3GR Report: Fatbike Edition!

The 3GR was to be a fatbiking affair Saturday, so I got myself out the door a bit earlier than usual to make sure I'd get over to Island Park on time. It was a wee bit chilly. I even had to wear a jacket! Such a big change since last week, and a waaaay big change since two weeks ago.

The main thing was that there wasn't a hint of a chance of rain at all. Blue-bird skies all around, and a very light, whisper of a North wind. Basically, it was perfect weather for a bicycle ride. I cranked the Snow Dog steadily Westward and Northward toward downtown Cedar Falls and then checked my phone for the time. Six minutes to spare. Perfect!

I saw more than a few cyclists in the parking lot and a couple of surprises. I had expected Craig, Mike, and first timer Charles to show up, since I had forewarning of their coming, but I didn't expect the two other riders. Ron on his Fargo and Scott on a Specialized 29"er were there for the festivities. Cool!

A wee bit of a problem early on.

Since we were leaving from Island Park, we took the bike path toward Black Hawk Park and squinted into the dappled sunlight. I had shed my jacket by this point, since the sun was quickly rolling the temperatures through the 60's to the 70's. But that was as warm as it was going to get.

Past the shooters at the shooting range, we about made a guy stumble as he was staring at our big fat roaring fatbike wheels. It wouldn't be the last gawker we would see for the day.

Finally we got to the trail leading up to the Union Access. I went in first. Boy!  It sure had gotten rockier back in here since I last rolled tires on this trail, which has to be about 5 years ago now.

No problem with a fatbike though. Just point and shoot. The big wheels just bounced and rolled right on through. I was going a bit fast, or so I thought, but I peeked behind me and everyone else was right on my tail. Okay then! I kept on the gas and we were having fun. I went down and to the left around some branches down on the ground, and then I heard it.

Great views on the Access Trail.

The tell-tale "bloosh!" sound when a tire gets punctured, and by the frequency of the tone, I knew right away that a fat bike tire had punctured.

Sure enough, it was Mike's rear tire that had been center punched by a quarter inch sized twig that put a big star shaped hole in his tire too. Well, I had a good fatbike tube, and Mike used a tire boot that wasn't the greatest, but he got it back together and we were able to move on again.

I took it easy coming out from our unplanned stop, but Mike didn't make a peep, so the tempo went back up to where it had been before until we popped out at Washington-Union Access park and then we turned East down the fresh blacktop for about a mile until we could hop onto Ford Road going North.

The tires buzzed loudly on the new black top. Craig and Charles paced us up this section, and I didn't have a computer, but it felt faster than ever. Finally we peeled off onto Ford Road and gravel again. This bent Eastwards eventually, and we hit old 218 and were obliged to go about a quarter mile North to Gresham Road and back to gravel for good for quite awhile.

We hit the new highway, crossed over without issue, and within another mile, we were back Northward and on the traditional 3GR course again.

Four Fatbikes Kickin' Up The Dust!

We had a great group this time. It was fun to chat with the different riders and I think everyone got a chance to chat with one another at some point during the ride.

At one point, Scott, the fella on the Specialized 29"er, asked if he could take a shot of us all together abreast on the road on our fatbikes. So I obliged him and he pulled off a couple good ones, one of which I have shown here. Thanks Scott!

Late in the ride, Mike pulled up alongside and remarked to me how the ride wasn't a very slow one despite the fatbikes. I heartily agreed! We were really not any slower than we were on our regular rides. But I said that we definitely were burning up a lot more energy going as fast as we were. To be honest, my legs were starting to feel the effort too.

The gravel was really dry and dusty yesterday, and of course, that was no surprise. But I didn't foresee that the fatbike tires would kick up more dust in the air than a traditional bicycle tire. There were times we were riding in the dust plume from the fatbikes ahead of us. I tried to stay up front after I noticed this, since I get a really dry nose if I breathe in too much of that stuff. This summer has been bad that way.

Washed March Mud off to be replaced by August Dust.

We finally pulled back into town and Mike suggested we stop at Pablos for some "cat-sized burritos", (his words, not mine! I like cats and would never eat one.) Charles and Craig were up for that and also joined us while Ron and Scott continued on to ride some more.

The downtown area was bustling with vendors showing wares right out on the sidewalks yesterday, so I figured we wouldn't draw any attention to ourselves with all the hoopla going on. Wrong! There were a lot of folks gawking at our bikes, wondering why we had such big tires, and what they might be for.

One tall, thin, bearded fellow was the best though. As our group engaged in conversation, I noticed his furrowed brow and the stroking of his hairy chin.I overheard him making remarks about how the wheels on our fatbikes wouldn't be good for much of anything. There were better bikes for what most folks were doing.

Obviously, he didn't get it. Probably the concept of "F.U.N." had not entered into his cogitations while he perused our enormously endowed, dusty rigs. Oh well......... It definitely made for a wry grin on my face!

Well, it was noon by this time, and I had to be getting back home. So I motioned that we adjourn the meeting and we all took leave of one another and went on our separate ways. By the time I got home, I was good and whooped. Another 50 miles down and a lot of fun later made for an excellent start to the weekend.

3GR Report: Fatbike Edition!

The 3GR was to be a fatbiking affair Saturday, so I got myself out the door a bit earlier than usual to make sure I'd get over to Island Park on time. It was a wee bit chilly. I even had to wear a jacket! Such a big change since last week, and a waaaay big change since two weeks ago.

The main thing was that there wasn't a hint of a chance of rain at all. Blue-bird skies all around, and a very light, whisper of a North wind. Basically, it was perfect weather for a bicycle ride. I cranked the Snow Dog steadily Westward and Northward toward downtown Cedar Falls and then checked my phone for the time. Six minutes to spare. Perfect!

I saw more than a few cyclists in the parking lot and a couple of surprises. I had expected Craig, Mike, and first timer Charles to show up, since I had forewarning of their coming, but I didn't expect the two other riders. Ron on his Fargo and Scott on a Specialized 29"er were there for the festivities. Cool!

A wee bit of a problem early on.

Since we were leaving from Island Park, we took the bike path toward Black Hawk Park and squinted into the dappled sunlight. I had shed my jacket by this point, since the sun was quickly rolling the temperatures through the 60's to the 70's. But that was as warm as it was going to get.

Past the shooters at the shooting range, we about made a guy stumble as he was staring at our big fat roaring fatbike wheels. It wouldn't be the last gawker we would see for the day.

Finally we got to the trail leading up to the Union Access. I went in first. Boy!  It sure had gotten rockier back in here since I last rolled tires on this trail, which has to be about 5 years ago now.

No problem with a fatbike though. Just point and shoot. The big wheels just bounced and rolled right on through. I was going a bit fast, or so I thought, but I peeked behind me and everyone else was right on my tail. Okay then! I kept on the gas and we were having fun. I went down and to the left around some branches down on the ground, and then I heard it.

Great views on the Access Trail.

The tell-tale "bloosh!" sound when a tire gets punctured, and by the frequency of the tone, I knew right away that a fat bike tire had punctured.

Sure enough, it was Mike's rear tire that had been center punched by a quarter inch sized twig that put a big star shaped hole in his tire too. Well, I had a good fatbike tube, and Mike used a tire boot that wasn't the greatest, but he got it back together and we were able to move on again.

I took it easy coming out from our unplanned stop, but Mike didn't make a peep, so the tempo went back up to where it had been before until we popped out at Washington-Union Access park and then we turned East down the fresh blacktop for about a mile until we could hop onto Ford Road going North.

The tires buzzed loudly on the new black top. Craig and Charles paced us up this section, and I didn't have a computer, but it felt faster than ever. Finally we peeled off onto Ford Road and gravel again. This bent Eastwards eventually, and we hit old 218 and were obliged to go about a quarter mile North to Gresham Road and back to gravel for good for quite awhile.

We hit the new highway, crossed over without issue, and within another mile, we were back Northward and on the traditional 3GR course again.

Four Fatbikes Kickin' Up The Dust!

We had a great group this time. It was fun to chat with the different riders and I think everyone got a chance to chat with one another at some point during the ride.

At one point, Scott, the fella on the Specialized 29"er, asked if he could take a shot of us all together abreast on the road on our fatbikes. So I obliged him and he pulled off a couple good ones, one of which I have shown here. Thanks Scott!

Late in the ride, Mike pulled up alongside and remarked to me how the ride wasn't a very slow one despite the fatbikes. I heartily agreed! We were really not any slower than we were on our regular rides. But I said that we definitely were burning up a lot more energy going as fast as we were. To be honest, my legs were starting to feel the effort too.

The gravel was really dry and dusty yesterday, and of course, that was no surprise. But I didn't foresee that the fatbike tires would kick up more dust in the air than a traditional bicycle tire. There were times we were riding in the dust plume from the fatbikes ahead of us. I tried to stay up front after I noticed this, since I get a really dry nose if I breathe in too much of that stuff. This summer has been bad that way.

Washed March Mud off to be replaced by August Dust.

We finally pulled back into town and Mike suggested we stop at Pablos for some "cat-sized burritos", (his words, not mine! I like cats and would never eat one.) Charles and Craig were up for that and also joined us while Ron and Scott continued on to ride some more.

The downtown area was bustling with vendors showing wares right out on the sidewalks yesterday, so I figured we wouldn't draw any attention to ourselves with all the hoopla going on. Wrong! There were a lot of folks gawking at our bikes, wondering why we had such big tires, and what they might be for.

One tall, thin, bearded fellow was the best though. As our group engaged in conversation, I noticed his furrowed brow and the stroking of his hairy chin.I overheard him making remarks about how the wheels on our fatbikes wouldn't be good for much of anything. There were better bikes for what most folks were doing.

Obviously, he didn't get it. Probably the concept of "F.U.N." had not entered into his cogitations while he perused our enormously endowed, dusty rigs. Oh well......... It definitely made for a wry grin on my face!

Well, it was noon by this time, and I had to be getting back home. So I motioned that we adjourn the meeting and we all took leave of one another and went on our separate ways. By the time I got home, I was good and whooped. Another 50 miles down and a lot of fun later made for an excellent start to the weekend.

Trans Iowa V9: Brief Update

With the announcement of Trans Iowa V9 the other day, I received a ton of hits on the site here. Looks like interest in this nutty deal is as high as it ever was.

I also have put in a request to Grinnell for the event, and I will make announcements regarding the things concerning that- motel, meeting place, finish line, etc, all when I get the details.

Volunteers: I have already received some offers of help to put on T.I.V9, and those offers will be called in, (thanks!), but eventually I'll be needing some assistance with the event day. If you want to man one of the checkpoints, or help with the finish line, or perhaps be of assistance in some other way, just pop me an e-mail.

Sponsors: Likewise, if there is a way you want to sponsor Trans Iowa with prizing, or a preem idea, just hit that e-mail link above and shoot me your ideas.

Okay, that's going to be all for awhile. Look for Registration announcements and course recon pics in the fall. Stay tuned.......

Trans Iowa V9: Brief Update

With the announcement of Trans Iowa V9 the other day, I received a ton of hits on the site here. Looks like interest in this nutty deal is as high as it ever was.

I also have put in a request to Grinnell for the event, and I will make announcements regarding the things concerning that- motel, meeting place, finish line, etc, all when I get the details.

Volunteers: I have already received some offers of help to put on T.I.V9, and those offers will be called in, (thanks!), but eventually I'll be needing some assistance with the event day. If you want to man one of the checkpoints, or help with the finish line, or perhaps be of assistance in some other way, just pop me an e-mail.

Sponsors: Likewise, if there is a way you want to sponsor Trans Iowa with prizing, or a preem idea, just hit that e-mail link above and shoot me your ideas.

Okay, that's going to be all for awhile. Look for Registration announcements and course recon pics in the fall. Stay tuned.......

Friday News And Views

Shining up the Snow Dog

3GR: Fatbikes On Gravel! 

So this edition coming up tomorrow will be a bit different for a couple of reasons. Obviously, I am asking that anyone with a fatbike come to enjoy what should be a perfect morning for grinding gravel on a fatbike. I've been tweaking the Snow Dog for this one, as I haven't ridden it since it was muddy this Spring past.

The second big difference will be that since something is going on in Gateway Park, we'll be starting from the boathouse in Island Park instead. Then we will go up through Black Hawk Park toward the Union Access via the fire road. Before we get there we'll turn off to Ford Road, (if that is possible without a ton of bushwhacking), and if not we'll just take the blacktop from the access to Ford Road and then jog over to our usual course from there. We will therefore be covering a wee bit more mileage than usual, but it shouldn't be too much.

Should be about 4 of us for sure and as always, anyone with any bike is welcome.

2013 Muk frame set. Black w/Purple!

Keeping It Fat: 

As I stated a week ago in the "News And Views", the 2013 Mukluks have a few changes. Main amongst these are the addition of the Altenator Dropout, which adds in single speed capabilities. Secondly, the head tube is now a 44mm one, allowing you to run any straight 1 1/8th or tapered steerer fork for fat bikes that is/may come out. The bottom bracket is a tic higher, and the chainstays can be run a tic shorter than my Muk shown above.

The frame only option from Salsa is purple decals on black. I also understand that purple hubs will be available to build for this. Okay- I like purple a lot. This may turn out to be more than I can stand. The Snow Dog may get a frame upgrade. Maybe......we'll see. Keep in mind, this color is frame/fork only folks. Just so you know. The stock complete Muks will be as follows: Muk 3's- a green one and an orange one, Muk 2, white with green/black decals, and the Muk Ti in raw titanium with bead blasted graphics.

Triple D Race: 2012

More Fatness....

So I got a call at work yesterday from a fellow from NoDak and we chatted fatbike stuff yesterday. (Nice to have that chat, by the way, "J") We covered hub choices and frames and fatbike pre-history and more. I was a bit taken aback when "J" suggested I do the Arrowhead 135.

I never considered it before. "J" had done it this past winter and shared some of his experiences with me. I dunno......I'll have to mull that one over! I will definitely do the Triple D again though. That was a nice event, but as Winter goes, it wasn't terribly extreme, like it can be that time of year. Maybe I won't be as "gun-ho" if it is way below zero and snowy as all get out.

That's all for this week. have a great weekend and go ride!

Friday News And Views

Shining up the Snow Dog

3GR: Fatbikes On Gravel! 

So this edition coming up tomorrow will be a bit different for a couple of reasons. Obviously, I am asking that anyone with a fatbike come to enjoy what should be a perfect morning for grinding gravel on a fatbike. I've been tweaking the Snow Dog for this one, as I haven't ridden it since it was muddy this Spring past.

The second big difference will be that since something is going on in Gateway Park, we'll be starting from the boathouse in Island Park instead. Then we will go up through Black Hawk Park toward the Union Access via the fire road. Before we get there we'll turn off to Ford Road, (if that is possible without a ton of bushwhacking), and if not we'll just take the blacktop from the access to Ford Road and then jog over to our usual course from there. We will therefore be covering a wee bit more mileage than usual, but it shouldn't be too much.

Should be about 4 of us for sure and as always, anyone with any bike is welcome.

2013 Muk frame set. Black w/Purple!

Keeping It Fat: 

As I stated a week ago in the "News And Views", the 2013 Mukluks have a few changes. Main amongst these are the addition of the Altenator Dropout, which adds in single speed capabilities. Secondly, the head tube is now a 44mm one, allowing you to run any straight 1 1/8th or tapered steerer fork for fat bikes that is/may come out. The bottom bracket is a tic higher, and the chainstays can be run a tic shorter than my Muk shown above.

The frame only option from Salsa is purple decals on black. I also understand that purple hubs will be available to build for this. Okay- I like purple a lot. This may turn out to be more than I can stand. The Snow Dog may get a frame upgrade. Maybe......we'll see. Keep in mind, this color is frame/fork only folks. Just so you know. The stock complete Muks will be as follows: Muk 3's- a green one and an orange one, Muk 2, white with green/black decals, and the Muk Ti in raw titanium with bead blasted graphics.

Triple D Race: 2012

More Fatness....

So I got a call at work yesterday from a fellow from NoDak and we chatted fatbike stuff yesterday. (Nice to have that chat, by the way, "J") We covered hub choices and frames and fatbike pre-history and more. I was a bit taken aback when "J" suggested I do the Arrowhead 135.

I never considered it before. "J" had done it this past winter and shared some of his experiences with me. I dunno......I'll have to mull that one over! I will definitely do the Triple D again though. That was a nice event, but as Winter goes, it wasn't terribly extreme, like it can be that time of year. Maybe I won't be as "gun-ho" if it is way below zero and snowy as all get out.

That's all for this week. have a great weekend and go ride!

Musings On A Gravel Road Bike

What Is A Gravel Road Bike?

Fair question. How about this for an answer? "Any bike you ride on gravel roads is a "gravel road bike". 

Snarky- yes. But true. You can ride about anything on a gravel road. But the point really is, what would be the "fine tuned" option? What would be the rig if no holds barred enginerding could be applied?

The final answer, at least to my mind, is that no single "fine tuned" option would make "the perfect" gravel road bike for everybody. That hasn't stopped me from pontificating on the subject. And I won't stop doing that some more today. So, get ready for my current take on some of what I want in a gravel specific bike for my kinda riding. (Might not work for anyone else, but hey.....it's my opinion, that's all.)

First off, I really like my Black Mountain Cycles "Orange Crush" rig, but there are a few tweaks I would make for "the ultimate" gravel road riding rig. So, here goes....

• Material: No holds barred? Titanium all the way. Corrosion resistance, good. But the big thing would be ease of maintenance on the finish, and ride quality. Smoove. Nuff said. 
• Geometry: Slightly slacker head angle than anything I've seen. 71.5 degrees? Yeah- maybe. Seat tube angle- 72.5-73. Chainstays, long-ish. Maybe 435mm. Yeah. BB drop? 70-75mm. Stability. Clearance for up to 45mm tires with no fenders. 42mm tires with 'em. 
• Components: Probably disc brakes, just because of the mud clearances, but for normal riding, not necessary. Cyclo-cross crank set with a 11-34T out back, which should climb anything you'll ever need to climb on a back road. Titanium seat post for sure. 
• 135mm rear spacing

And that's pretty much it except for a finer detail that I would insist upon, just because I've seen a need.  That would be a mini-track end drop out with a derailleur hangar, Whack a derailleur and you can single speed it easily. Oh...and a chain hangar, pump peg, and fender and rack mounts.

So why bother with all of this? Just so ya'all have an understanding of where I am coming from with my gravel road bike musings. I believe a bike like I have described would easily be a great racer, or a great fun bike for long rides in the country. It has its roots in Pre-World War II road bikes, and touring bicycles meant for rough roads. Stability and durability are paramount. Being able to carry on despite disaster figures in too.

You don't have to agree, and you can cast me as a fringe freak. Whatever, but that is my opinion, and I stand by it. Hopefully it casts my views on some recent developments in gravel bicycle offerings in a light that makes more sense.

Musings On A Gravel Road Bike

What Is A Gravel Road Bike?

Fair question. How about this for an answer? "Any bike you ride on gravel roads is a "gravel road bike". 

Snarky- yes. But true. You can ride about anything on a gravel road. But the point really is, what would be the "fine tuned" option? What would be the rig if no holds barred enginerding could be applied?

The final answer, at least to my mind, is that no single "fine tuned" option would make "the perfect" gravel road bike for everybody. That hasn't stopped me from pontificating on the subject. And I won't stop doing that some more today. So, get ready for my current take on some of what I want in a gravel specific bike for my kinda riding. (Might not work for anyone else, but hey.....it's my opinion, that's all.)

First off, I really like my Black Mountain Cycles "Orange Crush" rig, but there are a few tweaks I would make for "the ultimate" gravel road riding rig. So, here goes....

• Material: No holds barred? Titanium all the way. Corrosion resistance, good. But the big thing would be ease of maintenance on the finish, and ride quality. Smoove. Nuff said. 
• Geometry: Slightly slacker head angle than anything I've seen. 71.5 degrees? Yeah- maybe. Seat tube angle- 72.5-73. Chainstays, long-ish. Maybe 435mm. Yeah. BB drop? 70-75mm. Stability. Clearance for up to 45mm tires with no fenders. 42mm tires with 'em. 
• Components: Probably disc brakes, just because of the mud clearances, but for normal riding, not necessary. Cyclo-cross crank set with a 11-34T out back, which should climb anything you'll ever need to climb on a back road. Titanium seat post for sure. 
• 135mm rear spacing

And that's pretty much it except for a finer detail that I would insist upon, just because I've seen a need.  That would be a mini-track end drop out with a derailleur hangar, Whack a derailleur and you can single speed it easily. Oh...and a chain hangar, pump peg, and fender and rack mounts.

So why bother with all of this? Just so ya'all have an understanding of where I am coming from with my gravel road bike musings. I believe a bike like I have described would easily be a great racer, or a great fun bike for long rides in the country. It has its roots in Pre-World War II road bikes, and touring bicycles meant for rough roads. Stability and durability are paramount. Being able to carry on despite disaster figures in too.

You don't have to agree, and you can cast me as a fringe freak. Whatever, but that is my opinion, and I stand by it. Hopefully it casts my views on some recent developments in gravel bicycle offerings in a light that makes more sense.

Announcing Trans Iowa V9

Getting ready for another one....

Okay, first things first: Trans Iowa V9 will happen April 27th-28th, 2013 from Grinnell, Iowa again.

Let that sink in for a minute.....

Plans are already well under way for the course. I will likely have similar amenities as last year: Pre-Race Meat-Up, 4am start, yada-yada. You guys and gals that have been in this before all know the drill.

There are a few things I am mulling over. One has to do with the field size. I have never had more than 76 of you nut jobs show up for this at any one time, so I am not inclined to go beyond the 100 roster limit I have had for the last several years.

I'm going to have two checkpoints, one remote one, and hopefully no need for a third, secret checkpoint. This time the route will swing near to a 24hr convenience store Saturday night. Hmm.......can't think of anything else big to announce just yet. Registration will be similar to last year. It won't happen till fall, so do not send me any requests for registration now.

Okay- that about does it except to say this: I am a heck of a lot closer to not ever doing another Trans Iowa ever again than I ever have been. Make of that what you will..........

Announcing Trans Iowa V9

Getting ready for another one....

Okay, first things first: Trans Iowa V9 will happen April 27th-28th, 2013 from Grinnell, Iowa again.

Let that sink in for a minute.....

Plans are already well under way for the course. I will likely have similar amenities as last year: Pre-Race Meat-Up, 4am start, yada-yada. You guys and gals that have been in this before all know the drill.

There are a few things I am mulling over. One has to do with the field size. I have never had more than 76 of you nut jobs show up for this at any one time, so I am not inclined to go beyond the 100 roster limit I have had for the last several years.

I'm going to have two checkpoints, one remote one, and hopefully no need for a third, secret checkpoint. This time the route will swing near to a 24hr convenience store Saturday night. Hmm.......can't think of anything else big to announce just yet. Registration will be similar to last year. It won't happen till fall, so do not send me any requests for registration now.

Okay- that about does it except to say this: I am a heck of a lot closer to not ever doing another Trans Iowa ever again than I ever have been. Make of that what you will..........

The What's Old Is New File: Bikepacking

Harry Libby: 19th Century Bikepacker

Yesterday I posted an image of my proposed bikepacking set up for a future endeavor I have in mind. Well, over the weekend this image I have posted here was showing up across several Facebook posts and I thought about how what is old is new again.

Thought bikepacking was a new fangled "rackless" version of touring? Check out Harry Libby, circa 1896, on his fixed gear safety. This image, as near as I can tell, was originally published in a tome on bicycles from the 19th Century entitled "The World Awheel". This book covered the feats and the industry titans of the bicycling world during the latter years of the 19th Century.

From what I can gather, Mr. Libby, of Lodi, California,  rode this machine from New York City to San Francisco . In the process it is claimed he set a new long distance record, whatever that was. That isn't so interesting to me as the set up he used. Note the now considered "new" trappings such as his frame bag, (which appears to be made from leather in this case), a sleep roll on the handle bars, and what appears to be a small box attached to the top tube. A nice, wide brimmed hat would keep the sun off his face, and the long sleeves and long pants would no doubt afford protection from the elements, flora and fauna, and satisfy Victorian moral standards of the day! Of course, the side arm says enough on its own without comment from me.

So, just when you think you're doing the "new fangled thing", along comes something like this. Maybe there is something to learn from this man's set up, although I won't be considering the pistol angle of his gear for myself!

The What's Old Is New File: Bikepacking

Harry Libby: 19th Century Bikepacker

Yesterday I posted an image of my proposed bikepacking set up for a future endeavor I have in mind. Well, over the weekend this image I have posted here was showing up across several Facebook posts and I thought about how what is old is new again.

Thought bikepacking was a new fangled "rackless" version of touring? Check out Harry Libby, circa 1896, on his fixed gear safety. This image, as near as I can tell, was originally published in a tome on bicycles from the 19th Century entitled "The World Awheel". This book covered the feats and the industry titans of the bicycling world during the latter years of the 19th Century.

From what I can gather, Mr. Libby, of Lodi, California,  rode this machine from New York City to San Francisco . In the process it is claimed he set a new long distance record, whatever that was. That isn't so interesting to me as the set up he used. Note the now considered "new" trappings such as his frame bag, (which appears to be made from leather in this case), a sleep roll on the handle bars, and what appears to be a small box attached to the top tube. A nice, wide brimmed hat would keep the sun off his face, and the long sleeves and long pants would no doubt afford protection from the elements, flora and fauna, and satisfy Victorian moral standards of the day! Of course, the side arm says enough on its own without comment from me.

So, just when you think you're doing the "new fangled thing", along comes something like this. Maybe there is something to learn from this man's set up, although I won't be considering the pistol angle of his gear for myself!

Making Plans To Go: Part II

I made a veiled reference awhile ago to getting my titanium Mukluk readied for something. Well here is how things have progressed so far.

I will now set out a few parameters for my goal here so you all will maybe understand a bit better how I am approaching this.

• Low Budget: Everything I am trying to throw together here is mostly stuff I already have. I needed two Salsa Cycles Anything Cages though, so those were the "components" I referenced in my introduction to this. I very well may have to purchase a couple of other small items, but for the most part, I have to keep the budget low. Really low!
• Practice: I am getting to a point where soon I will begin "practices". This will entail the setting up and taking down of my gear in my back yard to familiarize myself with the processes and to refine my gear while I don't have to rely on its performances yet. I already see some things I want to refine just from setting up the gear for this photo! 
• Once I refine my gear choices and am familiar with my set up/tear down/packing process, I will need to do some field testing in the form of some "S24O" attempts. (Sub 24 Hour Over nighters)

I have a few questions to answer in terms of gear that I know will get cleared up by doing the practices. I have a shelter option I may use, and I need to get a penny stove constructed and set up for use to cook with. Finally, I am going to get a fuel storage bottle of some sort, (again, likely something I already have), to put fuel for the stove into. Lights will also be a thing I need to work out. I may be doing a bit of travel in darkness.

If these plans gel as I hope, there is a bigger goal in mind. I hope to share it with you at some point, but now isn't the time. If there are any suggestions for my budget bikepacking set up, I am all ears. Please leave a comment.....

Making Plans To Go: Part II

I made a veiled reference awhile ago to getting my titanium Mukluk readied for something. Well here is how things have progressed so far.

I will now set out a few parameters for my goal here so you all will maybe understand a bit better how I am approaching this.

• Low Budget: Everything I am trying to throw together here is mostly stuff I already have. I needed two Salsa Cycles Anything Cages though, so those were the "components" I referenced in my introduction to this. I very well may have to purchase a couple of other small items, but for the most part, I have to keep the budget low. Really low!
• Practice: I am getting to a point where soon I will begin "practices". This will entail the setting up and taking down of my gear in my back yard to familiarize myself with the processes and to refine my gear while I don't have to rely on its performances yet. I already see some things I want to refine just from setting up the gear for this photo! 
• Once I refine my gear choices and am familiar with my set up/tear down/packing process, I will need to do some field testing in the form of some "S24O" attempts. (Sub 24 Hour Over nighters)

I have a few questions to answer in terms of gear that I know will get cleared up by doing the practices. I have a shelter option I may use, and I need to get a penny stove constructed and set up for use to cook with. Finally, I am going to get a fuel storage bottle of some sort, (again, likely something I already have), to put fuel for the stove into. Lights will also be a thing I need to work out. I may be doing a bit of travel in darkness.

If these plans gel as I hope, there is a bigger goal in mind. I hope to share it with you at some point, but now isn't the time. If there are any suggestions for my budget bikepacking set up, I am all ears. Please leave a comment.....

3GR: Solo Again

Cooler than it has been lately...

The first 3GR for August was yesterday and going in I had a funny feeling it was going to be a solo ride. You see, Mike was at an event in Eastern Iowa, and Craig- well he only comes up every other weekend, and this was an "off" weekend for him.

That and the fact that thunderstorms were forecast for around late morning, and I can totally see why folks maybe wouldn't check out the 3GR this time.

Too bad. You missed a great route.

I decided to change things up and go a bit further North than we have been to get on to Ivanhoe Road in Bremer County. It is one of my favorite area roads to ride on. But before I get to that, let's back up a bit.

The ride started out with me feeling a bit less than stellar. I don't know why. I just couldn't get comfortable with my saddle, my left hand kept going numb, and my right leg, especially the inner thigh, just was feeling uncomfortable. Even my knee on the right side felt weird. I had my typical power and speed though, so I kept chugging along, it was just distracting and bothersome.

Going under the bike trail here.....

The roads were dry, of course, but they were really wash boarded and lots of fresh gravel patches were around. The ride was a rough one! Then there was the wind, which seemed to be against me going North and East, which was the first two thirds of the riding after I got to Gateway Park on my Orange Crush.

At least it was cooler than it has been lately!

The skies were mostly overcast, but for the most part, I never thought it was going to rain on me during any part of the ride. So at least that was consistent with about every other 3GR this year!

I did notice a lot of tarred roads in Black Hawk County too. People must be getting really frustrated with the dust. While we haven't had rain for over a week before the ride, it wasn't really as dusty as I remember last week's ride being, but then again, it may have seemed less dusty due to the wind. Other than these things, I did the "regular" route up to the corner of Hilton and 260th where instead of going straight on 260th, I made the left turn on Hilton to go further North.

Lazy, winding Ivanhoe Road in Bremer County

This is old T.I.V3 route here, and I always imagine what Ira Ryan must have been thinking when he was out here alone on these roads in the middle of the night in 2007.

I was just glad I was riding these roads in broad daylight, as the scenery is pretty good up here. A couple of big, tall wooden trestle bridges that are now rail trail for cyclists are visible up here. In fact, the road goes right underneath it in one place.

Ivanhoe is "off the grid" and there are not many roads in Iowa that are that way. I suspect that this is a former trail, dating back to before there were any "official" roads. On the map, it is pretty apparent it was once the main way from Waverly to Denver Iowa. Now it is just a quiet country road, little used, but perfect for riding a bicycle on as it wends and winds its way Southeastward.

I ended up turning South at Kildeer, which becomes Burton Avenue in Black Hawk County. Mostly down hill here, which was good, since I was pretty beat by now having bucked the wind and rough roads most of the way so far. The wind was almost a tail wind now too, which was a relief.

I ended up just taking Burton all the way into Waterloo, since I had no reason to ride back to Cedar Falls. By the time I got into town I was getting pretty cooked, but I did the whole ride non-stop except for waiting for a couple cars at intersections, so I felt okay with that. It also was getting pretty dark and rainy looking by the time I pulled back up to the house at 11:00am.

Great timing as it turns out- not more than 15 minutes later it was raining.

3GR: Solo Again

Cooler than it has been lately...

The first 3GR for August was yesterday and going in I had a funny feeling it was going to be a solo ride. You see, Mike was at an event in Eastern Iowa, and Craig- well he only comes up every other weekend, and this was an "off" weekend for him.

That and the fact that thunderstorms were forecast for around late morning, and I can totally see why folks maybe wouldn't check out the 3GR this time.

Too bad. You missed a great route.

I decided to change things up and go a bit further North than we have been to get on to Ivanhoe Road in Bremer County. It is one of my favorite area roads to ride on. But before I get to that, let's back up a bit.

The ride started out with me feeling a bit less than stellar. I don't know why. I just couldn't get comfortable with my saddle, my left hand kept going numb, and my right leg, especially the inner thigh, just was feeling uncomfortable. Even my knee on the right side felt weird. I had my typical power and speed though, so I kept chugging along, it was just distracting and bothersome.

Going under the bike trail here.....

The roads were dry, of course, but they were really wash boarded and lots of fresh gravel patches were around. The ride was a rough one! Then there was the wind, which seemed to be against me going North and East, which was the first two thirds of the riding after I got to Gateway Park on my Orange Crush.

At least it was cooler than it has been lately!

The skies were mostly overcast, but for the most part, I never thought it was going to rain on me during any part of the ride. So at least that was consistent with about every other 3GR this year!

I did notice a lot of tarred roads in Black Hawk County too. People must be getting really frustrated with the dust. While we haven't had rain for over a week before the ride, it wasn't really as dusty as I remember last week's ride being, but then again, it may have seemed less dusty due to the wind. Other than these things, I did the "regular" route up to the corner of Hilton and 260th where instead of going straight on 260th, I made the left turn on Hilton to go further North.

Lazy, winding Ivanhoe Road in Bremer County

This is old T.I.V3 route here, and I always imagine what Ira Ryan must have been thinking when he was out here alone on these roads in the middle of the night in 2007.

I was just glad I was riding these roads in broad daylight, as the scenery is pretty good up here. A couple of big, tall wooden trestle bridges that are now rail trail for cyclists are visible up here. In fact, the road goes right underneath it in one place.

Ivanhoe is "off the grid" and there are not many roads in Iowa that are that way. I suspect that this is a former trail, dating back to before there were any "official" roads. On the map, it is pretty apparent it was once the main way from Waverly to Denver Iowa. Now it is just a quiet country road, little used, but perfect for riding a bicycle on as it wends and winds its way Southeastward.

I ended up turning South at Kildeer, which becomes Burton Avenue in Black Hawk County. Mostly down hill here, which was good, since I was pretty beat by now having bucked the wind and rough roads most of the way so far. The wind was almost a tail wind now too, which was a relief.

I ended up just taking Burton all the way into Waterloo, since I had no reason to ride back to Cedar Falls. By the time I got into town I was getting pretty cooked, but I did the whole ride non-stop except for waiting for a couple cars at intersections, so I felt okay with that. It also was getting pretty dark and rainy looking by the time I pulled back up to the house at 11:00am.

Great timing as it turns out- not more than 15 minutes later it was raining.

Friday News And Views

2013 Trek Stache 29"er

For a few years now some smaller Trail/AM/DH companies like Banshee, Canfield Brothers, and Cromag have been pumping out hard tail 29"ers with shorter chain stays and slacker head tube angles built around 120mm+ forks. Well, now Trek has taken note and produced a similar rig in the Stache.

While Trek stuck to a "conservative" 120mm of travel, I can totally see how such a bike would be a blast to ride. Well, only "if" you see yourself  as being a more aggressive rider that likes to blast over, off of, and through trail obstacles XC riders would avoid.

I've toyed with this very concept before with a couple of single speed frames. I really like the idea, but my experiments had geometry better suited to shorter forks, so I abandoned the idea. The bikes I had set up with 120mm forks showed me the potential fun to be had with this kind of a set up though.

If the Stache, (and others of its ilk), can climb as well as they (obviously) should descend, I could see how I might end up with one of these types of 29"ers. The fact that the Stache and other bikes like it can run a dropper post is even more appealing.

2013 Salsa Cycles Beargrease

Another interesting 2013 rig is Salsa Cycles Beargrease fat bike. Aimed at lowering weight and minimalistic, go faster fat bike racing, (which is taking off, actually, believe it or not), the Beargrease is said to weigh only 28.5lbs outta the box stock. Considering most fat bikes weigh north of 35lbs and this makes it more impressive.

I think Beargrease will not only appeal to racer types, but to anyone that wants to point big, fat, bulbous tires up, over, and through stuff more easily. (Notice a theme here today?) I know this is fun to do, and this new model from Salsa will only make that activity more widely appreciated.

Now it is also interesting to note that according to the specs I have seen, Salsa's new Mukluks for 2013 will actually be better for "mountain biking" type rides with the tweaks they have made to that model. Altenator drop outs now will allow shorter chain stay measurements and the bottom bracket height is a tic higher as well than older Muks and the Beargrease.

Salsa does offer frame sets, so older Muks could be parts swapped out to newer Muk frames for the tweaks and the tapered steer tube compatibility the new Muks also have. In fact, there is a Muk 2 frame set in black with purple decals.

Purple!

3GR: Tomorrow is another 3GR starting from Gateway Park across from downtown Cedar Falls. I know it is forecast to rain, but it looks like it won't come before noon, which is about when I get home from the 3GR anyway. Besides, when doesn't it look like rain for a 3GR? Pretty rare that it doesn't this year anyway.

Remember- next week is a fat bike edition of 3GR, so make your plans to join us next week. I know three to four guys that may show up. It could be the biggest fat bike gravel ride I've ever heard about.

Friday News And Views

2013 Trek Stache 29"er

For a few years now some smaller Trail/AM/DH companies like Banshee, Canfield Brothers, and Cromag have been pumping out hard tail 29"ers with shorter chain stays and slacker head tube angles built around 120mm+ forks. Well, now Trek has taken note and produced a similar rig in the Stache.

While Trek stuck to a "conservative" 120mm of travel, I can totally see how such a bike would be a blast to ride. Well, only "if" you see yourself  as being a more aggressive rider that likes to blast over, off of, and through trail obstacles XC riders would avoid.

I've toyed with this very concept before with a couple of single speed frames. I really like the idea, but my experiments had geometry better suited to shorter forks, so I abandoned the idea. The bikes I had set up with 120mm forks showed me the potential fun to be had with this kind of a set up though.

If the Stache, (and others of its ilk), can climb as well as they (obviously) should descend, I could see how I might end up with one of these types of 29"ers. The fact that the Stache and other bikes like it can run a dropper post is even more appealing.

2013 Salsa Cycles Beargrease

Another interesting 2013 rig is Salsa Cycles Beargrease fat bike. Aimed at lowering weight and minimalistic, go faster fat bike racing, (which is taking off, actually, believe it or not), the Beargrease is said to weigh only 28.5lbs outta the box stock. Considering most fat bikes weigh north of 35lbs and this makes it more impressive.

I think Beargrease will not only appeal to racer types, but to anyone that wants to point big, fat, bulbous tires up, over, and through stuff more easily. (Notice a theme here today?) I know this is fun to do, and this new model from Salsa will only make that activity more widely appreciated.

Now it is also interesting to note that according to the specs I have seen, Salsa's new Mukluks for 2013 will actually be better for "mountain biking" type rides with the tweaks they have made to that model. Altenator drop outs now will allow shorter chain stay measurements and the bottom bracket height is a tic higher as well than older Muks and the Beargrease.

Salsa does offer frame sets, so older Muks could be parts swapped out to newer Muk frames for the tweaks and the tapered steer tube compatibility the new Muks also have. In fact, there is a Muk 2 frame set in black with purple decals.

Purple!

3GR: Tomorrow is another 3GR starting from Gateway Park across from downtown Cedar Falls. I know it is forecast to rain, but it looks like it won't come before noon, which is about when I get home from the 3GR anyway. Besides, when doesn't it look like rain for a 3GR? Pretty rare that it doesn't this year anyway.

Remember- next week is a fat bike edition of 3GR, so make your plans to join us next week. I know three to four guys that may show up. It could be the biggest fat bike gravel ride I've ever heard about.

I Was Prepared!

So far.....so good.

Wednesday. You know what that means if you are a regular reader here. Testing stuff out in the woods, that what. Yesterday it was all about the new Ergon SM3 Saddle and the RST First suspension fork.

I decided that I wouldn't go all out and take this new stuff to Camp yet. I may have needed to tweak the saddle position, or the suspension settings, so going all the way to Camp just to potentially spend a bunch of time tweaking wasn't sounding like such a great idea.

So I headed off from the home base to hit George Wyth and see how things felt. On the way over, I felt pretty stretched out, but given that I hadn't hit good single track yet, I decided to wait before pulling out a wrench. Once I hit the trails, it felt pretty good, but I was still thinking of inching that saddle forward a bit. The suspension felt awesome though. No need to touch that.

The trails were now packed in a bit better after the recent rains. That made for excellent, fast riding. I was having fun out there. I went all the way back in to the new bits west of Alice Wyth Lake. Coming back over the itty-bitty arched bridge, then a bit further and....

Rut-row! (click to enlarge)

I made a stupid mistake and compounded by my use of a light weight carbon fiber post, I ended up breaking out the wrench all right! I wasn't fully clipped in after negotiating a big fallen branch, and the next bump I hit snapped off the seat post at the clamp with a loud "pop"!

Fortunately I could remove the seat clamp and had a bit of the frayed, sharp ends of the carbon fiber sticking out. Enough to get a hold with if you had the proper tool. I happened to have "that" tool.

Going back to my last attempt at the Dirty Kanza 200, I stocked my Osprey Raptor 10 hydration pack with everything one might need to get back up and running from a mechanical in the remote Kansas countryside. I figured later that I may as well leave it all in there, as I often ride alone, and/or out in the remote Iowa countryside. One of the tools I packed was a small needle-nose Vise-Grip pliers. I did this for times a hex nut might get rounded off, or for bending a hangar back straight. This time it was useful for removing a severed seat post in a frame!

Operation successful. The patient will survive!

My plan was to use the remaining seat post in the bike so I wouldn't have to stand and pedal the 8-ish miles back home. But first, I would have to get that stub of post out of the frame. Some deft wrench work saved me the prospect of a standing 8 mile ride in the end though.

As it was, I had about a three inch deficit in saddle height, which was interesting to ride home! But, I did make it home, and all was well.

Okay, so as you may have been guessing by now, the next seat post I grab from the stash will not be a carbon fiber one! I'll stick with metal this time, thank you very much, and I'll be a bit more careful when re-mounting the bike next time. I feel pretty fortunate that I got away with this one with no physical injury and a way to repair the problem enough to get me back home. I also am really glad I was prepared for this, even though a broken seat post was the furthest thing from my mind when I stuck those pliers in my hydration pack.

That's why I was super stoked when I remembered I had that tool along with me. I guess it's true what is said sometimes- "You just never know...."

I Was Prepared!

So far.....so good.

Wednesday. You know what that means if you are a regular reader here. Testing stuff out in the woods, that what. Yesterday it was all about the new Ergon SM3 Saddle and the RST First suspension fork.

I decided that I wouldn't go all out and take this new stuff to Camp yet. I may have needed to tweak the saddle position, or the suspension settings, so going all the way to Camp just to potentially spend a bunch of time tweaking wasn't sounding like such a great idea.

So I headed off from the home base to hit George Wyth and see how things felt. On the way over, I felt pretty stretched out, but given that I hadn't hit good single track yet, I decided to wait before pulling out a wrench. Once I hit the trails, it felt pretty good, but I was still thinking of inching that saddle forward a bit. The suspension felt awesome though. No need to touch that.

The trails were now packed in a bit better after the recent rains. That made for excellent, fast riding. I was having fun out there. I went all the way back in to the new bits west of Alice Wyth Lake. Coming back over the itty-bitty arched bridge, then a bit further and....

Rut-row! (click to enlarge)

I made a stupid mistake and compounded by my use of a light weight carbon fiber post, I ended up breaking out the wrench all right! I wasn't fully clipped in after negotiating a big fallen branch, and the next bump I hit snapped off the seat post at the clamp with a loud "pop"!

Fortunately I could remove the seat clamp and had a bit of the frayed, sharp ends of the carbon fiber sticking out. Enough to get a hold with if you had the proper tool. I happened to have "that" tool.

Going back to my last attempt at the Dirty Kanza 200, I stocked my Osprey Raptor 10 hydration pack with everything one might need to get back up and running from a mechanical in the remote Kansas countryside. I figured later that I may as well leave it all in there, as I often ride alone, and/or out in the remote Iowa countryside. One of the tools I packed was a small needle-nose Vise-Grip pliers. I did this for times a hex nut might get rounded off, or for bending a hangar back straight. This time it was useful for removing a severed seat post in a frame!

Operation successful. The patient will survive!

My plan was to use the remaining seat post in the bike so I wouldn't have to stand and pedal the 8-ish miles back home. But first, I would have to get that stub of post out of the frame. Some deft wrench work saved me the prospect of a standing 8 mile ride in the end though.

As it was, I had about a three inch deficit in saddle height, which was interesting to ride home! But, I did make it home, and all was well.

Okay, so as you may have been guessing by now, the next seat post I grab from the stash will not be a carbon fiber one! I'll stick with metal this time, thank you very much, and I'll be a bit more careful when re-mounting the bike next time. I feel pretty fortunate that I got away with this one with no physical injury and a way to repair the problem enough to get me back home. I also am really glad I was prepared for this, even though a broken seat post was the furthest thing from my mind when I stuck those pliers in my hydration pack.

That's why I was super stoked when I remembered I had that tool along with me. I guess it's true what is said sometimes- "You just never know...."

Does "Made In USA" Matter?

Recently Velocity started USA rim production

When I was a kid, (yes- this was a long time ago!), there were a lot of things made in the U.S.A. Even my home town had an agricultural tractor company in it. (Home of the first gas powered ag tractor, as a matter of fact.) It wasn't odd or weird to have cities with factories and products being produced here.

But now it is weird and unusual to see products made in the U.S.A. I know little of anything bicycle related is made here anymore, but recently something happened that added another product to the "Made In U.S.A." column. That would be Velocity rims.

I don't know about you, but I think this fact is cool. I live here in this country, and it makes me feel as though I am supporting other residents that live here if I get a Velocity rim. But does that even matter?

I think the easy, immediate response is "yes", it does matter. But this is a complex question. There are a lot of ways to look at it. When it comes right down to it though, I think I am almost always going to root for the home team and say "yes". Yes it does matter.

New A23's

Well, anyway, here are the Velocity wheels in full view that I just got for myself. Some of you may remember that originally I wanted silver stuff for the "Orange Crush" BMC bike I own. Well, I had to compromise with the original A23 set I had and do all black. That's all there was to have back then.

Okay, then I traded that set of wheels off to get Mrs. Guitar Ted's Kona Africa Bike single speed, (which she loves, by the way), and that left me with no wheels for the BMC for over a month.

Well, with the recent purchase of Mike's XTR/Salsa Delgado cross wheels and these I now have two sets of wheels for the BMC. Nice! Now I'm set for different conditions and situations. Eventually I will get some rim tape to set these up tubeless too.

The new Velocity skewers are pretty sweet for these wheels. Internal cam mechanism, similar to Shimano's, and a classy looking rubberized plastic pearl button on the pivot. I sure hope these clamp near as well as the XTR skewers do.

The rear wheel has an aluminum free hub body, so I can not bring myself to put on any ol' cassette. Nope. Not gonna do it. So, another parts order will be going in for a cassette with a carrier type construction instead of individual cogs that will only dig in and destroy the splines.  kind of a bummer, because I thought I had a cassette like this in reserve, but I must have used it. More waiting...

I was hoping to run these wheels this weekend for the 3GR, but they'll have to wait to make their debut.

Does "Made In USA" Matter?

Recently Velocity started USA rim production

When I was a kid, (yes- this was a long time ago!), there were a lot of things made in the U.S.A. Even my home town had an agricultural tractor company in it. (Home of the first gas powered ag tractor, as a matter of fact.) It wasn't odd or weird to have cities with factories and products being produced here.

But now it is weird and unusual to see products made in the U.S.A. I know little of anything bicycle related is made here anymore, but recently something happened that added another product to the "Made In U.S.A." column. That would be Velocity rims.

I don't know about you, but I think this fact is cool. I live here in this country, and it makes me feel as though I am supporting other residents that live here if I get a Velocity rim. But does that even matter?

I think the easy, immediate response is "yes", it does matter. But this is a complex question. There are a lot of ways to look at it. When it comes right down to it though, I think I am almost always going to root for the home team and say "yes". Yes it does matter.

New A23's

Well, anyway, here are the Velocity wheels in full view that I just got for myself. Some of you may remember that originally I wanted silver stuff for the "Orange Crush" BMC bike I own. Well, I had to compromise with the original A23 set I had and do all black. That's all there was to have back then.

Okay, then I traded that set of wheels off to get Mrs. Guitar Ted's Kona Africa Bike single speed, (which she loves, by the way), and that left me with no wheels for the BMC for over a month.

Well, with the recent purchase of Mike's XTR/Salsa Delgado cross wheels and these I now have two sets of wheels for the BMC. Nice! Now I'm set for different conditions and situations. Eventually I will get some rim tape to set these up tubeless too.

The new Velocity skewers are pretty sweet for these wheels. Internal cam mechanism, similar to Shimano's, and a classy looking rubberized plastic pearl button on the pivot. I sure hope these clamp near as well as the XTR skewers do.

The rear wheel has an aluminum free hub body, so I can not bring myself to put on any ol' cassette. Nope. Not gonna do it. So, another parts order will be going in for a cassette with a carrier type construction instead of individual cogs that will only dig in and destroy the splines.  kind of a bummer, because I thought I had a cassette like this in reserve, but I must have used it. More waiting...

I was hoping to run these wheels this weekend for the 3GR, but they'll have to wait to make their debut.