More Encounters With Wildlife

More Encounters With Wildlife- (This time the animal in question is actually a live one!)

Fresh Tracks

Back in June I had an encounter with a suicidal deer, (which I posted about here), and on Independence Day I came across a big 10 pointer in Geo Wyth.

I've also had turkeys flying in my face and sighted a strange, huge black-ish bird that I think is an immature Bald Eagle. Owls, deer, and other critters have been abundant even though everything on the plant side is shriveling up and dying out there. Seriously- it is getting scary out there.

Well, anyway, this story starts- (where else!)- up at the South side of Camp Ingawanis' mountain bike trails. I headed up there for some tire/wheel testing on the Milwaukee Bicycle Company 29"er. It was a really nice day- in the 70's, dappled sunshine, and little wind or humidity. The trails are bone dry, fast, and clear for the most part.

The tires in question are the Michelin Wild Race'R model with a tubeless set up on a WTB Frequency i23 rim laced to American Classic hubs. I had been running slightly higher pressures, but for this run I was at 18psi-20psi.

Really- this bike rides soooo nice!

I don't know why, but everything just clicked on this ride. Sure- I have liked the MBC 29"er well enough all along, the wheels have been....well, wheels. The tires worked really nicely on the slightly narrower Velocity Blunt SL rims when I had those tires on those wheels and mounted on the Fargo Gen II frame.

But something about yesterday was so spot on. One of those rides you wait for ever to have. Smooth, fast, comfortable, legs felt great, and the weather was perfect as were the trails for the most part. I was honking along with seemingly way less effort than before. Either I have gained a big jump forward in my fitness, or the bike, wheels, and tires were just that fast. (Secretly I am hoping the bike, wheels, and tires suck!) No.....I can't say exactly what it was, but this ride was super-fun.

I even crashed big time! I was flying around a left hander with a few trees for good measure, right on the edges of the single track. I actually saw this one coming. The big, wide 3D carbon Answer bar caught a tree right at the end of the Ergon grip. thwok! On the left side, and I wobbled and went down hard into a dry duff of dirt, leaves, and old walnut shells.

I am okay, but I bruised up my left leg in a few spots coming off the bike and scratched up my right shin.Then later on I came across a downed tree. I stopped and I broke it off in bits so the next rider can clean the section without a hike-a-bike. That was some work!

But the best- the weirdest, and funniest part came right near the end of the ride. I was going through some twisty bits when I spied an immature squirrel. It did the usual "can not decide which way to scurry" dance for a moment or two, then it darted like lightning to my left as I came speeding by. I saw a small tree and unconsciously wrote off ever seeing that squirrel again. But.....

Suddenly I see a flying furball coming from my upper left. It is the squirrel! The dang critter hits the back of my right hand and I instinctively flick the crazed critter off with a backhand move and the animal cartwheels through the air to a surmised rough landing.

I didn't stop to see. I gave a hoot and a hearty laugh and figured I was lucky to come out of that without a scratch. Too bad I didn't have a video rolling. That would have made me a You Tube hero for sure, for what that is worth. What a great ending to a fun ride!

More Encounters With Wildlife

More Encounters With Wildlife- (This time the animal in question is actually a live one!)

Fresh Tracks

Back in June I had an encounter with a suicidal deer, (which I posted about here), and on Independence Day I came across a big 10 pointer in Geo Wyth.

I've also had turkeys flying in my face and sighted a strange, huge black-ish bird that I think is an immature Bald Eagle. Owls, deer, and other critters have been abundant even though everything on the plant side is shriveling up and dying out there. Seriously- it is getting scary out there.

Well, anyway, this story starts- (where else!)- up at the South side of Camp Ingawanis' mountain bike trails. I headed up there for some tire/wheel testing on the Milwaukee Bicycle Company 29"er. It was a really nice day- in the 70's, dappled sunshine, and little wind or humidity. The trails are bone dry, fast, and clear for the most part.

The tires in question are the Michelin Wild Race'R model with a tubeless set up on a WTB Frequency i23 rim laced to American Classic hubs. I had been running slightly higher pressures, but for this run I was at 18psi-20psi.

Really- this bike rides soooo nice!

I don't know why, but everything just clicked on this ride. Sure- I have liked the MBC 29"er well enough all along, the wheels have been....well, wheels. The tires worked really nicely on the slightly narrower Velocity Blunt SL rims when I had those tires on those wheels and mounted on the Fargo Gen II frame.

But something about yesterday was so spot on. One of those rides you wait for ever to have. Smooth, fast, comfortable, legs felt great, and the weather was perfect as were the trails for the most part. I was honking along with seemingly way less effort than before. Either I have gained a big jump forward in my fitness, or the bike, wheels, and tires were just that fast. (Secretly I am hoping the bike, wheels, and tires suck!) No.....I can't say exactly what it was, but this ride was super-fun.

I even crashed big time! I was flying around a left hander with a few trees for good measure, right on the edges of the single track. I actually saw this one coming. The big, wide 3D carbon Answer bar caught a tree right at the end of the Ergon grip. thwok! On the left side, and I wobbled and went down hard into a dry duff of dirt, leaves, and old walnut shells.

I am okay, but I bruised up my left leg in a few spots coming off the bike and scratched up my right shin.Then later on I came across a downed tree. I stopped and I broke it off in bits so the next rider can clean the section without a hike-a-bike. That was some work!

But the best- the weirdest, and funniest part came right near the end of the ride. I was going through some twisty bits when I spied an immature squirrel. It did the usual "can not decide which way to scurry" dance for a moment or two, then it darted like lightning to my left as I came speeding by. I saw a small tree and unconsciously wrote off ever seeing that squirrel again. But.....

Suddenly I see a flying furball coming from my upper left. It is the squirrel! The dang critter hits the back of my right hand and I instinctively flick the crazed critter off with a backhand move and the animal cartwheels through the air to a surmised rough landing.

I didn't stop to see. I gave a hoot and a hearty laugh and figured I was lucky to come out of that without a scratch. Too bad I didn't have a video rolling. That would have made me a You Tube hero for sure, for what that is worth. What a great ending to a fun ride!

Leveraged

Ever wonder why you don't see a lot of rigid, 100mm suspension corrected forks for 29"ers? (Other than that "riding a rigid fork is a dumb idea." We get it you sus fork wankers!) Well, it has to do with a little problem called leverage.(From www.dictionary.com)

lev·er·age

 [lev-er-ij, lee-ver-]   noun, verb, lev·er·aged, lev·er·ag·ing.

noun

1.

the action of a lever,  a rigid bar that pivots about one point and that is used to move an object at a second point by a force applied at a third (point).

 

"Old School" rigid fork

Old style forks without suspension correction could tuck the wheel up nearer to the fork crown, minimizing the length, (or lever), of the fork blades. This gave the fork better strength against frontal impacts, and with longer head tubes to help dissipate the energy from those impacts, forks could be svelte, pretty, and still be strong. 

 

But that started to change when those pesky suspension devices were introduced to mountain bikes in the late 80's. Most designs used a telescopic design where the two fork legs were divided in half, a lower part, called the "fork lowers", (amongst other names), and the upper part that connected to the crown, called the stanchions. The stanchions slide into the lowers when a trail obstacle is encountered. 

 

That meant that the fork legs had to get longer to allow for the travel of the suspension, so the tire wouldn't bottom out on the crown. Early suspension forks had a whopping 63mm of travel. Then they moved to 80mm, then an unheard of 100mm of travel.

 

With each incremental increase in travel, a longer  fork was necessary. Remember- a longer fork means a longer lever, which means more stresses on the frame and fork crown. At first, suspension designers thought we'd have to go the dual crown route to ensure safe usage for longer travel forks, but materials technology applied to the problems have kept 26 inch forks largely a single crown affair even up to this day. 

That all changes with 29 inch wheels, which makes the axle to crown measurements even longer for a given fork travel. Compound this by the intentions of designers to use the shortest possible head tube, and you can see why it has become harder to find a long, rigid fork. The forces at work become so great that to make a fork safe, the fork gets heavy, or too complex to manufacture to get them to pass the required testing procedures.

2013 Specialized "Chisel" fork. 480mm A to C

However; some forks are out there that do have a longer "lever", (or axle to crown measurement), that will keep your bike's intended geometry correct. These typically are carbon fiber, because it has a strength to weight ratio and capabilities to be produced at weights and costs that buyers are willing to accept. 

Trouble is almost all are 1 1/8th" to 1 1/5" "tapered" steer tube types because they need that design for the extra strength required to make those long, lovely legs work. You folks with straight 1 1/8th steer tube bikes know it is hard to find these longer legged beauties in carbon, and steel ones are not easy to track down either. When you do, they are more often than not really heavy. Well, that and stiff. 

Kinda defeats the purposes of getting a rigid fork in the first place. 

With 100mm travel hard tails being more and more the norm for 29"ers, it seems that the rigid fork fans will be harder pressed to find rigid fork nirvana. It is nice to see Whiskey Parts and Specialized coming out with these newer choices for the future, but there are slim pickens for the 100mm travel hard tail bikes right now. 

And it is all due to leverage.

Leveraged

Ever wonder why you don't see a lot of rigid, 100mm suspension corrected forks for 29"ers? (Other than that "riding a rigid fork is a dumb idea." We get it you sus fork wankers!) Well, it has to do with a little problem called leverage.(From www.dictionary.com)

lev·er·age

 [lev-er-ij, lee-ver-]   noun, verb, lev·er·aged, lev·er·ag·ing.

noun

1.

the action of a lever,  a rigid bar that pivots about one point and that is used to move an object at a second point by a force applied at a third (point).

 

"Old School" rigid fork

Old style forks without suspension correction could tuck the wheel up nearer to the fork crown, minimizing the length, (or lever), of the fork blades. This gave the fork better strength against frontal impacts, and with longer head tubes to help dissipate the energy from those impacts, forks could be svelte, pretty, and still be strong. 

 

But that started to change when those pesky suspension devices were introduced to mountain bikes in the late 80's. Most designs used a telescopic design where the two fork legs were divided in half, a lower part, called the "fork lowers", (amongst other names), and the upper part that connected to the crown, called the stanchions. The stanchions slide into the lowers when a trail obstacle is encountered. 

 

That meant that the fork legs had to get longer to allow for the travel of the suspension, so the tire wouldn't bottom out on the crown. Early suspension forks had a whopping 63mm of travel. Then they moved to 80mm, then an unheard of 100mm of travel.

 

With each incremental increase in travel, a longer  fork was necessary. Remember- a longer fork means a longer lever, which means more stresses on the frame and fork crown. At first, suspension designers thought we'd have to go the dual crown route to ensure safe usage for longer travel forks, but materials technology applied to the problems have kept 26 inch forks largely a single crown affair even up to this day. 

That all changes with 29 inch wheels, which makes the axle to crown measurements even longer for a given fork travel. Compound this by the intentions of designers to use the shortest possible head tube, and you can see why it has become harder to find a long, rigid fork. The forces at work become so great that to make a fork safe, the fork gets heavy, or too complex to manufacture to get them to pass the required testing procedures.

2013 Specialized "Chisel" fork. 480mm A to C

However; some forks are out there that do have a longer "lever", (or axle to crown measurement), that will keep your bike's intended geometry correct. These typically are carbon fiber, because it has a strength to weight ratio and capabilities to be produced at weights and costs that buyers are willing to accept. 

Trouble is almost all are 1 1/8th" to 1 1/5" "tapered" steer tube types because they need that design for the extra strength required to make those long, lovely legs work. You folks with straight 1 1/8th steer tube bikes know it is hard to find these longer legged beauties in carbon, and steel ones are not easy to track down either. When you do, they are more often than not really heavy. Well, that and stiff. 

Kinda defeats the purposes of getting a rigid fork in the first place. 

With 100mm travel hard tails being more and more the norm for 29"ers, it seems that the rigid fork fans will be harder pressed to find rigid fork nirvana. It is nice to see Whiskey Parts and Specialized coming out with these newer choices for the future, but there are slim pickens for the 100mm travel hard tail bikes right now. 

And it is all due to leverage.

The Fargo Will Go Far Saturday!

Don't change anything!

The Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational is this weekend and this is the rig I am going to ride.

Why? Well, that has to do with two things. First- I traded the wheels off my "Orange Crush" machine for a bicycle for my wife, and I have not had a chance to get around to doing anything about building new wheels yet. So, the Black Mountain Cycles rig is not available at the moment.

Second- This will be a long adventure. So, it seems pretty suited to an "adventure bike", say like a Fargo perhaps? Yes- a Fargo would do nicely. Astute readers of this blog will note that I have been taking this rig out on the 3GR dates of late.

However; I have a few modifications I am planning to make before the big day Saturday. First- I will be adding at least one more bottle cage for a total of five. I could run six, but I'm not going to. Five should do. Secondly, I have a lighter wheelset with lighter tires I probably will probably be using. I have made the swap out for test riding today. We'll see how that holds up, and if it does, which I have no reason to believe it won't, that will be the wheel set for Saturday.

I'm running a 44T drive ring, and I am tempted to swap it over to a lower tooth count, but I think the lighter wheels will do the trick. Besides, I have the bail out granny ring if things get bad. That said, a different crank set is on the agenda for the old Fargo.

I'm going to go with a seat post bag for repair essentials, and the Snack Shack top tube bag which is roomier than the Banjo Brothers top tube bag I have on there in the image. That should do it. The temps for Saturday seem reasonably normal for mid-July, no rain is in the forecast, and I shouldn't need extra clothing.

By the way, I'll be at the Super 8 in Grinnell Friday evening and Saturday after the shindig, in case anyone needs to know. The GTDRI should be a good one this year. Hope to see some of you there......

The Fargo Will Go Far Saturday!

Don't change anything!

The Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational is this weekend and this is the rig I am going to ride.

Why? Well, that has to do with two things. First- I traded the wheels off my "Orange Crush" machine for a bicycle for my wife, and I have not had a chance to get around to doing anything about building new wheels yet. So, the Black Mountain Cycles rig is not available at the moment.

Second- This will be a long adventure. So, it seems pretty suited to an "adventure bike", say like a Fargo perhaps? Yes- a Fargo would do nicely. Astute readers of this blog will note that I have been taking this rig out on the 3GR dates of late.

However; I have a few modifications I am planning to make before the big day Saturday. First- I will be adding at least one more bottle cage for a total of five. I could run six, but I'm not going to. Five should do. Secondly, I have a lighter wheelset with lighter tires I probably will probably be using. I have made the swap out for test riding today. We'll see how that holds up, and if it does, which I have no reason to believe it won't, that will be the wheel set for Saturday.

I'm running a 44T drive ring, and I am tempted to swap it over to a lower tooth count, but I think the lighter wheels will do the trick. Besides, I have the bail out granny ring if things get bad. That said, a different crank set is on the agenda for the old Fargo.

I'm going to go with a seat post bag for repair essentials, and the Snack Shack top tube bag which is roomier than the Banjo Brothers top tube bag I have on there in the image. That should do it. The temps for Saturday seem reasonably normal for mid-July, no rain is in the forecast, and I shouldn't need extra clothing.

By the way, I'll be at the Super 8 in Grinnell Friday evening and Saturday after the shindig, in case anyone needs to know. The GTDRI should be a good one this year. Hope to see some of you there......

Relief From Heat @ 85 Degrees? Yes!

South Side Camp Ingawanis single track

By the time I had gotten through with church, eaten, and had settled down from all of that, it was mid-afternoon. The temperature was "only" 85 degrees. I figured, despite my bout of heat related stress the day before, I might be okay to take a quick spin in the woods.

I know 85 degrees Fahrenheit sounds warm, maybe even hot to many, but that high temperature was almost 20 degrees cooler than most of last week. Having been acclimated to those brutal temps, 85 was, well......not cool, but it felt "normal". At least I wasn't sweating up a storm just from loading up the truck.

I got out to the Camp and I knew from a Facebook post that Captain Bob had been around the circuit with his fat bike. Sure enough, even though the trails are rock hard and dry, I saw evidence of his Larry's passing. Bonus: Captain Bob was the web-sweep, so I knew I wouldn't have issues with webs of any sort. Thanks Capn'!

Carbon fiber kick stand!

I spent more time dialing in the Fuji Outland 1.0. It has proven to be a decent enough machine, albeit not all that easy to find the sweet spot with, in terms of suspension set up. I'm gettin close. Real close now.

The other weird deal with this bike is the brake system. It has Tektro Auriga Pro brakes. The front is just fine, but the rear has chattered and lacked power from the get-go. I put a grind on the rotor using some aggressive sandpaper thinking maybe the pads were glazed and this might help. Sure enough, it has greatly reduced chatter and increased power. Pads are probably glazed or contaminated somehow. I think I'll pull them and have a look-see.

Well, at least I got the rear brake to actually do something, which was a big improvement over the last ride. Another big improvement was the air temperature. It was almost cool-ish in the woods, and it took me quite awhile to break into the full on sweat that was occurring within minutes days before. Compared to the day before, I felt fantastic. But.....

Saw the usual compliment of wildlife again...

I knew I shouldn't get over zealous either. Even though I felt great yesterday, the day before I had felt like a zombie, so I knew I shouldn't push things too far. I decided one fast lap was it. But I saw some cool stuff while I was out there.

Nothing unusual about seeing deer at the Camp, ( which I did see), but I did see a couple of flying animals that I normally do not see in there.

First one was, (I think), a Turkey Vulture. It was obviously huge, and lacked coloration, but it had a big fanned out tail, so not sure here. It could have also been an immature Bald Eagle, as there is a mating pair with a nest nearby. Didn't get a good look at the head, so I can not say for sure.

The second one was easy. It was a big Barn Owl. It was sitting in a tree near to the trail, and I wouldn't have ever known it was there, but it got spooked and took flight. Noiseless, huge flapping wings of wonderment. Very cool to have spotted that one.

I guess you know you live in the Mid-West when 85 degrees feels "cool" after a heat wave and when you are taking off your coats in March when it finally gets to the mid-40's again after a long, cold winter. I can't imagine how much I'd be freezing right now if it were in the 50's!

Relief From Heat @ 85 Degrees? Yes!

South Side Camp Ingawanis single track

By the time I had gotten through with church, eaten, and had settled down from all of that, it was mid-afternoon. The temperature was "only" 85 degrees. I figured, despite my bout of heat related stress the day before, I might be okay to take a quick spin in the woods.

I know 85 degrees Fahrenheit sounds warm, maybe even hot to many, but that high temperature was almost 20 degrees cooler than most of last week. Having been acclimated to those brutal temps, 85 was, well......not cool, but it felt "normal". At least I wasn't sweating up a storm just from loading up the truck.

I got out to the Camp and I knew from a Facebook post that Captain Bob had been around the circuit with his fat bike. Sure enough, even though the trails are rock hard and dry, I saw evidence of his Larry's passing. Bonus: Captain Bob was the web-sweep, so I knew I wouldn't have issues with webs of any sort. Thanks Capn'!

Carbon fiber kick stand!

I spent more time dialing in the Fuji Outland 1.0. It has proven to be a decent enough machine, albeit not all that easy to find the sweet spot with, in terms of suspension set up. I'm gettin close. Real close now.

The other weird deal with this bike is the brake system. It has Tektro Auriga Pro brakes. The front is just fine, but the rear has chattered and lacked power from the get-go. I put a grind on the rotor using some aggressive sandpaper thinking maybe the pads were glazed and this might help. Sure enough, it has greatly reduced chatter and increased power. Pads are probably glazed or contaminated somehow. I think I'll pull them and have a look-see.

Well, at least I got the rear brake to actually do something, which was a big improvement over the last ride. Another big improvement was the air temperature. It was almost cool-ish in the woods, and it took me quite awhile to break into the full on sweat that was occurring within minutes days before. Compared to the day before, I felt fantastic. But.....

Saw the usual compliment of wildlife again...

I knew I shouldn't get over zealous either. Even though I felt great yesterday, the day before I had felt like a zombie, so I knew I shouldn't push things too far. I decided one fast lap was it. But I saw some cool stuff while I was out there.

Nothing unusual about seeing deer at the Camp, ( which I did see), but I did see a couple of flying animals that I normally do not see in there.

First one was, (I think), a Turkey Vulture. It was obviously huge, and lacked coloration, but it had a big fanned out tail, so not sure here. It could have also been an immature Bald Eagle, as there is a mating pair with a nest nearby. Didn't get a good look at the head, so I can not say for sure.

The second one was easy. It was a big Barn Owl. It was sitting in a tree near to the trail, and I wouldn't have ever known it was there, but it got spooked and took flight. Noiseless, huge flapping wings of wonderment. Very cool to have spotted that one.

I guess you know you live in the Mid-West when 85 degrees feels "cool" after a heat wave and when you are taking off your coats in March when it finally gets to the mid-40's again after a long, cold winter. I can't imagine how much I'd be freezing right now if it were in the 50's!

Zoinked!

I guess it goes without saying that it has been incredibly hot outside of late. That has really affected me in the past few days.

First of all, it affected me in a personal/family sense when one of our A/C units went down and the upstairs of this old house of mine became unbearably hot.  I had to do something, and it happened to fall out that I was able to make a trade with a co-worker for a good, slightly used A/C unit.

I got that installed on Friday evening and the house became a bit less beastly, which made Mrs. Guitar Ted happy, and that is a good thing. Next I had the 3GR for Saturday morning, and the heat wasn't going away just yet.

The 3GR ended up being a solo ride. I decided to head out on the typical route to measure it to see how long it was, since I hadn't done that before. I followed a fellow out on the paved section that had a pretty blue road machine, and then hit the gravel. I wasn't feeling too bad going East, holding my speed and everything was working fine despite the heat. Then I turned North.

The 3GR route backwards up Streeter Road is not very smooth , with chunky gravel all the way to the county line and the hills, of course. that combined with a Northerly breeze made me work pretty hard. Okay, still not bad, but I was working hard. The hills up by the Camp weren't bad, and then I saw a few cars in the Camp's South side grassy parking area.

It was Karmen, Alan, and Paul having a little pow-wow concerning the trails. They do the oversight and maintenance up there on those trails. I decided to swing in for a chat. Then I took my leave after about 10-15 minutes and finished out the route. 26.75 miles, by the way. Knocked it out in 2 hours including chat time.

Then I decided to do an errand after lunch with my Xtracycle. The box wasn't all that heavy, and there was a nice breeze, but this was in the heat of the day, and after I got home, I was super-fatigued. I felt like I could have gone straight to sleep, but I layed down and took it easy instead. I never really did recover all the rest of the day. Definitely "zoinked" by the heat!

Zoinked!

I guess it goes without saying that it has been incredibly hot outside of late. That has really affected me in the past few days.

First of all, it affected me in a personal/family sense when one of our A/C units went down and the upstairs of this old house of mine became unbearably hot.  I had to do something, and it happened to fall out that I was able to make a trade with a co-worker for a good, slightly used A/C unit.

I got that installed on Friday evening and the house became a bit less beastly, which made Mrs. Guitar Ted happy, and that is a good thing. Next I had the 3GR for Saturday morning, and the heat wasn't going away just yet.

The 3GR ended up being a solo ride. I decided to head out on the typical route to measure it to see how long it was, since I hadn't done that before. I followed a fellow out on the paved section that had a pretty blue road machine, and then hit the gravel. I wasn't feeling too bad going East, holding my speed and everything was working fine despite the heat. Then I turned North.

The 3GR route backwards up Streeter Road is not very smooth , with chunky gravel all the way to the county line and the hills, of course. that combined with a Northerly breeze made me work pretty hard. Okay, still not bad, but I was working hard. The hills up by the Camp weren't bad, and then I saw a few cars in the Camp's South side grassy parking area.

It was Karmen, Alan, and Paul having a little pow-wow concerning the trails. They do the oversight and maintenance up there on those trails. I decided to swing in for a chat. Then I took my leave after about 10-15 minutes and finished out the route. 26.75 miles, by the way. Knocked it out in 2 hours including chat time.

Then I decided to do an errand after lunch with my Xtracycle. The box wasn't all that heavy, and there was a nice breeze, but this was in the heat of the day, and after I got home, I was super-fatigued. I felt like I could have gone straight to sleep, but I layed down and took it easy instead. I never really did recover all the rest of the day. Definitely "zoinked" by the heat!

Friday News And Views

A bike, a work stand, a pump = clinic

Community Service:

Yesterday I was asked to do a clinic on "trail side repairs" for some Cedar Valley Cyclist Bike Patrol folks.

So..."trail side" in this instance means "paved/crushed gravel bicycle trail type trails. The CVC Bike Patrol is a volunteer group that scours the trails for anyone in need of assistance. It was my good pleasure to give these folks some helpful hints on what to do when other cyclists they come across are in need of mechanical assistance.

This was an outdoor meeting, which is usually okay, except the "real feel" temperature at the time was 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Yeah......and the flies were biting my ankles the entire time. Never the less, I soldiered on and gave them an hour long tip fest in the sweltering heat.

Hopefully it will come to good someday and help save someone's bacon on a trail out there somewhere!

3GR:

 The 3GR will happen again Saturday morning at 8:30 am from Gateway Park. Should be a hot one, so be prepared! (Unless it is raining, then it'll be cancelled.)

Next week 3GR will be in Grinnell, Iowa as I will be putting on my annual Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational which will encompass Grinnell and be about 120 miles long.

So....let's say you are not quite up to that many miles of gravelly goodness. Well then, you can bail out at about a metric century when the ride pulls back into Grinnell for some lunch fodder.

3GR will then again pick up in Cedar Falls on July 21st, just in case you are not going to make that other ride.

4th of July single speed nation!

Dead Deer/ Live Deer Update:
 So, a follow up from the news a week ago concerning the young buck deer that I found dead on my commute route: The authorities scooped him up and removed him sometime last Friday morning. No evidence of him now but a dead patch of grass.

But not to worry- as they say- there are plenty more where that came from! On my 4th of July ride, ( a sweat fest if there ever was one), I came across a buck that I startled out of some tall grass.

He was a "big-un" too! I reckon he went at least 10 points and that velvety rack was something to behold as he bounded off to the cover of the woods. However; unlike does who will play the stare down game with you for upwards of an hour, this buck would have none of it. After he noticed me sitting there motionless, he bolted off, never to be seen again, after about 15 seconds. Hrrumpf! Spoiled sport!

Okay, that's it for today. Have a great weekend and stay cool, ya'all!

Friday News And Views

A bike, a work stand, a pump = clinic

Community Service:

Yesterday I was asked to do a clinic on "trail side repairs" for some Cedar Valley Cyclist Bike Patrol folks.

So..."trail side" in this instance means "paved/crushed gravel bicycle trail type trails. The CVC Bike Patrol is a volunteer group that scours the trails for anyone in need of assistance. It was my good pleasure to give these folks some helpful hints on what to do when other cyclists they come across are in need of mechanical assistance.

This was an outdoor meeting, which is usually okay, except the "real feel" temperature at the time was 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Yeah......and the flies were biting my ankles the entire time. Never the less, I soldiered on and gave them an hour long tip fest in the sweltering heat.

Hopefully it will come to good someday and help save someone's bacon on a trail out there somewhere!

3GR:

 The 3GR will happen again Saturday morning at 8:30 am from Gateway Park. Should be a hot one, so be prepared! (Unless it is raining, then it'll be cancelled.)

Next week 3GR will be in Grinnell, Iowa as I will be putting on my annual Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational which will encompass Grinnell and be about 120 miles long.

So....let's say you are not quite up to that many miles of gravelly goodness. Well then, you can bail out at about a metric century when the ride pulls back into Grinnell for some lunch fodder.

3GR will then again pick up in Cedar Falls on July 21st, just in case you are not going to make that other ride.

4th of July single speed nation!

Dead Deer/ Live Deer Update:
 So, a follow up from the news a week ago concerning the young buck deer that I found dead on my commute route: The authorities scooped him up and removed him sometime last Friday morning. No evidence of him now but a dead patch of grass.

But not to worry- as they say- there are plenty more where that came from! On my 4th of July ride, ( a sweat fest if there ever was one), I came across a buck that I startled out of some tall grass.

He was a "big-un" too! I reckon he went at least 10 points and that velvety rack was something to behold as he bounded off to the cover of the woods. However; unlike does who will play the stare down game with you for upwards of an hour, this buck would have none of it. After he noticed me sitting there motionless, he bolted off, never to be seen again, after about 15 seconds. Hrrumpf! Spoiled sport!

Okay, that's it for today. Have a great weekend and stay cool, ya'all!

Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational: News And Cues

The Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational  is set to go for Saturday July 14th, 2012, which is a little over a week from today. Here are the bullet points for the event...

• This is a free event which anyone that wants to ride, can ride.
• This will be 90% gravel roads, is self supported, and is a no drop ride. 
• This ride will be just shy of 120 miles in length. It will be very difficult!
• The ride starts at 6am in front of Bikes To You in downtown Grinnell, Iowa. 
• I figure it will take 12-14 hours depending upon stops and the group that shows up. 
• I am staying overnight in Grinnell at the Comfort Inn and Suites so I can hang out in town afterword. You are free to join in, or not. 

Okay, here are some more important fine details. First off- you will need cue sheets and they can be found on the GTDRI site. Just click on "2012 Guitar Ted Death Ride Cues" in the upper right side bar on the site and that should take you to the cues, which you can then print off on your own. Note: I will not be bringing extra cue sheets!

You may notice that I have broken down the ride into four segments. The first segment will take us a little over 30 miles in to a convenience store stop in Brooklyn, Iowa. There is a Casey's General Store there that I hope will have some suitable grub. (Note- I am not reconning this route at all. It will be more of an adventure that way.)

The next segment is slightly shorter and will bring us back to the south side of Grinnell where there is another convenience store just off I-80. This comes at about the halfway point of the GTDRI course, so if you just are not feeling it, or only want to experience a bit of the route, this will make for a great bail out point.

If you are still all in, then the next segment will be the most brutal of the entire ride. Big, steep hills will come without respite for most of the next 40 plus miles until we reach our final convenience store stop in Gilman, Iowa. This part of the course takes in some of T.I.V7's and some of T.I.V8's most soul crushing hills. I suspect there will be some stops in between just to cool off and to bring the group back together again.

Even though the final run in to Grinnell will only be about 15 miles or so, that stop in Gilman will be necessary to give us the fuel for that final push back to the start over some gently rolling hills.

Then I am going to be real hungry. Good thing Grinnell has some awesome eats right down town that should provide a good time. If anyone wants to hang out, eat, drink some beers, and remember the day's activities, I would really enjoy the company. If not- I understand. At any rate, I plan on sticking around, so give that some thought.

Since this is a free ride, and anyone that thinks they have what it takes is welcome to come and try it, I have no solid commitments to gauge attendance by. Last year we had a dirty dozen or so, and who knows who might show up this time around.

It'll be fun, and I will be riding regardless. The course will have several B Level Maintenance roads- most I have never been on, or laid eyes on. In fact, there are whole chunks of the course I have never ridden on, nor driven on before.

So- that said, if you do come, there may be snafus, re-routes, and hike-a-bikes that I can not foresee. If that bugs you, and you want a "sano" experience, don't come. Seriously.

If; however, you like adventures, riding your bicycle, and sharing experiences with like minded individuals, then this is right up your alley. I don't have any idea how the day will go, but it should be fun and produce a good story or three.

Hope to see some of you in a little over a week's time.....

Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational: News And Cues

The Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational  is set to go for Saturday July 14th, 2012, which is a little over a week from today. Here are the bullet points for the event...

• This is a free event which anyone that wants to ride, can ride.
• This will be 90% gravel roads, is self supported, and is a no drop ride. 
• This ride will be just shy of 120 miles in length. It will be very difficult!
• The ride starts at 6am in front of Bikes To You in downtown Grinnell, Iowa. 
• I figure it will take 12-14 hours depending upon stops and the group that shows up. 
• I am staying overnight in Grinnell at the Comfort Inn and Suites so I can hang out in town afterword. You are free to join in, or not. 

Okay, here are some more important fine details. First off- you will need cue sheets and they can be found on the GTDRI site. Just click on "2012 Guitar Ted Death Ride Cues" in the upper right side bar on the site and that should take you to the cues, which you can then print off on your own. Note: I will not be bringing extra cue sheets!

You may notice that I have broken down the ride into four segments. The first segment will take us a little over 30 miles in to a convenience store stop in Brooklyn, Iowa. There is a Casey's General Store there that I hope will have some suitable grub. (Note- I am not reconning this route at all. It will be more of an adventure that way.)

The next segment is slightly shorter and will bring us back to the south side of Grinnell where there is another convenience store just off I-80. This comes at about the halfway point of the GTDRI course, so if you just are not feeling it, or only want to experience a bit of the route, this will make for a great bail out point.

If you are still all in, then the next segment will be the most brutal of the entire ride. Big, steep hills will come without respite for most of the next 40 plus miles until we reach our final convenience store stop in Gilman, Iowa. This part of the course takes in some of T.I.V7's and some of T.I.V8's most soul crushing hills. I suspect there will be some stops in between just to cool off and to bring the group back together again.

Even though the final run in to Grinnell will only be about 15 miles or so, that stop in Gilman will be necessary to give us the fuel for that final push back to the start over some gently rolling hills.

Then I am going to be real hungry. Good thing Grinnell has some awesome eats right down town that should provide a good time. If anyone wants to hang out, eat, drink some beers, and remember the day's activities, I would really enjoy the company. If not- I understand. At any rate, I plan on sticking around, so give that some thought.

Since this is a free ride, and anyone that thinks they have what it takes is welcome to come and try it, I have no solid commitments to gauge attendance by. Last year we had a dirty dozen or so, and who knows who might show up this time around.

It'll be fun, and I will be riding regardless. The course will have several B Level Maintenance roads- most I have never been on, or laid eyes on. In fact, there are whole chunks of the course I have never ridden on, nor driven on before.

So- that said, if you do come, there may be snafus, re-routes, and hike-a-bikes that I can not foresee. If that bugs you, and you want a "sano" experience, don't come. Seriously.

If; however, you like adventures, riding your bicycle, and sharing experiences with like minded individuals, then this is right up your alley. I don't have any idea how the day will go, but it should be fun and produce a good story or three.

Hope to see some of you in a little over a week's time.....

Happy 4th of July!

Hot. Like a firecracker.

Hey everyone in the U.S.A.- have a happy day today. Enjoy what freedom you have left to you maybe by riding a bicycle. But if you do- please be careful out there. 

Around these parts, the temperatures are to reach close to the century mark again and with the humidity figured in, it will feel well over 100F today.

So if you are planning a big ride, be careful. drink plenty of fluids, take an electrolytic, (I recommend elete products myself), and get in the shade to rest often. Don't push it too hard out there today!

I rode yesterday afternoon for an hour and a half and I must be getting acclimated, because I didn't think it was too bad. However; it is kicking the living daylights out of every plant out there. Things are wilting at an amazing pace. Trees are dropping leaves like crazy. It's gonna be a brown fall, with little color, if this goes on much longer.

Well, enough doom and gloom. Have a great day folks!

Happy 4th of July!

Hot. Like a firecracker.

Hey everyone in the U.S.A.- have a happy day today. Enjoy what freedom you have left to you maybe by riding a bicycle. But if you do- please be careful out there. 

Around these parts, the temperatures are to reach close to the century mark again and with the humidity figured in, it will feel well over 100F today.

So if you are planning a big ride, be careful. drink plenty of fluids, take an electrolytic, (I recommend elete products myself), and get in the shade to rest often. Don't push it too hard out there today!

I rode yesterday afternoon for an hour and a half and I must be getting acclimated, because I didn't think it was too bad. However; it is kicking the living daylights out of every plant out there. Things are wilting at an amazing pace. Trees are dropping leaves like crazy. It's gonna be a brown fall, with little color, if this goes on much longer.

Well, enough doom and gloom. Have a great day folks!

Front Derailluers Are Dead- Long Live The Front Derailleur!

SRAM XX1 Crank (Image courtesy of SRAM)

You may have seen this the other day. SRAM's newest "innovation" called XX1. It is an 11 speed drive train featuring several proprietary parts, and no front derailleur option.

Leaving aside the many concerns over "unnecessary technology" or issues with proprietary parts, I happen to think XX1 is a bold stroke. Front derailleurs are difficult beasts. Especially so on mountain bikes. Getting a system whose aim is to rid the mountain bike of this component is appealing to my dislike of those dratted things.

Now- I do not think all front derailleurs are evil. Just the ones that don't work all that well, which is a lot of them. "Momentum suckers", now that is a name I could apply to a front derailleur. "Noise makers" is another. Maybe that's why I like single speeds so much.

Here's one that works pretty good...

That said, many upper end front mechs work just great. The 2X ones especially so. Why, I can pop off shifts with these like nothing else, but at what price? Oh my! Yes- you have to not only have a great front mech, but the cranks and chain rings to go with that. Things can get pricey real quick-like.

Your average drive train doesn't work quite so snappy up front, and when you add in nice little gremlins like Dirt, Gravel Dust, and the really nasty one, Mud- well you can get all kinds of Mayhem going on with those!

So, while proprietary free hubs, wheels, derailleurs, and all that maybe are not that great, the idea of a chain guide-less 1X system is very appealing to me. Simple, better shifting, a wide range of gearing, and with the new derailleur cage arresting technology for rear mechs, the chain doesn't slap your stays and doesn't whip the chain off your front ring either.

I've been running a 1 X 10 set up on By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk, and I like it a lot, but the range of the gearing is not as wide as I would like. Plus, I have to use a chain guide and my chain slaps the chain stays,making racket.

I will say that the final complaint there was a universally accepted trait of mtb drive trains for eons, but have you ridden a bike with the new rear derailleurs featuring the cage arresting technology? It is amazing. The amount of noise you don't hear is very apparent. Why didn't they come up with this before? I highly recommend you try one of these newer derailleurs out. Well worth the paece and quiet, and chain retention! 

But I've gone off point- The death of the front derailleur may be at hand for some like myself, but trust me- There are a lot of folks that won't ride a bicycle without a front derailleur and three- count 'em- three front rings! They demand "all those gears" because of the hills, and even if your compact double shifts better and has as wide a range, they ain't given up their triples, much less ever thinking about a 1X set up. May as well shoot them now as to consider that one.

So, Long Live Front Derailleurs! (Now where is that single speed.........)

Front Derailluers Are Dead- Long Live The Front Derailleur!

SRAM XX1 Crank (Image courtesy of SRAM)

You may have seen this the other day. SRAM's newest "innovation" called XX1. It is an 11 speed drive train featuring several proprietary parts, and no front derailleur option.

Leaving aside the many concerns over "unnecessary technology" or issues with proprietary parts, I happen to think XX1 is a bold stroke. Front derailleurs are difficult beasts. Especially so on mountain bikes. Getting a system whose aim is to rid the mountain bike of this component is appealing to my dislike of those dratted things.

Now- I do not think all front derailleurs are evil. Just the ones that don't work all that well, which is a lot of them. "Momentum suckers", now that is a name I could apply to a front derailleur. "Noise makers" is another. Maybe that's why I like single speeds so much.

Here's one that works pretty good...

That said, many upper end front mechs work just great. The 2X ones especially so. Why, I can pop off shifts with these like nothing else, but at what price? Oh my! Yes- you have to not only have a great front mech, but the cranks and chain rings to go with that. Things can get pricey real quick-like.

Your average drive train doesn't work quite so snappy up front, and when you add in nice little gremlins like Dirt, Gravel Dust, and the really nasty one, Mud- well you can get all kinds of Mayhem going on with those!

So, while proprietary free hubs, wheels, derailleurs, and all that maybe are not that great, the idea of a chain guide-less 1X system is very appealing to me. Simple, better shifting, a wide range of gearing, and with the new derailleur cage arresting technology for rear mechs, the chain doesn't slap your stays and doesn't whip the chain off your front ring either.

I've been running a 1 X 10 set up on By-Tor the Titanium Mukluk, and I like it a lot, but the range of the gearing is not as wide as I would like. Plus, I have to use a chain guide and my chain slaps the chain stays,making racket.

I will say that the final complaint there was a universally accepted trait of mtb drive trains for eons, but have you ridden a bike with the new rear derailleurs featuring the cage arresting technology? It is amazing. The amount of noise you don't hear is very apparent. Why didn't they come up with this before? I highly recommend you try one of these newer derailleurs out. Well worth the paece and quiet, and chain retention! 

But I've gone off point- The death of the front derailleur may be at hand for some like myself, but trust me- There are a lot of folks that won't ride a bicycle without a front derailleur and three- count 'em- three front rings! They demand "all those gears" because of the hills, and even if your compact double shifts better and has as wide a range, they ain't given up their triples, much less ever thinking about a 1X set up. May as well shoot them now as to consider that one.

So, Long Live Front Derailleurs! (Now where is that single speed.........)

Big Riding Weekend

93 degrees and high humidity for Sunday's ride

Well, it has been a long, long time since I logged three days in a row with higher than normal miles. This weekend wouldn't have been my pick for something like that, but it just worked out that way.

The Salsa Cycles demo was day one for more miles. I rode my bike back and forth to work, as usual, but also rode to the Demo, and did a special ride, then rode home.

Saturday was the 3GR, and I've taken to riding over to the start, (about seven miles or more), and then doing the ride proper, then riding home. That was two days of heat and humidity with miles on a bicycle to make me tired. Real tired.

Saturday afternoon I actually took a rare nap. That almost never happens with me. Then Sunday I spent two more hours on the mountain bike doing some ride testing. Oddly enough, Sunday I felt just fine, despite the 93 degree heat with humidity on top of that.

After all, I need to get some extra miles in for the upcoming GTDRI on July 14th, so I am grateful for the extra miles and for that to have happened in the heat. Now going outside when it is in the 90's seems almost "normal". I told Mrs. Guitar Ted that when things get back to the 60's we'll think we are freezing to death!

Big Riding Weekend

93 degrees and high humidity for Sunday's ride

Well, it has been a long, long time since I logged three days in a row with higher than normal miles. This weekend wouldn't have been my pick for something like that, but it just worked out that way.

The Salsa Cycles demo was day one for more miles. I rode my bike back and forth to work, as usual, but also rode to the Demo, and did a special ride, then rode home.

Saturday was the 3GR, and I've taken to riding over to the start, (about seven miles or more), and then doing the ride proper, then riding home. That was two days of heat and humidity with miles on a bicycle to make me tired. Real tired.

Saturday afternoon I actually took a rare nap. That almost never happens with me. Then Sunday I spent two more hours on the mountain bike doing some ride testing. Oddly enough, Sunday I felt just fine, despite the 93 degree heat with humidity on top of that.

After all, I need to get some extra miles in for the upcoming GTDRI on July 14th, so I am grateful for the extra miles and for that to have happened in the heat. Now going outside when it is in the 90's seems almost "normal". I told Mrs. Guitar Ted that when things get back to the 60's we'll think we are freezing to death!

The Last 3GR....Of June 2012!

Good GTDRI training!

The last 3GR ride of June 2012 went off with tons of sunshine, humidity, and heat. The wind was a total non-factor. I think that was the first 3GR that wasn't windy, (unless you count my solo 3GR last week in Tama County.)

This time Craig Irving made the trip up again to grind gravel north, east, and south again. I appreciated the company and the chance to get to know him better.

I gotta say though- he has more event ideas popping outta his head than anyone I know. Every one of them sounded cool too. Cool to the point that I might actually consider doing any one of them.  Anyway, all the ideas and chatting made the two hour ride seem easy, although my legs were burning the entire time. The running around for the Salsa Cycles Demo Tour and riding back and forth to work had already added up to several miles over  my usual daily requirement of cycling. Adding 3GR miles the next day was over the top.

Trolley Car Trail

After we arrived back at the Gateway Park lot, we chatted for a bit longer, then I excused myself so I could hit Cup Of Joe to grab a small coffee and a bite to eat. I was hungry! In fact, I should have maybe eaten more.

I then had to ride the seven or so miles back home for a total of 40.13 miles just for this 3GR. I peeled myself outta my cycling kit, showered, ate, and then spent the rest of the day in a semi-comatose state.

I normally do not like to be inactive, or to not accomplish things during the day, but this time I had to go lay down and take a nap. Falling asleep while basically struggling to just sit around was pretty much the tell-tale sign that I needed the rare daytime nap. So....whatta ya gonna do?

I figure it is good training for the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational coming up in a couple of weeks.

The Last 3GR....Of June 2012!

Good GTDRI training!

The last 3GR ride of June 2012 went off with tons of sunshine, humidity, and heat. The wind was a total non-factor. I think that was the first 3GR that wasn't windy, (unless you count my solo 3GR last week in Tama County.)

This time Craig Irving made the trip up again to grind gravel north, east, and south again. I appreciated the company and the chance to get to know him better.

I gotta say though- he has more event ideas popping outta his head than anyone I know. Every one of them sounded cool too. Cool to the point that I might actually consider doing any one of them.  Anyway, all the ideas and chatting made the two hour ride seem easy, although my legs were burning the entire time. The running around for the Salsa Cycles Demo Tour and riding back and forth to work had already added up to several miles over  my usual daily requirement of cycling. Adding 3GR miles the next day was over the top.

Trolley Car Trail

After we arrived back at the Gateway Park lot, we chatted for a bit longer, then I excused myself so I could hit Cup Of Joe to grab a small coffee and a bite to eat. I was hungry! In fact, I should have maybe eaten more.

I then had to ride the seven or so miles back home for a total of 40.13 miles just for this 3GR. I peeled myself outta my cycling kit, showered, ate, and then spent the rest of the day in a semi-comatose state.

I normally do not like to be inactive, or to not accomplish things during the day, but this time I had to go lay down and take a nap. Falling asleep while basically struggling to just sit around was pretty much the tell-tale sign that I needed the rare daytime nap. So....whatta ya gonna do?

I figure it is good training for the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational coming up in a couple of weeks.