for a bit.

And as for that knee, it is swollen, gets stiff, gets "loosey-goosey", and is sometimes aches beyond words. If I stay on the Advil regimen, it sometimes feels perfectly normal. Basically, I think it is just inflamed, bruised, and ticked off at me for the time being.  The hole I punched through to the knee cap is closed now, so that skin should be repairing itself, and there are no worries with that. Mrs. Guitar Ted made sure there would be no chances for infection, that's for sure!

I have been walking on it a bit, just to keep active, but alternating that with some ice, and some elevation of the leg at times. However; it mostly has been either walking, or sitting around taking it easy. Hard to do with two mountain bikes and some awesome technical trails that I don't get to ride on just any ol' time staring me in the face every day I am here. 

So, pretty soon I will be getting back at it, but with a bit different focus for awhile. Gravel. It's what's on the menu....

Withering Heats

That's dust obscuring the view of the mountains.

Okay folks. I apologize for the obvious lack of cycling related material, but even I need a vacation from that once in awhile.

At any rate, I wanted to talk about the heat here. Yes- it's been hot everywhere, for the most part, but here in West Texas, the heat has been so intense, there is a severe drought going on. I've never experienced anything quite like it, except maybe for Bootleg Canyon, where the Interbike Outdoor Demo is held. Except this is more intense.

The day coming back from San Antonio on our return from Sea World was an amazingly hot, windy day. We found ourselves driving nearly 600 miles, (yes- one way all in Texas), in triple digit heat for 80% of those miles. At one point, just west of Fort Stockton, Texas, it was 108F.

We stopped for gas and a bit of a rest in Van Horn, Texas, where it was a pleasant 104F, and I stuck my head out the door of the car to find my face in a hair dryer. Well........not really, but I swore it felt exactly that way. The wind has been like that most of our time here. Southwesterly. Strong. You know, strong enough to stand one of those half acre American flags straight out at attention.

Dust Devils, those swirling vortexes of dirt about three to five stories high, are a dime a dozen out in the range lands. I saw one cross I-10 right in front of the car yesterday. Surreal. It's as if the world down here is in a monstrous, hellish version of a convection oven.

We ate our evening meal at an excellent Chinese buffet down here in El Paso on Sunday. I walked out afterward into the last rays of sunlight and thought it felt rather nice. Almost cool. It was 97F.

Can I borrow that feeling come January in Iowa?

Withering Heats

That's dust obscuring the view of the mountains.

Okay folks. I apologize for the obvious lack of cycling related material, but even I need a vacation from that once in awhile.

At any rate, I wanted to talk about the heat here. Yes- it's been hot everywhere, for the most part, but here in West Texas, the heat has been so intense, there is a severe drought going on. I've never experienced anything quite like it, except maybe for Bootleg Canyon, where the Interbike Outdoor Demo is held. Except this is more intense.

The day coming back from San Antonio on our return from Sea World was an amazingly hot, windy day. We found ourselves driving nearly 600 miles, (yes- one way all in Texas), in triple digit heat for 80% of those miles. At one point, just west of Fort Stockton, Texas, it was 108F.

We stopped for gas and a bit of a rest in Van Horn, Texas, where it was a pleasant 104F, and I stuck my head out the door of the car to find my face in a hair dryer. Well........not really, but I swore it felt exactly that way. The wind has been like that most of our time here. Southwesterly. Strong. You know, strong enough to stand one of those half acre American flags straight out at attention.

Dust Devils, those swirling vortexes of dirt about three to five stories high, are a dime a dozen out in the range lands. I saw one cross I-10 right in front of the car yesterday. Surreal. It's as if the world down here is in a monstrous, hellish version of a convection oven.

We ate our evening meal at an excellent Chinese buffet down here in El Paso on Sunday. I walked out afterward into the last rays of sunlight and thought it felt rather nice. Almost cool. It was 97F.

Can I borrow that feeling come January in Iowa?

Big Country

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone for the kind comments yesterday regarding my knee injury. Oh, and by the way, I biffed more than just my knee, but that is minor stuff compared to this knee deal. Some of you asked for pics, and while these won't be gory, or all that interesting, please keep in mind that my main goal was to get out safely, and not be coyote fodder. Pictures of said injury were a luxury I should not have even considered, but here ya go- this is all I got.....

Bandannas: More than just "do-rags".

The injury was covered first with a giant Band-Aid I had, and then I wrapped one of my trusty bandannas around it. By the time I got back to home base, this was soaked with blood.

By the way, I'd walked/ridden a fair piece before this shot was taken. Just to make sure I would get out. The rock face I crashed on was a giant, jagged exposed bedrock area with about a 45 degree pitch. Oh yeah, and smaller rocks were littered over its face as well. 

I mentioned yesterday how much it hurt, and without ibuprofen, it hurts just about as bad today as it did yesterday. I can walk, but gingerly, and stairs.....OUCH!

It's going to be awhile before any serious cycling gets done again, but I suspect commuting will still be okay once the wound heals. Trust me, I'll take it easy. Baby steps, and all that.

The wound that did heal...

The one "good" thing, (besides living through this), was that my Geax sealant actually sealed a huge hole punched into the sidewall of the rear tire. I aired it back up, and it held for the ,( admittedly gingerly paced), ride back out, probably at less than 20psi too.

I'm not sure if I'll have to boot the tire, but I'm going to see how long the "zit" will hold up.

If it doesn't, I'll get to see how tight that Geax tire still is on the Gordo, and when new, it was reeeeeeellllllly tight!

Now on to "bigger" and better subject matter.......

Play of Light

I took the family to San Antonio for the weekend, and we're going to Sea World, and all of that. However; when we left El Paso, the highlight for me of the trip so far was seeing the sunrise on the mountains east of the city. Wow!

My images are squat, so nothing too great. I mean- I took them out the passenger window while speeding down the highway. These wouldn't win any awards, but hopefully they convey some semblance of the grandeur and spectacular nature of.........well, Nature!

I could have spent all morning running around setting up shots and having fun. More so had I been on a bicycle doing this stuff. Imagine: Running with a friend or two on a back country photo taking trip on bicycles. That would be a blast. No hurry to go anywhere. Just enjoying the moments, and the riding in between getting there.

A Lonely Peak On The Range

Even as the sun got up, and the mountains got fewer and further between, the scenery still captivated me. I kept seeing places I wanted to go, but sadly will probably never get around to setting foot on. Maybe that's just as well......

It's a big, big country out there, that's for sure. We drove nearly 600 miles and never got through Texas! I sure can understand the lyrics to "Home On The Range" a little bit better now. I'll tell ya that much!

It still amazes me, and causes no end of wonder to me that our ancestors crossed this land with what they had to use. Complain? Who, me? I've nothing to complain about. Bum knee and all....

Have a great Saturday ya'all!

Big Country

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone for the kind comments yesterday regarding my knee injury. Oh, and by the way, I biffed more than just my knee, but that is minor stuff compared to this knee deal. Some of you asked for pics, and while these won't be gory, or all that interesting, please keep in mind that my main goal was to get out safely, and not be coyote fodder. Pictures of said injury were a luxury I should not have even considered, but here ya go- this is all I got.....

Bandannas: More than just "do-rags".

The injury was covered first with a giant Band-Aid I had, and then I wrapped one of my trusty bandannas around it. By the time I got back to home base, this was soaked with blood.

By the way, I'd walked/ridden a fair piece before this shot was taken. Just to make sure I would get out. The rock face I crashed on was a giant, jagged exposed bedrock area with about a 45 degree pitch. Oh yeah, and smaller rocks were littered over its face as well. 

I mentioned yesterday how much it hurt, and without ibuprofen, it hurts just about as bad today as it did yesterday. I can walk, but gingerly, and stairs.....OUCH!

It's going to be awhile before any serious cycling gets done again, but I suspect commuting will still be okay once the wound heals. Trust me, I'll take it easy. Baby steps, and all that.

The wound that did heal...

The one "good" thing, (besides living through this), was that my Geax sealant actually sealed a huge hole punched into the sidewall of the rear tire. I aired it back up, and it held for the ,( admittedly gingerly paced), ride back out, probably at less than 20psi too.

I'm not sure if I'll have to boot the tire, but I'm going to see how long the "zit" will hold up.

If it doesn't, I'll get to see how tight that Geax tire still is on the Gordo, and when new, it was reeeeeeellllllly tight!

Now on to "bigger" and better subject matter.......

Play of Light

I took the family to San Antonio for the weekend, and we're going to Sea World, and all of that. However; when we left El Paso, the highlight for me of the trip so far was seeing the sunrise on the mountains east of the city. Wow!

My images are squat, so nothing too great. I mean- I took them out the passenger window while speeding down the highway. These wouldn't win any awards, but hopefully they convey some semblance of the grandeur and spectacular nature of.........well, Nature!

I could have spent all morning running around setting up shots and having fun. More so had I been on a bicycle doing this stuff. Imagine: Running with a friend or two on a back country photo taking trip on bicycles. That would be a blast. No hurry to go anywhere. Just enjoying the moments, and the riding in between getting there.

A Lonely Peak On The Range

Even as the sun got up, and the mountains got fewer and further between, the scenery still captivated me. I kept seeing places I wanted to go, but sadly will probably never get around to setting foot on. Maybe that's just as well......

It's a big, big country out there, that's for sure. We drove nearly 600 miles and never got through Texas! I sure can understand the lyrics to "Home On The Range" a little bit better now. I'll tell ya that much!

It still amazes me, and causes no end of wonder to me that our ancestors crossed this land with what they had to use. Complain? Who, me? I've nothing to complain about. Bum knee and all....

Have a great Saturday ya'all!

Busted Up

Well, it finally happened. I crashed hard on the rocks of El Paso, Texas, and the rocks won. I will be okay, first of all, so don't worry about that, but my bike riding is done for a bit until my knee recovers. Details? Read on...

I went for a ride on the Big Mama and hit the Lower Sunset trail first. There is a pretty tame downhill section to start out with, then a sharp right into a ravine/arroyo area with some switchbacks. The first is okay, the second one is tougher. Its always been one I've walked. This time it was really eroded and blown out from riders skidding around it. I still attacked it and cleared it for the first time ever. I was stoked.

Some rollers followed with a steep uphill. Then I came across a split in the trail. You can go left for a more difficult route, or stay right. I'd never done the left route, so I took it.

Well, there was a very steep down hill over exposed bedrock. My front wheel went left and I went right and....

 Things happened fast, and when I quit tumbling I was in a seated position. I looked at my left knee, as I felt pain there. I saw a flap of skin sticking up. A thick one. Not good. I looked closer and saw a 5mm wide by 8mm long hole in my knee that I am pretty sure was exposing my patella. (It's not like it mattered what I saw at that point!)

Right about then I started feeling really dizzy and everything was getting more brilliant and washing out to white. I couldn't see. Ghostly shapes, dizziness, and extreme pain were all I knew for several long minutes. I don't know how long I sat there. I knew I had to focus to keep my consciousness. I didn't want to pass out, since my car was the only one in the lot there, and I saw only three sets of old tire tracks on the trail. I fought and prayed, and managed to keep it together. Note, all through this, I hadn't moved from where I had landed.

Finally, I decided I had better dig out my emergency bandages. I always carry them. I still wasn't bleeding, but I knew I would be sooner than later. I bandaged it, put a bandanna over that, and decided to try standing. My head was swimming. I did stand up. My vision cleared somewhat. Still, I didn't push the issue. I ate and drank some water. I rested until my vision cleared some more, then I haltingly started walking back up the trail I had come down.

I stopped a bit again, assessed the situation. Feeling better. I actually soft pedaled a bit, but couldn't climb without sharp pain. I finally got back to the easier beginning section and managed to pedal it back to the truck.

Well, Mrs. Guitar Ted wasn't too pleased, I must say, but she got me patched up, being an R.N. and all, so I'm in good hands. Needless to say, I won't be back on a bicycle for a bit!

Busted Up

Well, it finally happened. I crashed hard on the rocks of El Paso, Texas, and the rocks won. I will be okay, first of all, so don't worry about that, but my bike riding is done for a bit until my knee recovers. Details? Read on...

I went for a ride on the Big Mama and hit the Lower Sunset trail first. There is a pretty tame downhill section to start out with, then a sharp right into a ravine/arroyo area with some switchbacks. The first is okay, the second one is tougher. Its always been one I've walked. This time it was really eroded and blown out from riders skidding around it. I still attacked it and cleared it for the first time ever. I was stoked.

Some rollers followed with a steep uphill. Then I came across a split in the trail. You can go left for a more difficult route, or stay right. I'd never done the left route, so I took it.

Well, there was a very steep down hill over exposed bedrock. My front wheel went left and I went right and....

 Things happened fast, and when I quit tumbling I was in a seated position. I looked at my left knee, as I felt pain there. I saw a flap of skin sticking up. A thick one. Not good. I looked closer and saw a 5mm wide by 8mm long hole in my knee that I am pretty sure was exposing my patella. (It's not like it mattered what I saw at that point!)

Right about then I started feeling really dizzy and everything was getting more brilliant and washing out to white. I couldn't see. Ghostly shapes, dizziness, and extreme pain were all I knew for several long minutes. I don't know how long I sat there. I knew I had to focus to keep my consciousness. I didn't want to pass out, since my car was the only one in the lot there, and I saw only three sets of old tire tracks on the trail. I fought and prayed, and managed to keep it together. Note, all through this, I hadn't moved from where I had landed.

Finally, I decided I had better dig out my emergency bandages. I always carry them. I still wasn't bleeding, but I knew I would be sooner than later. I bandaged it, put a bandanna over that, and decided to try standing. My head was swimming. I did stand up. My vision cleared somewhat. Still, I didn't push the issue. I ate and drank some water. I rested until my vision cleared some more, then I haltingly started walking back up the trail I had come down.

I stopped a bit again, assessed the situation. Feeling better. I actually soft pedaled a bit, but couldn't climb without sharp pain. I finally got back to the easier beginning section and managed to pedal it back to the truck.

Well, Mrs. Guitar Ted wasn't too pleased, I must say, but she got me patched up, being an R.N. and all, so I'm in good hands. Needless to say, I won't be back on a bicycle for a bit!

The Cowbell II: It's What I Would Have Done...

Image by Jonathan Smith

It's pretty well documented as to my affections for drop bars for gravel riding and off roading. I get tons of hits on this blog about that subject. Well, here's a story, and believe it or not, it is true.

About two years ago, I was on mtbr.com yakking about drop bars and I mentioned a few things I thought would make a right proper drop bar for what I use them for. It wasn't long before I had been contacted by e-mail by Brant Richards. He asked me to sketch out what I would like. So, I did, in pencil. I scanned it, and sent it off to him.

Now, he's a great designer of handlebars. He penned the Midge Bar, the Mary Bar, and has done a lot of cool, well thought out bits and bicycles. However; when I saw the initial photos for what would become the Luxy Bar, I must admit I was a bit deflated. My ideas were mostly gone. No matter, I figured Brant knew best, and I hadn't even tried the Luxy Bar, so who knew? Maybe they would be great.

Image by Jonathan Smith

And the Luxy is great. I do really like it, but my ideas were still in my mind as being something I thought would work great. Some folks knew about it, and could vouch for me, but in the end, it really doesn't matter. I don't care who would, or does make such a bar, as long is it got made and available. I just really believed it would be something that would work. It's just that I am not a product designer, nor can I manufacture such a beast. I figured it was a dead horse.

But, much to my surprise, I got a call about a week ago from my good friend Ben Witt. He said Salsa Cycles had a new drop bar out that hadn't been mentioned, nor was even on their website, but was available from QBP. He described it, or shall I say, tried to, but stopped short and said, "Just order it. I know you're gonna love it."

Image by Jonathan Smith

Well, Ben is one of the very few people I would allow to put me a bicycle together sight unseen by myself, and have it be exactly what I wanted. He just has a knack for knowing what I'd like better than I do, seemingly. So, sight unseen, I ordered up a 46cm Salsa Cycles Cowbell II bar for myself.

It came in yesterday, while I was away on vacation, but Jonathan Smith, who took these images, was kind enough to forward me some pics. I was floored by the similarities to my earlier drop bar idea.

You know what? This bar and I are going to get along really, really well together. I just know it, and I haven't even held it in my hands yet. Thanks Salsa Cycles for another killer component that should bring me miles of smiles on my rigs soon!

UPDATE: Go to my post on the Cowbell II vs the Bell Lap found here for more. 

The Cowbell II: It's What I Would Have Done...

Image by Jonathan Smith

It's pretty well documented as to my affections for drop bars for gravel riding and off roading. I get tons of hits on this blog about that subject. Well, here's a story, and believe it or not, it is true.

About two years ago, I was on mtbr.com yakking about drop bars and I mentioned a few things I thought would make a right proper drop bar for what I use them for. It wasn't long before I had been contacted by e-mail by Brant Richards. He asked me to sketch out what I would like. So, I did, in pencil. I scanned it, and sent it off to him.

Now, he's a great designer of handlebars. He penned the Midge Bar, the Mary Bar, and has done a lot of cool, well thought out bits and bicycles. However; when I saw the initial photos for what would become the Luxy Bar, I must admit I was a bit deflated. My ideas were mostly gone. No matter, I figured Brant knew best, and I hadn't even tried the Luxy Bar, so who knew? Maybe they would be great.

Image by Jonathan Smith

And the Luxy is great. I do really like it, but my ideas were still in my mind as being something I thought would work great. Some folks knew about it, and could vouch for me, but in the end, it really doesn't matter. I don't care who would, or does make such a bar, as long is it got made and available. I just really believed it would be something that would work. It's just that I am not a product designer, nor can I manufacture such a beast. I figured it was a dead horse.

But, much to my surprise, I got a call about a week ago from my good friend Ben Witt. He said Salsa Cycles had a new drop bar out that hadn't been mentioned, nor was even on their website, but was available from QBP. He described it, or shall I say, tried to, but stopped short and said, "Just order it. I know you're gonna love it."

Image by Jonathan Smith

Well, Ben is one of the very few people I would allow to put me a bicycle together sight unseen by myself, and have it be exactly what I wanted. He just has a knack for knowing what I'd like better than I do, seemingly. So, sight unseen, I ordered up a 46cm Salsa Cycles Cowbell II bar for myself.

It came in yesterday, while I was away on vacation, but Jonathan Smith, who took these images, was kind enough to forward me some pics. I was floored by the similarities to my earlier drop bar idea.

You know what? This bar and I are going to get along really, really well together. I just know it, and I haven't even held it in my hands yet. Thanks Salsa Cycles for another killer component that should bring me miles of smiles on my rigs soon!

UPDATE: Go to my post on the Cowbell II vs the Bell Lap found here for more. 

Hot All Over

They still use 'em down here...

I am hearing it is pretty hot back home. Minneapolis at over a 100 degrees? Wow!

Well, it is really hot here as well, but the humidity is super, super low. It has rained once, (.05 of an inch), since February.

The heat doesn't feel near as bad here as it does back home, but it is no less dangerous. The lack of a sweaty body, damp clothes, and somewhat comfortable feeling heat misleads you into thinking it isn't so bad. Water management is really a big concern.

I have been pounding the water since I've been here, fortunately, so I have been staying on top of the situation.

In as far as cycling activities go, there hasn't been time yet, and a short trip to Sea World in San Antonio is on for the weekend. It may be till next week, when temps are forecast to dip down into the mid-90's here, that some riding will take place.

Ya'all stay cool now, and keep on ridin'!

Hot All Over

They still use 'em down here...

I am hearing it is pretty hot back home. Minneapolis at over a 100 degrees? Wow!

Well, it is really hot here as well, but the humidity is super, super low. It has rained once, (.05 of an inch), since February.

The heat doesn't feel near as bad here as it does back home, but it is no less dangerous. The lack of a sweaty body, damp clothes, and somewhat comfortable feeling heat misleads you into thinking it isn't so bad. Water management is really a big concern.

I have been pounding the water since I've been here, fortunately, so I have been staying on top of the situation.

In as far as cycling activities go, there hasn't been time yet, and a short trip to Sea World in San Antonio is on for the weekend. It may be till next week, when temps are forecast to dip down into the mid-90's here, that some riding will take place.

Ya'all stay cool now, and keep on ridin'!

Destination

So, the second leg of the trip went down without issue and we are in El Paso, Texas where it is sunny, hot, and very dry.

What state was this again?

But there was more cool scenery before this was spotted at the Texas/New Mexico border just north of El Paso.

Coming off the pass on 54

Gotta love the mountains. I hope to get out in the Franklin Mountains while I'm here. I shot a bunch of images of scenery on the southern end of the route which I will have to wait to play with when I get back. It's just way to tedious to do on the Mac Book here.

Look for some spotty posts this week. I'll be busy doing the vacation thing. But I did see a few things of interest concerning bicycles that I wanted to share.

On One, whom I knew was working on a fat bike idea, actually leaked the project yesterday by showing the chain stay assembly on their Facebook page. So.....this is going to get really interesting, since On One is going to use the supposedly "ripped off" 170mm OD standard. This will be also interesting, since it puts that axle dimension in the "majority", of snow bike offerings, if it actually comes out. (I don't see why it wouldn't at this point, but On One has a lot of ideas floating out there without many things for sale.) I'll be keeping tabs on this, since I happen to like Fat Bikes.

Speaking of which, no: I have not gotten my wheel back yet. Last I heard the free hubs had come in, (FINALLY), at Phil Wood, and the wheel had to be signed off on by the engineers there before they'd ship it. That was over a week ago now. And time marches on.......

Next, in a bomb shell of an announcement, Steve Domahidy, one of the principals in Niner Bikes, has left the company. The story is that he is staying in the industry, so it'll be interesting to see where he lands next. He's an engineer/product developer sort of dude, so all eyes will be watching his next job landing with interest, I think.

Well, more when I get around to it.....

Destination

So, the second leg of the trip went down without issue and we are in El Paso, Texas where it is sunny, hot, and very dry.

What state was this again?

But there was more cool scenery before this was spotted at the Texas/New Mexico border just north of El Paso.

Coming off the pass on 54

Gotta love the mountains. I hope to get out in the Franklin Mountains while I'm here. I shot a bunch of images of scenery on the southern end of the route which I will have to wait to play with when I get back. It's just way to tedious to do on the Mac Book here.

Look for some spotty posts this week. I'll be busy doing the vacation thing. But I did see a few things of interest concerning bicycles that I wanted to share.

On One, whom I knew was working on a fat bike idea, actually leaked the project yesterday by showing the chain stay assembly on their Facebook page. So.....this is going to get really interesting, since On One is going to use the supposedly "ripped off" 170mm OD standard. This will be also interesting, since it puts that axle dimension in the "majority", of snow bike offerings, if it actually comes out. (I don't see why it wouldn't at this point, but On One has a lot of ideas floating out there without many things for sale.) I'll be keeping tabs on this, since I happen to like Fat Bikes.

Speaking of which, no: I have not gotten my wheel back yet. Last I heard the free hubs had come in, (FINALLY), at Phil Wood, and the wheel had to be signed off on by the engineers there before they'd ship it. That was over a week ago now. And time marches on.......

Next, in a bomb shell of an announcement, Steve Domahidy, one of the principals in Niner Bikes, has left the company. The story is that he is staying in the industry, so it'll be interesting to see where he lands next. He's an engineer/product developer sort of dude, so all eyes will be watching his next job landing with interest, I think.

Well, more when I get around to it.....

Liberal-ated

The big trip to the Southwest started Sunday. It always is a draining deal for me. I get wrapped up in being the "man-in-charge" of things and excited about going to the point that I can be a little edgy the morning of. Well, I managed to keep a lid on it till we got rolling!

The flat, featureless plain

 This trip always seems to go the same no matter when we take it, or the season in which we decide to go, but this time something did stand out.

I noticed the new sprouting agricultural plants and then noticed how much more they were matured down south as we went.

Then the corn gave way to wheat and its golden and amber hues. Still, all along the way, the only real "hiccup in all of this is the stretch from Emporia, Kansas to Wichita, Kansas. The Flint Hills, and those big, rolling waves of grassland punctuated by bovines and a few trees. Otherwise, the march of carefully husbanded land stretches as far as the eye can see. This tends to get a wee bit monotonous.

Then is when you start counting dead deer carcasses, or trying to render just what that smear on the road may have been when it drew breath last. A coyote? A skunk? Maybe a bloated raccoon over there yonder. Well, as you can tell, it isn't all that interesting running down the four lane concrete ribbons of the MidWest and Plains states.

Wait a minute here......

Traveling along in triple digit temperatures and such terrain lulls you to sleep. There we were, in Southwestern Kansas, when Highway 54 quietly and unceremoniously punches its way at a lazy angle towards New Mexico across the county line into Meade County. All of a sudden, like a cool splash of water on a hot, dusty neck, I saw sage brush, soap tree yucca, and reddish sand underneath the low scrub of an erroded, undulating landscape.

It might be the northernmost fringes of the llano estacado, or just a geologic oddity, but for a few miles, there is a preview of the Southwest. Then, just as soon as you start to grasp what you are looking at, the wheat fields return, and the land goes all flat again. For a little while....

I Can't Drive 25

Then there is the late day haze, the coating of insect guts screed across your windscreen, and a westering ball of fire in the sky that makes for a cocktail called "Lackadazicalness". Or......you could say I was snookered by a wizened city planner. At any rate, a three block stretch of road in Meade, Kansas drops 10mph in speed limit. Right.....

Well, they let me off for past good behavior, at least, and now I can say that my "driving like a grandma" paid off for once. (Thank you to the kind officer in Meade for your undeserved mercy)

Somewhere west of town the landscape turned the page to "South-by-Southwest" for good and the excitement of the desert is looming.

Union Pacific rail bridge over the Cimmaron River

For me it is a solid when we cross the Cimmaron River. I mean, it's the Cimmaron River for cryin' out loud!  If that doesn't conjur up cowboys, wild West, and all, I don't know what does.

Then we hit Liberal, Kansas. It is so great to hit the motel after 12.5 hours of windshield time, it is just crazy. Dead tired, pizza, shower, bed.

Tomorrow we hit the high plains and cross the mountains to the desert Southwest.......

Liberal-ated

The big trip to the Southwest started Sunday. It always is a draining deal for me. I get wrapped up in being the "man-in-charge" of things and excited about going to the point that I can be a little edgy the morning of. Well, I managed to keep a lid on it till we got rolling!

The flat, featureless plain

 This trip always seems to go the same no matter when we take it, or the season in which we decide to go, but this time something did stand out.

I noticed the new sprouting agricultural plants and then noticed how much more they were matured down south as we went.

Then the corn gave way to wheat and its golden and amber hues. Still, all along the way, the only real "hiccup in all of this is the stretch from Emporia, Kansas to Wichita, Kansas. The Flint Hills, and those big, rolling waves of grassland punctuated by bovines and a few trees. Otherwise, the march of carefully husbanded land stretches as far as the eye can see. This tends to get a wee bit monotonous.

Then is when you start counting dead deer carcasses, or trying to render just what that smear on the road may have been when it drew breath last. A coyote? A skunk? Maybe a bloated raccoon over there yonder. Well, as you can tell, it isn't all that interesting running down the four lane concrete ribbons of the MidWest and Plains states.

Wait a minute here......

Traveling along in triple digit temperatures and such terrain lulls you to sleep. There we were, in Southwestern Kansas, when Highway 54 quietly and unceremoniously punches its way at a lazy angle towards New Mexico across the county line into Meade County. All of a sudden, like a cool splash of water on a hot, dusty neck, I saw sage brush, soap tree yucca, and reddish sand underneath the low scrub of an erroded, undulating landscape.

It might be the northernmost fringes of the llano estacado, or just a geologic oddity, but for a few miles, there is a preview of the Southwest. Then, just as soon as you start to grasp what you are looking at, the wheat fields return, and the land goes all flat again. For a little while....

I Can't Drive 25

Then there is the late day haze, the coating of insect guts screed across your windscreen, and a westering ball of fire in the sky that makes for a cocktail called "Lackadazicalness". Or......you could say I was snookered by a wizened city planner. At any rate, a three block stretch of road in Meade, Kansas drops 10mph in speed limit. Right.....

Well, they let me off for past good behavior, at least, and now I can say that my "driving like a grandma" paid off for once. (Thank you to the kind officer in Meade for your undeserved mercy)

Somewhere west of town the landscape turned the page to "South-by-Southwest" for good and the excitement of the desert is looming.

Union Pacific rail bridge over the Cimmaron River

For me it is a solid when we cross the Cimmaron River. I mean, it's the Cimmaron River for cryin' out loud!  If that doesn't conjur up cowboys, wild West, and all, I don't know what does.

Then we hit Liberal, Kansas. It is so great to hit the motel after 12.5 hours of windshield time, it is just crazy. Dead tired, pizza, shower, bed.

Tomorrow we hit the high plains and cross the mountains to the desert Southwest.......

Trans Iowa V7 Film Project: 300 Miles Of Gravel

The event just completed yesterday, the Dirty Kanza 200 , had a great run in the typical heat and wind again. So first off, let me just congratulate any riders that toed the line and say that I am in awe of any of you that finished that tough event.

Now, I want to let everyone know that the film footage taken during T.I.V7 has started to take shape and the projects creator, Jeff Frings, has sent me a link to the trailer for this film he is calling "300 Miles Of Gravel". Without further adieu, here is a sneak peek of what to expect.....


300 Miles of Gravel Trailer from Jeff Frings Photography on Vimeo.


This film is scheduled to be released late this year. I'll let everyone know any more details as they become known to me.  Thanks to Jeff Frings. Thanks to everyone involved in Trans Iowa V7, David Pals, my co-director, and the City of Grinnell for making it all possible.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Trans Iowa V7 Film Project: 300 Miles Of Gravel

The event just completed yesterday, the Dirty Kanza 200 , had a great run in the typical heat and wind again. So first off, let me just congratulate any riders that toed the line and say that I am in awe of any of you that finished that tough event.

Now, I want to let everyone know that the film footage taken during T.I.V7 has started to take shape and the projects creator, Jeff Frings, has sent me a link to the trailer for this film he is calling "300 Miles Of Gravel". Without further adieu, here is a sneak peek of what to expect.....


300 Miles of Gravel Trailer from Jeff Frings Photography on Vimeo.


This film is scheduled to be released late this year. I'll let everyone know any more details as they become known to me.  Thanks to Jeff Frings. Thanks to everyone involved in Trans Iowa V7, David Pals, my co-director, and the City of Grinnell for making it all possible.

Thanks for taking a peek!

The Wound

Well, I suppose we all have had our little incidents where we cracked up on our bicycles. You know, gotten banged up, cut, or even broken bones. Sometimes those things happen when we're young. Things that become highlights of our youth, give us scars that "chicks dig" when we're older. (<====HA!)

Something along those lines happened Friday with my son. He's going to be 8 in July, and is still getting the hang of riding. I decided he might be ready to try pedaling while standing. I knew he was good with just coasting and standing, but adding in the pedaling was going to be new.

He was getting the hang of it, when all of a sudden he wobbled, and hey!

He went tumbling to the ground in an awkward manner. He rolled over yelling and clutching at the front of his right hip joint area just northwest of his groin. I asked to look and when I pulled down his shorts I saw it.

"Yep! Gonna need to see the Doc for this one", I thought as I quickly yanked the shorts back up. My son saw the football shaped hole tore into his flesh by the handle bar end plug, and said through his tears, "Is that my guts coming out?" No, I told him, and I had him put pressure on the area with his hand. It was actually fat under his skin.

Well, there was a car ride, a wait in the waiting room at the ER, and then the Doc put three stitches in his body, patched it up, and sent him home. He did pretty well, I hear. I didn't go, since I stayed home with his sister, who I think took it worse than her brother did!

I thought back to the time I was about his age and ripped a big hole in my lower leg on the bare solid rear axle of my "stingray" style bike. I remember the stern talking to I got from Mom and the Doctor telling me I might need a skin graft. I figure my son will now have a similar memory from this.

A memory of a wound, and a scar as a reminder.

The Wound

Well, I suppose we all have had our little incidents where we cracked up on our bicycles. You know, gotten banged up, cut, or even broken bones. Sometimes those things happen when we're young. Things that become highlights of our youth, give us scars that "chicks dig" when we're older. (<====HA!)

Something along those lines happened Friday with my son. He's going to be 8 in July, and is still getting the hang of riding. I decided he might be ready to try pedaling while standing. I knew he was good with just coasting and standing, but adding in the pedaling was going to be new.

He was getting the hang of it, when all of a sudden he wobbled, and hey!

He went tumbling to the ground in an awkward manner. He rolled over yelling and clutching at the front of his right hip joint area just northwest of his groin. I asked to look and when I pulled down his shorts I saw it.

"Yep! Gonna need to see the Doc for this one", I thought as I quickly yanked the shorts back up. My son saw the football shaped hole tore into his flesh by the handle bar end plug, and said through his tears, "Is that my guts coming out?" No, I told him, and I had him put pressure on the area with his hand. It was actually fat under his skin.

Well, there was a car ride, a wait in the waiting room at the ER, and then the Doc put three stitches in his body, patched it up, and sent him home. He did pretty well, I hear. I didn't go, since I stayed home with his sister, who I think took it worse than her brother did!

I thought back to the time I was about his age and ripped a big hole in my lower leg on the bare solid rear axle of my "stingray" style bike. I remember the stern talking to I got from Mom and the Doctor telling me I might need a skin graft. I figure my son will now have a similar memory from this.

A memory of a wound, and a scar as a reminder.

Friday News And Views

Getting The Horse Ready Part II: As I alluded to yesterday, I had put a few new parts on the Specialized Epic Marathon. The Blunt SL's are installed and the bike is good to go with the proto Ground Control tires. I'll either have a replacement rack to throw this and the Big Mama on, or I'll be doing a quick refurb on the old, rusty T2 Saturday before bugging out of town.

I see the forecast for El Paso is HOT! I'll have a few days to acclimate before I get a chance to ride there anyway, so hopefully I can get some sort of riding done down there. Updates will be not quite as regular as normal, perhaps, but I'll do the best I can while I find time.

And -Oh By The Way... Did anyone see this, (or a story similar to it), concerning Alberto Contador? Yes, the guy who recently (maybe) won the Giro. Oh, yeah, did you notice that "maybe" too. Yeah......road cycling just got even weirder. And get this, he'll be running in the Tour de France before they settle his case from last year. So.......what if he is guilty? Who cares? Just move everyone behind him ahead one spot, right?


Well, that story I referred to above? It has this little nugget in it:


"If Contador is banned by CAS it will render the last three weeks a huge waste of time. Contador's effect on this race has been enormous, and it's not as simple as taking him out of the results and promoting everybody else.

Incredibly this year's Tour could go exactly the same way now that CAS has postponed the hearing.

Contador - who is showing more and more of the traits that Lance Armstrong did at his most ostentatious - has refused to bow, or show a modicum of sympathy for the race whose result will be rendered meaningless if CAS decide to ban him and strip him of all results since last July due to his positive test for Clenbuterol."

Wow. Just wow....... I guess I won't even bother watching the Tour then. Why would I? It all is a circus that has a few clowns that I don't think are very funny. And they  are affecting the whole show.

Dirty Kanza 200: Tomorrow is the big gravel event in Kansas' Flint Hills region. First of all, I want to wish everyone well that is riding in this 200 mile gravel race. Secondly, I want to say, "Be careful out there!" It looks to be a repeat of last year's brutal wind and heat.

One part of me will miss the camaraderie and the atmosphere of the event. Part of me is relieved that I won't be punching myself out in the brutal wind and heat, which many of the Upper Mid-Westerners attending this event will be facing for the first time this year. And that's why I say, "be careful". It sneaks up on you down there, and of course, as you can see from my image posted here that I took last year, there isn't anything out there to offer relief from the elements.

Oh, and by the way, the image makes the terrain look flat. That couldn't be further from the truth. It is very, very hilly down there!

So, have a great weekend, whether you are riding in Kansas heat and wind, or wherever. Get on a bicycle and have an adventure. I'll be packing for my trip and debriefing the house sitter, then hitting the wide open road.......

Friday News And Views

Getting The Horse Ready Part II: As I alluded to yesterday, I had put a few new parts on the Specialized Epic Marathon. The Blunt SL's are installed and the bike is good to go with the proto Ground Control tires. I'll either have a replacement rack to throw this and the Big Mama on, or I'll be doing a quick refurb on the old, rusty T2 Saturday before bugging out of town.

I see the forecast for El Paso is HOT! I'll have a few days to acclimate before I get a chance to ride there anyway, so hopefully I can get some sort of riding done down there. Updates will be not quite as regular as normal, perhaps, but I'll do the best I can while I find time.

And -Oh By The Way... Did anyone see this, (or a story similar to it), concerning Alberto Contador? Yes, the guy who recently (maybe) won the Giro. Oh, yeah, did you notice that "maybe" too. Yeah......road cycling just got even weirder. And get this, he'll be running in the Tour de France before they settle his case from last year. So.......what if he is guilty? Who cares? Just move everyone behind him ahead one spot, right?


Well, that story I referred to above? It has this little nugget in it:


"If Contador is banned by CAS it will render the last three weeks a huge waste of time. Contador's effect on this race has been enormous, and it's not as simple as taking him out of the results and promoting everybody else.

Incredibly this year's Tour could go exactly the same way now that CAS has postponed the hearing.

Contador - who is showing more and more of the traits that Lance Armstrong did at his most ostentatious - has refused to bow, or show a modicum of sympathy for the race whose result will be rendered meaningless if CAS decide to ban him and strip him of all results since last July due to his positive test for Clenbuterol."

Wow. Just wow....... I guess I won't even bother watching the Tour then. Why would I? It all is a circus that has a few clowns that I don't think are very funny. And they  are affecting the whole show.

Dirty Kanza 200: Tomorrow is the big gravel event in Kansas' Flint Hills region. First of all, I want to wish everyone well that is riding in this 200 mile gravel race. Secondly, I want to say, "Be careful out there!" It looks to be a repeat of last year's brutal wind and heat.

One part of me will miss the camaraderie and the atmosphere of the event. Part of me is relieved that I won't be punching myself out in the brutal wind and heat, which many of the Upper Mid-Westerners attending this event will be facing for the first time this year. And that's why I say, "be careful". It sneaks up on you down there, and of course, as you can see from my image posted here that I took last year, there isn't anything out there to offer relief from the elements.

Oh, and by the way, the image makes the terrain look flat. That couldn't be further from the truth. It is very, very hilly down there!

So, have a great weekend, whether you are riding in Kansas heat and wind, or wherever. Get on a bicycle and have an adventure. I'll be packing for my trip and debriefing the house sitter, then hitting the wide open road.......

The Jungle Arises

Wednesday was an incredibly busy day for me. I had errands, surprises, and a task I wanted to complete facing me that had me running until the sun went down.

First up was the hitch I had ordered for the upcoming trip to Texas. It was scheduled for 9:00am. What possessed me to think it was 9:30am, I don't know, but when I pulled out the appointment card to confirm I was right about 9:30am, there it was. In ink. 9:am sharp.

Whoops!

I was 15 minutes late, and the proprietor of the establishment where I had it installed was gracious. No problem, he said, and he had me out of there with my 2" receiver hitch installed in an hour.  That was great, but the hurried tone was to continue throughout the day. I no sooner got home than I found out Rock Shox had announced the 2012 29"er fork line and I needed to hustle the info online to get the story out.

And speaking of the Rock Shox announcement, they are getting flak already for this Revelation 29 model, which is a longer travel (120-140) fork that many are "underwhelmed" by. It seems once you've whetted the appetite with the old Reba 140mm fork, you need to actually "up the ante", raise the bar", or "step forward", as it were. It just seems to many riders that Rock Shox revamped the old Reba 140mm and didn't really take that next step up.

Now, keep in mind that the technologies in this fork make the older Reba 140 seem archaic in comparison. New damper spring design, new rebound circuit, and Dual Air climbing mode are all nice things, but where folks wanted Rock Shox to go was something burlier, something longer.

Say...........like a Rock Shox Lyrik 26 inch fork in 29"er size, maybe? Yes. Exactly.

And add backwards compatibility with older suspension bikes in as another carrot riders want to catch. I'm not sure that is wise, but, there ya go. I guess it's good if you have that older frame and want to be able to use it some more with a newer fork.

Well, that will have to wait for another day to get figured out. And who knows? We haven't seen all the 2012 cards played yet.

Now, I wanted to get something else taken care of too, and get a ride in on Wednesday. So, I was still running after posting the long piece on Rock Shox.

The Velocity Blunt SL wheel set in Comp Flavor had hit the door step and needed to be set up. I had prototype Specialized Ground Control tires to mount on them, and a bike just waiting to slap them on, but that assembly takes time. Fortunately, I had gone ahead on Tuesday and set up the Blunt SL's with Velocity's Velotape and the job was expedited on Wednesday by doing so.

The ride I usually take on "new" set ups, (just in case of failure, ya know?), is in the Green Belt, and honestly, that was all I had time for anyway. I went through to find that there were some really tacky, slippery, gooey mud spots. I had to stop to jump a small rivulet that had cut a three to four foot gash across the trail, only to find my weight bearing foot starting to slide into the water. At the last possible second, I made a leap to the other side, whether I wanted to or no. It was that, or fall into muddy water and get my shoes sucked off, most likely!

Then after a stop for some image grabbing, I saw them. Mosquitoes! They finally hatched and were cruising for blood. Fortunately, the bright sunshine and heat were confusing their sensors, or I'd have been getting poked for certain. Off I went before I had tempted fate too long.

The paths are beginning to get overgrown, and soon, the "jungle-like" green will rule all in the Green Belt. Since I am going on vacation, that was likely my last attempt at those trails till Fall. Until the jungle falls asleep again, and allows passage of my two wheeled transport.

The Jungle Arises

Wednesday was an incredibly busy day for me. I had errands, surprises, and a task I wanted to complete facing me that had me running until the sun went down.

First up was the hitch I had ordered for the upcoming trip to Texas. It was scheduled for 9:00am. What possessed me to think it was 9:30am, I don't know, but when I pulled out the appointment card to confirm I was right about 9:30am, there it was. In ink. 9:am sharp.

Whoops!

I was 15 minutes late, and the proprietor of the establishment where I had it installed was gracious. No problem, he said, and he had me out of there with my 2" receiver hitch installed in an hour.  That was great, but the hurried tone was to continue throughout the day. I no sooner got home than I found out Rock Shox had announced the 2012 29"er fork line and I needed to hustle the info online to get the story out.

And speaking of the Rock Shox announcement, they are getting flak already for this Revelation 29 model, which is a longer travel (120-140) fork that many are "underwhelmed" by. It seems once you've whetted the appetite with the old Reba 140mm fork, you need to actually "up the ante", raise the bar", or "step forward", as it were. It just seems to many riders that Rock Shox revamped the old Reba 140mm and didn't really take that next step up.

Now, keep in mind that the technologies in this fork make the older Reba 140 seem archaic in comparison. New damper spring design, new rebound circuit, and Dual Air climbing mode are all nice things, but where folks wanted Rock Shox to go was something burlier, something longer.

Say...........like a Rock Shox Lyrik 26 inch fork in 29"er size, maybe? Yes. Exactly.

And add backwards compatibility with older suspension bikes in as another carrot riders want to catch. I'm not sure that is wise, but, there ya go. I guess it's good if you have that older frame and want to be able to use it some more with a newer fork.

Well, that will have to wait for another day to get figured out. And who knows? We haven't seen all the 2012 cards played yet.

Now, I wanted to get something else taken care of too, and get a ride in on Wednesday. So, I was still running after posting the long piece on Rock Shox.

The Velocity Blunt SL wheel set in Comp Flavor had hit the door step and needed to be set up. I had prototype Specialized Ground Control tires to mount on them, and a bike just waiting to slap them on, but that assembly takes time. Fortunately, I had gone ahead on Tuesday and set up the Blunt SL's with Velocity's Velotape and the job was expedited on Wednesday by doing so.

The ride I usually take on "new" set ups, (just in case of failure, ya know?), is in the Green Belt, and honestly, that was all I had time for anyway. I went through to find that there were some really tacky, slippery, gooey mud spots. I had to stop to jump a small rivulet that had cut a three to four foot gash across the trail, only to find my weight bearing foot starting to slide into the water. At the last possible second, I made a leap to the other side, whether I wanted to or no. It was that, or fall into muddy water and get my shoes sucked off, most likely!

Then after a stop for some image grabbing, I saw them. Mosquitoes! They finally hatched and were cruising for blood. Fortunately, the bright sunshine and heat were confusing their sensors, or I'd have been getting poked for certain. Off I went before I had tempted fate too long.

The paths are beginning to get overgrown, and soon, the "jungle-like" green will rule all in the Green Belt. Since I am going on vacation, that was likely my last attempt at those trails till Fall. Until the jungle falls asleep again, and allows passage of my two wheeled transport.

A Great Example Of Tubeless Wheels Circa 2011

I recently did another "State Of Tubelessness" article here, which you can re-read if you'd like. In that post, I make mention of " .... seeing more things like this cropping up. Stan's-like tape, latex sealant based on Stan's, and a UST bead spec tire on a traditional hook bead rim, without the licensing of the  "UST Label ". "

Today I present a great example of what I was talking about. The new Velocity "Blunt SL" rims built into a wheel set on Velocity branded hubs by Velocity U.S.A.  What I want to focus on is the "business end" of these wheels, namely, the rim well and bead interface. This seems to me to be where a lot of companies are going with regards to tubeless compatibility.

As can be seen here, the rim well is slightly "U" shaped, there is a bit of a "bead seat", and of course, the "hook bead" for clincher use. Velocity specs a high pressure tape which they use to seal off the spoke holes. (Sound familiar?) There is a valve stem, of course, and latex sealant is spec'ed, but not provided from Velocity.

This allows a rider to use "tubeless ready" tires tubeless. On the Blunt rim, a 35mm variant on this theme, the system works well. Obviously, using a non-tubeless ready tire is going to be a crap-shoot, but anything tubeless rated would/should be a go here. Even UST tires, one would suspect.

You can see why this is appealing. UST spec rims play best with UST spec beaded tires, a small part of the 29"er tire market. Stan's stuff is optimized for non-tubeless tire conversions, while many tubeless ready tires will work as well. However; not all tubeless ready tires, (especially UST), will play well with Stan's BST technology. This way- Velocity's solution- walks a "middle ground, which hits most tires well. Will it work?

We'll see. I plan on swapping out a few sets of tires on these, and you'll be able to see the results on Twenty Nine Inches later.

A Great Example Of Tubeless Wheels Circa 2011

I recently did another "State Of Tubelessness" article here, which you can re-read if you'd like. In that post, I make mention of " .... seeing more things like this cropping up. Stan's-like tape, latex sealant based on Stan's, and a UST bead spec tire on a traditional hook bead rim, without the licensing of the  "UST Label ". "

Today I present a great example of what I was talking about. The new Velocity "Blunt SL" rims built into a wheel set on Velocity branded hubs by Velocity U.S.A.  What I want to focus on is the "business end" of these wheels, namely, the rim well and bead interface. This seems to me to be where a lot of companies are going with regards to tubeless compatibility.

As can be seen here, the rim well is slightly "U" shaped, there is a bit of a "bead seat", and of course, the "hook bead" for clincher use. Velocity specs a high pressure tape which they use to seal off the spoke holes. (Sound familiar?) There is a valve stem, of course, and latex sealant is spec'ed, but not provided from Velocity.

This allows a rider to use "tubeless ready" tires tubeless. On the Blunt rim, a 35mm variant on this theme, the system works well. Obviously, using a non-tubeless ready tire is going to be a crap-shoot, but anything tubeless rated would/should be a go here. Even UST tires, one would suspect.

You can see why this is appealing. UST spec rims play best with UST spec beaded tires, a small part of the 29"er tire market. Stan's stuff is optimized for non-tubeless tire conversions, while many tubeless ready tires will work as well. However; not all tubeless ready tires, (especially UST), will play well with Stan's BST technology. This way- Velocity's solution- walks a "middle ground, which hits most tires well. Will it work?

We'll see. I plan on swapping out a few sets of tires on these, and you'll be able to see the results on Twenty Nine Inches later.