Salsa Cycles Cowbell II Handle Bar: First Impressions

Salsa Cowbell 2 On The BMC "Orange Crush"

The new Salsa Cycles Cowbell 2 has been getting some rave comments from folks I trust and respect lately. Now I know why.

I've got my 46cm Salsa Cycles Cowbell 2 bars mounted and ridden and here are my impressions of the bar so far.

Mounting And Taping: Unlike some other off-road drop bars, the Cowbell drops are pretty typical road-like fare to deal with, in as far as how you will want to have them set up. I like "traditional" placement of the levers and drop extensions- Meaning, level drop section, parallel to the ground, and lever tips hanging just below the drop section. Call me "old skool", but I think it looks far better and not only that, it rides better in all hand positions. I'll get to that later, but just know that these bars will be familiar to set up and tape for anyone that has done road bike bars before. No funky "point-the-drop-extensions-at-the-rear-axle", no weird sweep, and no weird lever angles.

Salsa put some sweet graduated lines on each hook on the outer side of the curve to help with lever placement. Ever obsessed about which lever was higher? Yeah......me too! With these simple graphics on the bar, the guess work is gone. Thanks Salsa for that thoughtful touch! Saved a bunch of fretting and time for me, I know that much.

Looks pretty normal from here

Ride Feel: Okay, I've a confession to make: I don't like traditional road bars at all. They feel all wrong to me, and not comfortable at all in the drops. (No wonder people never use their drops on road bikes. It feels all constricted down there, at least to me.)

The minimal sweep and flare of the Cowbell bars is so subtle, you almost can not see it when the bars are mounted and taped up. (Salsa claims 12 degrees of flare) That said, it was "just enough" to make me not hate on these bars.

My first ride was not all hearts and roses. I felt the Cowbell was too roadie-ish for my tastes. (This may be all you need to read to be a fan of these!) However; I knew I was coming off some pretty radical drops in the Ragely Luxy Bar, and anything with less sweep than those was going to be a huge departure for me. So, I gave it some time.

The Cowbell does have an excellent transition from the ramp section to the hoods. Very comfy place to grip there. The variable radius bend of the drops was great too. This is something I would like to see more of in the swept, flared off road drop bars. Variable radius bars just fit into the hand better, with a great perch for the butt of the palms to sit into. Super comfy and secure grip there. The drops reach to the levers is perfect. I could easily brake and shift from the drops at will.

The tops have a wide enough section that makes it feel good to climb there and cruise there without making you feel that your grip is too narrow. Going from up top to the drops is easy since the drop is shallow. Overall, every traditional hand position is very useable with this handle bar.

Traditional set up: There is a reason this works...

On rough stuff, like grass, and pot holed, cracked pavement, the bar felt reasonably smooth. Salsa says the Cowbell 2 is double butted. If I push hard into the drops, the bars flex a bit. Nothing radical. I can't discern it while climbing and honking on the levers. That said, it feels smoother than the Luxy Bar that came off the "Orange Crush", so I'm going to say it is the double butted stock and design of these that gives them a bit of a sweet ride feel.

Conclusions: What about that "roadie-ish feel"? Well, I did have some of that sensation disappear. On the last ride before I wrote this, I found myself shooting up a steep embankment in the drops. Rocking the bike slightly from side to side, out of the saddle. Then it dawned on me. "Hey- these are not all that bad for being so "straight" in the drops!"  The minimal sweep and flare seems to be "just enough" to make them work for off road, and yet they don't look "nontraditional" in the sense that they have a very normal drop bar look and feel for most riding.

I won't be rocking these on my mountain bike, but I do like these for gravel, and if I were a cyclo cross kind of guy, I would seriously look at these. They afford much more control in the drops than a traditional road bar can when descending, and you can power up climbs and short chutes while in the drops and not break your wrists. The variable radius bend is great for your grip as well.

These bars can accept bar end shifters too. "Brifters" should set up really well for folks on the Cowbell bars, and if you need to mount gadgets, there is plenty of room on the tops for that non-sense.

I think Salsa has designed another great product in the Cowbell 2 bars, and I'll be sticking with these for the "Orange Crush" for a long time. I just wish they came in silver! (There! A criticism!) I'm not much on these for real rough off roading, but they weren't really aimed at that activity either. Road bikers, tourists, and anyone not satisfied with wonky drop bar designs prevalent today should look hard at these.

Happy Trails all! Have a great weekend!

UPDATED: I've gotten some questions about what the difference is between the Cowbell 2 and Cowbell 3 bars is. I e-mailed Salsa Cycles for an explanation Here is what they shared with me.....



Here is the skinny on our naming. This is new for the future and these are the first products coming under our new format.



1 = BEST (equate to product like Pro Moto Carbon bars and Pro Moto Ti stem)
2 = BETTER (equate to product such as aluminum Pro Moto bars)
3 = GOOD (equate to product formerly known as Moto Ace)

Each of these levels will be differentiated by features, materials and finish quality. All of our core components will come this way eventually. We will have 3 level of components in bars, stems and seat posts. 



So, there ya have it folks! Thanks for the comments and for checking out Guitar Ted Productions!

The First Day Of Summer.....(Really?)

With yesterday being the first day of summer, you'd think we would be basking in sunshine, humidity, and mosquitoes. Well, you'd be wrong on all counts. It was anything but summer-like out there yesterday, but I had a good day anyway.

A Wet Muddy Goblin

I got an early start and headed up to Cedar Bend Park because of all the wet weather from the past days. It is the only place I  can ride near by that won't clag up the bike when it has been wet.

Well, it was wet, and in fact, it was drizzling all the way up there. The trails were holding up well though, even though there was some standing water in some spots. The sky was grey, the wind was blowing from the Northwest, and it was in the low 60's. Chilly.

It boggles my mind to think it was 45 degrees warmer where I was last week! The air was downright cold feeling as I went down the trail. No matter, it felt good to finally be mountain biking again after my biff in Texas. The knee? Well, it worked just fine, thank you. I think it is still a bit irritated and maybe a tad weak yet. Certainly stiff at full leg bend, but things look well on their way to full recovery.

Otherwise it was good to be back and riding familiar trails. The legs were still in good shape. The lungs seemed to be willing. I was a bit surprised, frankly. I thought I had lost more fitness than that from the rest necessary when I hurt my knee. 

All You Could Do Was Smile About It

Later, after doing laps at Cedar Bend, I decided to run an important errand on the Karate Monkey. I thought at the last second before leaving that I might pack my rain jacket. You know.....just in case. 

The wind was really kicking from the Northwest now, and going right into it on the single speed was a chore. Not even a mile from the house, I began to feel waves of mist hit my face. Then it became a constant spritz. A few hundred feet later......

Rain.

So I headed for the bike path that goes underneath the expressway. I stopped and pulled out that rain jacket, put it on, and then decided to goof around with the camera a bit. Maybe it would blow over, and I could continue on without the jacket. No such luck though. It rained all the way out to my destination.

It was all good. I was riding a bicycle, my knee wasn't an issue. Just those two things were enough to make it an awesome day. Rain or no.

The First Day Of Summer.....(Really?)

With yesterday being the first day of summer, you'd think we would be basking in sunshine, humidity, and mosquitoes. Well, you'd be wrong on all counts. It was anything but summer-like out there yesterday, but I had a good day anyway.

A Wet Muddy Goblin

I got an early start and headed up to Cedar Bend Park because of all the wet weather from the past days. It is the only place I  can ride near by that won't clag up the bike when it has been wet.

Well, it was wet, and in fact, it was drizzling all the way up there. The trails were holding up well though, even though there was some standing water in some spots. The sky was grey, the wind was blowing from the Northwest, and it was in the low 60's. Chilly.

It boggles my mind to think it was 45 degrees warmer where I was last week! The air was downright cold feeling as I went down the trail. No matter, it felt good to finally be mountain biking again after my biff in Texas. The knee? Well, it worked just fine, thank you. I think it is still a bit irritated and maybe a tad weak yet. Certainly stiff at full leg bend, but things look well on their way to full recovery.

Otherwise it was good to be back and riding familiar trails. The legs were still in good shape. The lungs seemed to be willing. I was a bit surprised, frankly. I thought I had lost more fitness than that from the rest necessary when I hurt my knee. 

All You Could Do Was Smile About It

Later, after doing laps at Cedar Bend, I decided to run an important errand on the Karate Monkey. I thought at the last second before leaving that I might pack my rain jacket. You know.....just in case. 

The wind was really kicking from the Northwest now, and going right into it on the single speed was a chore. Not even a mile from the house, I began to feel waves of mist hit my face. Then it became a constant spritz. A few hundred feet later......

Rain.

So I headed for the bike path that goes underneath the expressway. I stopped and pulled out that rain jacket, put it on, and then decided to goof around with the camera a bit. Maybe it would blow over, and I could continue on without the jacket. No such luck though. It rained all the way out to my destination.

It was all good. I was riding a bicycle, my knee wasn't an issue. Just those two things were enough to make it an awesome day. Rain or no.

Wednesday News And Views

Image courtesy of Salsa's website

Yesterday, I did an in depth look at the new Salsa Cycles Cowbell drop bar, but that isn't the only new bar in the range now. They also have the "Bend 2" bar for mountain bikes out as well.

This was the un-named bar they showed us at Frostbike earlier in the year. It will be available in 17 and 23 degree bends with a forward wiggle that should allow users to keep their original stem, instead of necessitating getting a longer one, which was a criticism of the older 17 degree bend flat bar. This joins bars like On One's Mary Bar and Fleegle Bar, Ragley's Carnegie's Bar, Bontrager's Crivitz Bar, and others in the "W" shaped/wing shaped mountain bar selection. I hope to be ordering one of these for myself soon. 31.8mm clamp diameter only on these, by the way.

Niner Bikes' JET 9 RDO frame

Carbon fiber......yeah.... More carbon fiber. Niner Bikes does it now with their organic, swoopy looking JET 9 "Race Day Optimized" frame. I admit that Niner seems to explore ways to exploit the way forms can be made differently in carbon than say, aluminum or other metals. It is somewhat polarizing though, since when you start deviating from the norm of straight tubing, you are going to make a shape that will turn some on, and some off.

Niner gets the first blow in as far as the "arty FS" bike goes, but I am waiting for Ibis to play their hand. Because when their FS 29"er design comes out, I am betting it will be much like their 26"er, which I think looks better than the Niner here does. My personal opinion there.

Yeah, yeah.....it's all about how they work when you ride them. I get that, but when you are throwing down the coin it takes to buy one of these carbon fiber bikes, looks play a big role, and Ibis wins that game, in my opinion. Maybe their bike will not look great in big wheeled guise, but I am betting against that myself. We'll know soon enough, as Ibis plans a reveal at Eurobike in September.

That said, I am sure the Niner JET 9 RDO is a killer trail bike and it isn't ugly by any stretch. Plus- you can buy it now. Can't say that about the unseen, untested Ibis. So, there ya go!

Wet, wet, and moar wet: Rain has soaked things on a fairly regular basis around these parts of late. So different than where I was the last two weeks, which was super dry. Can we make a trade? Anyway, it looks like I'll have to hit the Cedar Bend area for kicks today and see how my recovering knee likes climbing! If that doesn't work, I've got a yard that needs mowed, and several bikes to work on in the Lab. We'll see how it goes.

Wednesday News And Views

Image courtesy of Salsa's website

Yesterday, I did an in depth look at the new Salsa Cycles Cowbell drop bar, but that isn't the only new bar in the range now. They also have the "Bend 2" bar for mountain bikes out as well.

This was the un-named bar they showed us at Frostbike earlier in the year. It will be available in 17 and 23 degree bends with a forward wiggle that should allow users to keep their original stem, instead of necessitating getting a longer one, which was a criticism of the older 17 degree bend flat bar. This joins bars like On One's Mary Bar and Fleegle Bar, Ragley's Carnegie's Bar, Bontrager's Crivitz Bar, and others in the "W" shaped/wing shaped mountain bar selection. I hope to be ordering one of these for myself soon. 31.8mm clamp diameter only on these, by the way.

Niner Bikes' JET 9 RDO frame

Carbon fiber......yeah.... More carbon fiber. Niner Bikes does it now with their organic, swoopy looking JET 9 "Race Day Optimized" frame. I admit that Niner seems to explore ways to exploit the way forms can be made differently in carbon than say, aluminum or other metals. It is somewhat polarizing though, since when you start deviating from the norm of straight tubing, you are going to make a shape that will turn some on, and some off.

Niner gets the first blow in as far as the "arty FS" bike goes, but I am waiting for Ibis to play their hand. Because when their FS 29"er design comes out, I am betting it will be much like their 26"er, which I think looks better than the Niner here does. My personal opinion there.

Yeah, yeah.....it's all about how they work when you ride them. I get that, but when you are throwing down the coin it takes to buy one of these carbon fiber bikes, looks play a big role, and Ibis wins that game, in my opinion. Maybe their bike will not look great in big wheeled guise, but I am betting against that myself. We'll know soon enough, as Ibis plans a reveal at Eurobike in September.

That said, I am sure the Niner JET 9 RDO is a killer trail bike and it isn't ugly by any stretch. Plus- you can buy it now. Can't say that about the unseen, untested Ibis. So, there ya go!

Wet, wet, and moar wet: Rain has soaked things on a fairly regular basis around these parts of late. So different than where I was the last two weeks, which was super dry. Can we make a trade? Anyway, it looks like I'll have to hit the Cedar Bend area for kicks today and see how my recovering knee likes climbing! If that doesn't work, I've got a yard that needs mowed, and several bikes to work on in the Lab. We'll see how it goes.

Salsa Cycles Cowbell II Handle Bar: Moar Cowbell!

In terms of drop bars that I write about, the recent post I did concerning the Salsa Cycles Cowbell II handle bar has garnered tons of traffic here. (Not due to anything I have done, but owing to lack of info out there on this bar.) Seeing as how there is a lot of interest in the Cowbell and Cowbell II, I am posting up this brief comparison with the Bell Lap bar, also a Salsa Cycles offering.

New graphics on the Cowbell II are tastefully subtle

Why the Bell lap? Because the Cowbell is so much like the Bell Lap, and it is purposed for similar usage. That seems to be mainly cyclo-cross, but I also see this bar as being a gravel grinder's friend, and for folks wanting a more comfortable road bar they can actually use the drops with and not be uncomfortable.

Let's take a closer look...

Cowbell II (Bottom), and Bell Lap (Top)

The basic shape from the front is very similar. The Bell Lap is a 25.4mm clamp model and the Cowbell bars will all be 31.8mm clamp diameter bars. The difference between the Cowbell I and II is in the alloy used and weight. (Cowbell II is 292 gms) Both bars have flare, and as far as I can tell, that flare is identical between the two bars. The Bell Lap features cable grooves, while the Cowbell has flattened areas instead of grooves. Obviously, the Bell lap has that funky ergonomic bend in the drop area. The Cowbell has a variable radius bend.

Cowbell II (Bottom) and Bell Lap (Top)

In the view from up top, you can see some of the bigger differences between the two bars. The Cowbell II, (bottom), has less reach. (Approx 70mm as I measure it) The transition into the ramp section is more abrupt on the Cowbell, making the tops incrementally wider than the Bell Lap's. You can see that the minimal sweep on both bars appears to be identical. The drop extensions reach back further on the Cowbell due to the minimal reach, which makes them appear much longer than the Bell Lap's. However; they are actually only a centimeter longer. Both bars here are 46cm width. (Measured at the point where the top of the brake hoods would likely mount for most folks. The ends are actually about 52cm center to center due to the sweep and flare. This is the same for both bars.)

Cowbell II (L) Bell Lap (R)

Here we can see the other major distinctions between these two bars. The older Bell Lap design features an overall deeper drop, and more slope to the ramp section. The Cowbell II has shallow drop, (measured at 140mm from the table top to the bar tops), and a flatter ramp section. (Note: The reach looks longer on the Cowbell II than it really is at this angle. Also, I had to tape down the bars to get this shot!)

The Cowbell's flare and graduated brake mount guides

The flare on both these bars is minimal. It is more than a Nitto Noodle and perhaps slightly less than a  Nitto Randonnuer bar. The biggest difference here is that the Cowbell has a minimal amount of outward sweep to the extensions, which the Nitto bars do not have. Obviously, the variable radius bend drops and shallow drop dimension is a major departure from the Nitto bars as well.

There is your brief tour and comparison with the Bell Lap bars of the Cowbell II. I think it will find a home with cyclo-crossers, long haul cyclists, gravel aficionados, and folks wanting comfy road bike bars. The Cowbell should set up well for tourists and racers alike.

Comments: The Cowbell Bar is really close to what I would have done with an off road "dirt drop". (I know- I said it was what I would have done, but it isn't quite on the mark, now that I have seen it.) That said, it isn't really a bar suited for rigorous off roading/mountain biking due to the minimalistic sweep in the drops. Could you mountain bike with a Cowbell II? Well, of course, you could. But there are better drop bar choices for that out there with better sweep to the extensions which would give you better control in the rough stuff.

I see this bar as a great alternative to road drop bars for gravel riding. It will have just enough flare and sweep to offer good control over the bike in loose, chunky stuff, and the shallow drop dimension will make being in the drops for miles of head winds more bearable. The minimal reach will help also with climbing from the drops. All of this translates over beautifully to cross racing, of course, and that is where this bar will become very popular. That said, a lot of recreational road riders should take a long, hard look at this bar. It will make the drops far more useable, and the short reach will make braking far easier for folks with smaller hands. The slight flare and sweep will surprise many road riders with a increased feeling of stability and comfort too.

I'll be mounting these to a bicycle soon and getting some ride impressions up shortly.

UPDATE: Salsa Cycles site has been updated with info on the Cowbell bars and more. Check it out!

Salsa Cycles Cowbell II Handle Bar: Moar Cowbell!

In terms of drop bars that I write about, the recent post I did concerning the Salsa Cycles Cowbell II handle bar has garnered tons of traffic here. (Not due to anything I have done, but owing to lack of info out there on this bar.) Seeing as how there is a lot of interest in the Cowbell and Cowbell II, I am posting up this brief comparison with the Bell Lap bar, also a Salsa Cycles offering.

New graphics on the Cowbell II are tastefully subtle

Why the Bell lap? Because the Cowbell is so much like the Bell Lap, and it is purposed for similar usage. That seems to be mainly cyclo-cross, but I also see this bar as being a gravel grinder's friend, and for folks wanting a more comfortable road bar they can actually use the drops with and not be uncomfortable.

Let's take a closer look...

Cowbell II (Bottom), and Bell Lap (Top)

The basic shape from the front is very similar. The Bell Lap is a 25.4mm clamp model and the Cowbell bars will all be 31.8mm clamp diameter bars. The difference between the Cowbell I and II is in the alloy used and weight. (Cowbell II is 292 gms) Both bars have flare, and as far as I can tell, that flare is identical between the two bars. The Bell Lap features cable grooves, while the Cowbell has flattened areas instead of grooves. Obviously, the Bell lap has that funky ergonomic bend in the drop area. The Cowbell has a variable radius bend.

Cowbell II (Bottom) and Bell Lap (Top)

In the view from up top, you can see some of the bigger differences between the two bars. The Cowbell II, (bottom), has less reach. (Approx 70mm as I measure it) The transition into the ramp section is more abrupt on the Cowbell, making the tops incrementally wider than the Bell Lap's. You can see that the minimal sweep on both bars appears to be identical. The drop extensions reach back further on the Cowbell due to the minimal reach, which makes them appear much longer than the Bell Lap's. However; they are actually only a centimeter longer. Both bars here are 46cm width. (Measured at the point where the top of the brake hoods would likely mount for most folks. The ends are actually about 52cm center to center due to the sweep and flare. This is the same for both bars.)

Cowbell II (L) Bell Lap (R)

Here we can see the other major distinctions between these two bars. The older Bell Lap design features an overall deeper drop, and more slope to the ramp section. The Cowbell II has shallow drop, (measured at 140mm from the table top to the bar tops), and a flatter ramp section. (Note: The reach looks longer on the Cowbell II than it really is at this angle. Also, I had to tape down the bars to get this shot!)

The Cowbell's flare and graduated brake mount guides

The flare on both these bars is minimal. It is more than a Nitto Noodle and perhaps slightly less than a  Nitto Randonnuer bar. The biggest difference here is that the Cowbell has a minimal amount of outward sweep to the extensions, which the Nitto bars do not have. Obviously, the variable radius bend drops and shallow drop dimension is a major departure from the Nitto bars as well.

There is your brief tour and comparison with the Bell Lap bars of the Cowbell II. I think it will find a home with cyclo-crossers, long haul cyclists, gravel aficionados, and folks wanting comfy road bike bars. The Cowbell should set up well for tourists and racers alike.

Comments: The Cowbell Bar is really close to what I would have done with an off road "dirt drop". (I know- I said it was what I would have done, but it isn't quite on the mark, now that I have seen it.) That said, it isn't really a bar suited for rigorous off roading/mountain biking due to the minimalistic sweep in the drops. Could you mountain bike with a Cowbell II? Well, of course, you could. But there are better drop bar choices for that out there with better sweep to the extensions which would give you better control in the rough stuff.

I see this bar as a great alternative to road drop bars for gravel riding. It will have just enough flare and sweep to offer good control over the bike in loose, chunky stuff, and the shallow drop dimension will make being in the drops for miles of head winds more bearable. The minimal reach will help also with climbing from the drops. All of this translates over beautifully to cross racing, of course, and that is where this bar will become very popular. That said, a lot of recreational road riders should take a long, hard look at this bar. It will make the drops far more useable, and the short reach will make braking far easier for folks with smaller hands. The slight flare and sweep will surprise many road riders with a increased feeling of stability and comfort too.

I'll be mounting these to a bicycle soon and getting some ride impressions up shortly.

UPDATE: Salsa Cycles site has been updated with info on the Cowbell bars and more. Check it out!

Getting Back In Gear

Back In The Saddle Again

So, I got home and tried a bicycle ride. It went well, actually. I did about an hour and a half of bicycle path with no real pain. The knee felt weaker, but not bad. The next morning, Father's Day, was okay. A bit of stiffness, but still, nothing to fret over.

I even did an errand on the Xtracycle, but for the most part, I stuck close to home to spend time with my family, you know- Since I am a father and all. It made more sense to me to hang out with those that allow me to be a father, and love me for that, than to selfishly go out and do whatever I wanted on my own. I mean, that's what being single was for, no?

 

After we ate supper, I went on another "training" ride with my son. He's getting the hang of it all. He'd keep yelling at me, "Hey Daddy! Did you see me turn that corner? That was good, huh?" Yeah.....I was glad I told him I would ride with him today. A solo gravel adventure is good too, but not in the same way, ya know? 

I don't feel as though pretending to be single, and carefree is what celebrating Father's day is all about, but your mileage may vary.

Hope you all had a great weekend. I look forward to re-habbing the knee further and getting back to 100% again. 

Getting Back In Gear

Back In The Saddle Again

So, I got home and tried a bicycle ride. It went well, actually. I did about an hour and a half of bicycle path with no real pain. The knee felt weaker, but not bad. The next morning, Father's Day, was okay. A bit of stiffness, but still, nothing to fret over.

I even did an errand on the Xtracycle, but for the most part, I stuck close to home to spend time with my family, you know- Since I am a father and all. It made more sense to me to hang out with those that allow me to be a father, and love me for that, than to selfishly go out and do whatever I wanted on my own. I mean, that's what being single was for, no?

 

After we ate supper, I went on another "training" ride with my son. He's getting the hang of it all. He'd keep yelling at me, "Hey Daddy! Did you see me turn that corner? That was good, huh?" Yeah.....I was glad I told him I would ride with him today. A solo gravel adventure is good too, but not in the same way, ya know? 

I don't feel as though pretending to be single, and carefree is what celebrating Father's day is all about, but your mileage may vary.

Hope you all had a great weekend. I look forward to re-habbing the knee further and getting back to 100% again. 

It's "Good" Money

The business of bicycles is good these days. In more ways than one. Too bad a lot of folks just don't get it. Happily, many do. Hopefully, the more things like what is  going on in Portland, Oregon, and elsewhere happen, the more the folks out there will switch from "not getting it", to supporting bicycles and the business they can generate.

Chris De Stefano speaking at the Bicycles Mean Business event

Portland, Oregon: Here we have a great example of what bicycles can bring to the table economically. Portland is taking the bicycle and promoting it in an economic way to any who will listen. And by the sounds of what my friend, Chris De Stefano, is saying, more folks might benefit from listening. Here is some of what Chris shared with me regarding what is going on in Portland:

"Added together, Portland bicycle-related business adds up to $100 million in annual sales while providing over 1500 jobs. (We added our 88th employee the Monday following the BMB presentation)"

- Note: The "we" that Chris refers to is Chris King Precision Components and Cielo Cycles-

"Even more wonderful, there are nearly 4000 bike races, events, or scheduled rides in Portland per year. Bikes mean more and more business in Portland."


Portland is not the only place things like this are happening. The Mid-West, East Coast, and other places in the U.S. are also beginning to, or are already enjoying, the economic impact of manufacturing, distribution, and support of the bicycling industry on many levels. More places in the U.S. could be doing the same.

And we're not even touching upon the normally touted benefits to communities, like better overall health, happiness, and environmental impacts that cycling brings.

Chris King (L) and U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (R)

Everyone Can Get In On The Act: So, you say you are not into business? Okay, well what would you say to getting some money back from your employer just because you commute to work by bicycle? Sound good?

Well, enter 3rd Congressional District Representative, Earl Blumenauer, who is working with like-minded lawmakers to increase the amount of money that employers could give to employees who use alternate forms of transportation to get to work, such as carpooling, taking the metro bus/train, or bicycling. Under this bill, commuters who use alternative transportation would have the same incentives currently provide to those who commute by car.

 

Economic benefits for employers, employees, and for communities are waiting for those that embrace the bicycle. I know that in the communities I live in, (Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and surrounding area), the bicycle has brought in a marked increase in tourism, commuting, and use of bicycles for recreational purposes. Money spent in local businesses has been increased by this activity. Much of that influenced by the investment into the local trail network. It's extra money that wouldn't be here if the trails didn't exist. 

Do you want to say no to extra money, health benefits, and "clean" transportation alternatives? Go ahead and ignore the bicycle. However; I don't think that would be a very wise course. 

It's "Good" Money

The business of bicycles is good these days. In more ways than one. Too bad a lot of folks just don't get it. Happily, many do. Hopefully, the more things like what is  going on in Portland, Oregon, and elsewhere happen, the more the folks out there will switch from "not getting it", to supporting bicycles and the business they can generate.

Chris De Stefano speaking at the Bicycles Mean Business event

Portland, Oregon: Here we have a great example of what bicycles can bring to the table economically. Portland is taking the bicycle and promoting it in an economic way to any who will listen. And by the sounds of what my friend, Chris De Stefano, is saying, more folks might benefit from listening. Here is some of what Chris shared with me regarding what is going on in Portland:

"Added together, Portland bicycle-related business adds up to $100 million in annual sales while providing over 1500 jobs. (We added our 88th employee the Monday following the BMB presentation)"

- Note: The "we" that Chris refers to is Chris King Precision Components and Cielo Cycles-

"Even more wonderful, there are nearly 4000 bike races, events, or scheduled rides in Portland per year. Bikes mean more and more business in Portland."


Portland is not the only place things like this are happening. The Mid-West, East Coast, and other places in the U.S. are also beginning to, or are already enjoying, the economic impact of manufacturing, distribution, and support of the bicycling industry on many levels. More places in the U.S. could be doing the same.

And we're not even touching upon the normally touted benefits to communities, like better overall health, happiness, and environmental impacts that cycling brings.

Chris King (L) and U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (R)

Everyone Can Get In On The Act: So, you say you are not into business? Okay, well what would you say to getting some money back from your employer just because you commute to work by bicycle? Sound good?

Well, enter 3rd Congressional District Representative, Earl Blumenauer, who is working with like-minded lawmakers to increase the amount of money that employers could give to employees who use alternate forms of transportation to get to work, such as carpooling, taking the metro bus/train, or bicycling. Under this bill, commuters who use alternative transportation would have the same incentives currently provide to those who commute by car.

 

Economic benefits for employers, employees, and for communities are waiting for those that embrace the bicycle. I know that in the communities I live in, (Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and surrounding area), the bicycle has brought in a marked increase in tourism, commuting, and use of bicycles for recreational purposes. Money spent in local businesses has been increased by this activity. Much of that influenced by the investment into the local trail network. It's extra money that wouldn't be here if the trails didn't exist. 

Do you want to say no to extra money, health benefits, and "clean" transportation alternatives? Go ahead and ignore the bicycle. However; I don't think that would be a very wise course. 

Black Coffee At Home

Coca Cola In The Bottle!

Making it home was awesome on Friday evening. We were so glad to walk through that door after over 3900 miles of windshield time in less than two weeks.

The trip home was thankfully uneventful. Other than monitoring a slow leak in one of the vehicle's tires, we had no real drama.  That left us to enjoy some of the little things in life.

Like full strength Coca Cola ice cold from the bottle!  I had to buy it, since I can not remember the last time I ever had Coca Cola in a glass bottle. It's been a long, long time ago. Does it make a difference? If you need to ask, you just won't get it. Want some? Maybe you can get it elsewhere, but I bought this bottle in Tularosa, New Mexico for a $1.59. Worth every penny. I'm saving the bottle cap for my head set YAWYD cap from Niner Bikes.

New Mexican Windmill

I played my little game of trying to capture windmills from the seat of our speeding vehicle. Some of the images didn't come out too bad.

The first day I missed a lot of really good ones since Mrs. Guitar Ted couldn't stay awake behind the wheel and I ended up driving most of the day. That's cool. I'd rather that we were all alive instead of dead with great windmill images!

We over-nighted in Liberal, Kansas once again, setting up a longer second day of driving than I normally like to have. Normally I would have tried to get us to Wichita, Kansas, but we got a late start from El Paso, so we didn't feel like pushing it into the night on Kansas two lane highways in the dark

Early Morning Drive Eastward

Kansas two lane. Yeah....... What can I say? Trains, oil pumping from wells, and wind blasted range lands.

The road traffic was pretty heavy. Lots of trucks use this highway, (HWY 54), and getting around them is no easy task. Then you have the inevitable slow downs through small villages and towns.

I really don't mind this, since it is actually very much more interesting than interstate travel is! At least there is some contact with the culture and geography, which generally you just speed by while traveling the interstates.

The vacation is over now, and it is back to bicycles again. Hope you all are having a great weekend. One last windmill shot from Kansas for you.....

Barbed Wire And A Windmill

Ride your bikes! Take some pictures! Have some fun!

Black Coffee At Home

Coca Cola In The Bottle!

Making it home was awesome on Friday evening. We were so glad to walk through that door after over 3900 miles of windshield time in less than two weeks.

The trip home was thankfully uneventful. Other than monitoring a slow leak in one of the vehicle's tires, we had no real drama.  That left us to enjoy some of the little things in life.

Like full strength Coca Cola ice cold from the bottle!  I had to buy it, since I can not remember the last time I ever had Coca Cola in a glass bottle. It's been a long, long time ago. Does it make a difference? If you need to ask, you just won't get it. Want some? Maybe you can get it elsewhere, but I bought this bottle in Tularosa, New Mexico for a $1.59. Worth every penny. I'm saving the bottle cap for my head set YAWYD cap from Niner Bikes.

New Mexican Windmill

I played my little game of trying to capture windmills from the seat of our speeding vehicle. Some of the images didn't come out too bad.

The first day I missed a lot of really good ones since Mrs. Guitar Ted couldn't stay awake behind the wheel and I ended up driving most of the day. That's cool. I'd rather that we were all alive instead of dead with great windmill images!

We over-nighted in Liberal, Kansas once again, setting up a longer second day of driving than I normally like to have. Normally I would have tried to get us to Wichita, Kansas, but we got a late start from El Paso, so we didn't feel like pushing it into the night on Kansas two lane highways in the dark

Early Morning Drive Eastward

Kansas two lane. Yeah....... What can I say? Trains, oil pumping from wells, and wind blasted range lands.

The road traffic was pretty heavy. Lots of trucks use this highway, (HWY 54), and getting around them is no easy task. Then you have the inevitable slow downs through small villages and towns.

I really don't mind this, since it is actually very much more interesting than interstate travel is! At least there is some contact with the culture and geography, which generally you just speed by while traveling the interstates.

The vacation is over now, and it is back to bicycles again. Hope you all are having a great weekend. One last windmill shot from Kansas for you.....

Barbed Wire And A Windmill

Ride your bikes! Take some pictures! Have some fun!

Friday News And Views

Moar Carbon

Niner Bikes Carbon JET 9: By now ya'all have probably seen this image of what is part of the new Carbon Jet 9 from Niner Bikes. Carbon.....It's What Is On The Menu For 29"ers For 2012.

Well, seemingly that looks to be the case. I also saw what might be a bigger, AM-ish carbon 29"er from another company on Twitter recently as well. Is this the way of the future for mountain bikes and specifically, 29"ers?

While carbon fiber seems to be the "material du jour" these days, I don't think it's going to supplant other materials any day soon. It just seems that way now. Heck, given that some air plane companies big military contract might be granted, and we might just see carbon fiber frame development curtailed a bit. Also, I figure there will always be those that will never trust a carbon fiber frame, so aluminum and steel will still be showing up at the trail heads for a long, long time.

I will say that the prices some of these frames fetch is a bit suspect, but maybe that's just my suspicious nature kicking in.

The Renegades Are At It Again: The Newton Renegade Gravel Bike Race will take place on June 25th. I went to the first "Renegade" series race in April and it was a hoot. Sounds like this one will be quite an adventure, and if I know a thing or three about the promoters, there is going to be some sweet, steep Jasper County goodness on this 71-ish mile event. I'm going to try and swing it, but the bum knee may have something to say about that!

Pung Cha's Flowers

Still on the road from El Paso yet, overnighted in Liberal, Kansas. Hope to hit the pavement early  and bring in the truckster before dark-thirty tonight.

So, this will be an abbreviated post today. Gotta get back to the business of getting everyone safely home. I can't wait, really. Lots to do and catch up on.

Do I still actually have a job at the shop? I don't think they miss me too much! We'll see....

Have a great weekend ya'all, and I hope you get some great rides in, wherever you are.

Friday News And Views

Moar Carbon

Niner Bikes Carbon JET 9: By now ya'all have probably seen this image of what is part of the new Carbon Jet 9 from Niner Bikes. Carbon.....It's What Is On The Menu For 29"ers For 2012.

Well, seemingly that looks to be the case. I also saw what might be a bigger, AM-ish carbon 29"er from another company on Twitter recently as well. Is this the way of the future for mountain bikes and specifically, 29"ers?

While carbon fiber seems to be the "material du jour" these days, I don't think it's going to supplant other materials any day soon. It just seems that way now. Heck, given that some air plane companies big military contract might be granted, and we might just see carbon fiber frame development curtailed a bit. Also, I figure there will always be those that will never trust a carbon fiber frame, so aluminum and steel will still be showing up at the trail heads for a long, long time.

I will say that the prices some of these frames fetch is a bit suspect, but maybe that's just my suspicious nature kicking in.

The Renegades Are At It Again: The Newton Renegade Gravel Bike Race will take place on June 25th. I went to the first "Renegade" series race in April and it was a hoot. Sounds like this one will be quite an adventure, and if I know a thing or three about the promoters, there is going to be some sweet, steep Jasper County goodness on this 71-ish mile event. I'm going to try and swing it, but the bum knee may have something to say about that!

Pung Cha's Flowers

Still on the road from El Paso yet, overnighted in Liberal, Kansas. Hope to hit the pavement early  and bring in the truckster before dark-thirty tonight.

So, this will be an abbreviated post today. Gotta get back to the business of getting everyone safely home. I can't wait, really. Lots to do and catch up on.

Do I still actually have a job at the shop? I don't think they miss me too much! We'll see....

Have a great weekend ya'all, and I hope you get some great rides in, wherever you are.

Turning Back Northward

Discovered some crash damage the other day.

The time has finally arrived to point the vehicle northward and head home. Today is going to be taken up by slightly over one half of the travel miles needed to get home. Tomorrow we'll finish it off and have the weekend to recover before the usual daily grind kicks back into gear for a while.

It's been good to have been removed from that "usual daily grind" for a bit too. I learned that I need to get outside to stay sane, (more of a reminder, really), and I learned that I really, really miss riding my bikes.

Speaking of which, I've been cleared by Mrs. Guitar Ted to go on a light, easy spin once we get back home. We've been keeping tabs on my progress. So far, so good. The wound is closed, and now will just require some time to fully heal. I suspect that it might take a couple more weeks at least for that to happen. It's what happened inside that may take longer.

Flowers in my Mother-In-Law's garden

Mrs. Guitar Ted says it is my ACL and it is inflamed. I say that I can't go without pain killers too long or it hurts really bad, and my knee is slightly swollen.

I do know it is re-gaining strength, bit by bit, and I have been walking more normally of late when I take my exercise here. Still, I've no idea what a bicycle ride might do yet. It'll be a cautious, easy first ride when I get the chance this coming Saturday.

It's always weird to leave here for me. We so seldom get to visit here, that the goodbyes are a little bit heavier than maybe they would be if we saw each other more often. That said, I am ready to get back home and leave this dry, dry, hot, unchanging, dry, hot, unforgiving weather behind. Did I mention that it is dry and hot?

The weather situation here is almost boring. I went to the window a couple mornings ago to check the sky, and my Father-In-Law says, "What'r you lookin' for?" I said I was just checking the sky to see what the weather was doing. He shook his head and said, "No need for that. It's the same every day here." There is something to be said for variety.

Speaking of variety: My Mother-In-Law is Korean, and she is an excellent cook. For our final evening meal here, she made us haemultang. It's a soup with all kinds of shellfish, crab, mussels, and what not in it with a spicy, hot broth. These ingredients are cooked all with the shells on, so it is kind of a noisy soup when you stir it, but it sure was good. My Mother-In-Law says it is a meal that "takes time to eat", and she is right. Good for meals where you want to do a lot of chatting. Oh yeah, and it's messy to eat! It's lots of fun for me to try these new things.

Well, anyway, that's the end of vacation here, and I'll be on the road for two days- today and tomorrow. Can't wait to get back home now......

Turning Back Northward

Discovered some crash damage the other day.

The time has finally arrived to point the vehicle northward and head home. Today is going to be taken up by slightly over one half of the travel miles needed to get home. Tomorrow we'll finish it off and have the weekend to recover before the usual daily grind kicks back into gear for a while.

It's been good to have been removed from that "usual daily grind" for a bit too. I learned that I need to get outside to stay sane, (more of a reminder, really), and I learned that I really, really miss riding my bikes.

Speaking of which, I've been cleared by Mrs. Guitar Ted to go on a light, easy spin once we get back home. We've been keeping tabs on my progress. So far, so good. The wound is closed, and now will just require some time to fully heal. I suspect that it might take a couple more weeks at least for that to happen. It's what happened inside that may take longer.

Flowers in my Mother-In-Law's garden

Mrs. Guitar Ted says it is my ACL and it is inflamed. I say that I can't go without pain killers too long or it hurts really bad, and my knee is slightly swollen.

I do know it is re-gaining strength, bit by bit, and I have been walking more normally of late when I take my exercise here. Still, I've no idea what a bicycle ride might do yet. It'll be a cautious, easy first ride when I get the chance this coming Saturday.

It's always weird to leave here for me. We so seldom get to visit here, that the goodbyes are a little bit heavier than maybe they would be if we saw each other more often. That said, I am ready to get back home and leave this dry, dry, hot, unchanging, dry, hot, unforgiving weather behind. Did I mention that it is dry and hot?

The weather situation here is almost boring. I went to the window a couple mornings ago to check the sky, and my Father-In-Law says, "What'r you lookin' for?" I said I was just checking the sky to see what the weather was doing. He shook his head and said, "No need for that. It's the same every day here." There is something to be said for variety.

Speaking of variety: My Mother-In-Law is Korean, and she is an excellent cook. For our final evening meal here, she made us haemultang. It's a soup with all kinds of shellfish, crab, mussels, and what not in it with a spicy, hot broth. These ingredients are cooked all with the shells on, so it is kind of a noisy soup when you stir it, but it sure was good. My Mother-In-Law says it is a meal that "takes time to eat", and she is right. Good for meals where you want to do a lot of chatting. Oh yeah, and it's messy to eat! It's lots of fun for me to try these new things.

Well, anyway, that's the end of vacation here, and I'll be on the road for two days- today and tomorrow. Can't wait to get back home now......

A Changing Horizon

One of the things I've seen over the past decade in Iowa is a changing landscape. A landscape featuring towering white wind powered electric generators which line higher ridges and hills in various places in Iowa now. Places that once were devoid of anything that huge breaking up the view of the rolling fields.

Old fashioned wind mill in West Texas

Sure, you had your occasional blue "Harvestore" silo, or an old fashioned wind mill sticking up in the air a bit, but those were rarely ever taller than a big ol' oak tree, and seemed to be fitting, in a way, with the agricultural way of life molded by the land itself.

Now these wind generators just seem a bit out of place. They are gigantic in scale, and with their stark, "Apple-esque" white appearance, these seem to be a cold, unfitting way to adorn the landscape of Iowa's countryside. Don't get me wrong though. I do like the idea of generating energy with wind. I just wish it wasn't done in such an unharmonious way. You maybe could have painted these things green. Or "sky-camo", or something other than what they are painted. Heck, dirt brown would work. They are getting pretty grungy looking already anyway.

Well, the whole "working with nature" thing was really brought to mind on our trip back from San Antonio this past weekend.

East of Fort Stockton, Texas on I-10

Maybe it really doesn't matter. Maybe in 50 years, folks couldn't imagine this scene any other way, but having these propellered sticks atop every mesa for miles in West Texas just seemed weird to my eyes.

Like I said, maybe it is a good thing. I know we need to be looking at alternative energy sources, but I sure hope I don't have to one day bemoan that my single track has been uprooted to accommodate some grove of white whirly-gigs.

A Changing Horizon

One of the things I've seen over the past decade in Iowa is a changing landscape. A landscape featuring towering white wind powered electric generators which line higher ridges and hills in various places in Iowa now. Places that once were devoid of anything that huge breaking up the view of the rolling fields.

Old fashioned wind mill in West Texas

Sure, you had your occasional blue "Harvestore" silo, or an old fashioned wind mill sticking up in the air a bit, but those were rarely ever taller than a big ol' oak tree, and seemed to be fitting, in a way, with the agricultural way of life molded by the land itself.

Now these wind generators just seem a bit out of place. They are gigantic in scale, and with their stark, "Apple-esque" white appearance, these seem to be a cold, unfitting way to adorn the landscape of Iowa's countryside. Don't get me wrong though. I do like the idea of generating energy with wind. I just wish it wasn't done in such an unharmonious way. You maybe could have painted these things green. Or "sky-camo", or something other than what they are painted. Heck, dirt brown would work. They are getting pretty grungy looking already anyway.

Well, the whole "working with nature" thing was really brought to mind on our trip back from San Antonio this past weekend.

East of Fort Stockton, Texas on I-10

Maybe it really doesn't matter. Maybe in 50 years, folks couldn't imagine this scene any other way, but having these propellered sticks atop every mesa for miles in West Texas just seemed weird to my eyes.

Like I said, maybe it is a good thing. I know we need to be looking at alternative energy sources, but I sure hope I don't have to one day bemoan that my single track has been uprooted to accommodate some grove of white whirly-gigs.