3GR: Pushing The Pause Button

Frosty, Chilly Start

Looking at the calendar, I am pretty amazed at the amount of Friday evenings and Saturday mornings I have committed to doing the 3GR. Since April I have only missed a few weeks of either Friday evening or Saturday 3GR's. That's seven months of riding this group ride.

Now with next Saturday being the Turkey Burn and the following Saturday being Global Fat Bike Ride day, it would mean that the next Saturday up on the docket for a possible 3GR would be December 8th. Then I would have to postpone doing another one due to birthdays, Christmas, and New Years. So......yeah. With the outstanding chance that we'll have some really cold, snowy, or icy weather by the 8th, and certainly in January, I think it is time to push the pause button on 3GR till things get better next Spring.

But there was this last ride, the last 3GR of 2012. I got out of the house to see a landscape of frost and ice where there was any water. It wasn't all that chilly, being into the upper 30's, but it sure looked like the edge of Winter was nigh. I wasn't worried this day though. the temperatures were forecast to soar into the 50's, eventually, and a light Southeasterly was predicted. I knew I would be meeting at least two other riders. Ali from work, and a friend of hers, who was a "rookie" at riding gravel.

Ali and Chelsea waiting on the train to pass.

I didn't see many humans or animals on the way over to the meeting spot. Strange, and maybe a fitting end to things for the year. Well, as usual, I arrived early- way too early, and I started fidgeting around with my bike and snapped off a few images on my point and shoot.

Moments later a white car pulled up and I heard the familiar voice of Ali saying hello. I walked over and met her friend, Chelsea, who produced a Mongoose branded department store mountain bike shaped object to ride. But hey- at least she was there to give'r. Ali was sporting her SE Racing Stout single speed.

So I could see this ride becoming a slower, more relaxed one. There were no other late comers, so it was just us three. We headed out Northward and the flatter terrain fostered okay speeds. I knew that wouldn't last, and I was okay with that. The turn on to Mount Vernon Road brings the first steep, and sure enough, this would be the point where we'd really slow down. But ya know what? Those gals got up that one pretty well.

Then we hit some more flatter stuff, and cruising up towards Janesville was easy. All of us were chatting occasionally and were enjoying the ride. Then we would reach the area near Camp Ingawanis, and there the hills kick in which would dramatically change things.

Looking back: The 3GR was a lot of fun in 2012!

I told Ali and Chelsea that the hills would be coming and I'd likely be bombing the down hills, which would separate us for a bit. Boy! Did it ever. I had to wait several minutes at the corner where we go Southward again for Ali and Chelsea to catch back on.

By this time I had committed to riding my Orange Crush in a single gear and working on my pedaling form, especially going up hill. Slow, meticulous circles were the order of the day. This sure helped keep my speed in check, and more importantly, kept me from getting too far ahead of the gals.

I had fun, and I think the gals were troopers. The ride took a bit longer than usual, so I didn't stop at my usual coffee spot, but instead I turned for home, getting there just in time for lunch. The slow work really worked me! I was torched when I got home, and I am sure it did me good to be riding like that. Probably should do that sort of thing more often!

Well, anyway, it was a unique ending to my gravel group ride experiment. I'll likely start up 3GR next year in the Spring. Thanks to anyone and everyone that participated in 3GR over the past several months.

3GR: Pushing The Pause Button

Frosty, Chilly Start

Looking at the calendar, I am pretty amazed at the amount of Friday evenings and Saturday mornings I have committed to doing the 3GR. Since April I have only missed a few weeks of either Friday evening or Saturday 3GR's. That's seven months of riding this group ride.

Now with next Saturday being the Turkey Burn and the following Saturday being Global Fat Bike Ride day, it would mean that the next Saturday up on the docket for a possible 3GR would be December 8th. Then I would have to postpone doing another one due to birthdays, Christmas, and New Years. So......yeah. With the outstanding chance that we'll have some really cold, snowy, or icy weather by the 8th, and certainly in January, I think it is time to push the pause button on 3GR till things get better next Spring.

But there was this last ride, the last 3GR of 2012. I got out of the house to see a landscape of frost and ice where there was any water. It wasn't all that chilly, being into the upper 30's, but it sure looked like the edge of Winter was nigh. I wasn't worried this day though. the temperatures were forecast to soar into the 50's, eventually, and a light Southeasterly was predicted. I knew I would be meeting at least two other riders. Ali from work, and a friend of hers, who was a "rookie" at riding gravel.

Ali and Chelsea waiting on the train to pass.

I didn't see many humans or animals on the way over to the meeting spot. Strange, and maybe a fitting end to things for the year. Well, as usual, I arrived early- way too early, and I started fidgeting around with my bike and snapped off a few images on my point and shoot.

Moments later a white car pulled up and I heard the familiar voice of Ali saying hello. I walked over and met her friend, Chelsea, who produced a Mongoose branded department store mountain bike shaped object to ride. But hey- at least she was there to give'r. Ali was sporting her SE Racing Stout single speed.

So I could see this ride becoming a slower, more relaxed one. There were no other late comers, so it was just us three. We headed out Northward and the flatter terrain fostered okay speeds. I knew that wouldn't last, and I was okay with that. The turn on to Mount Vernon Road brings the first steep, and sure enough, this would be the point where we'd really slow down. But ya know what? Those gals got up that one pretty well.

Then we hit some more flatter stuff, and cruising up towards Janesville was easy. All of us were chatting occasionally and were enjoying the ride. Then we would reach the area near Camp Ingawanis, and there the hills kick in which would dramatically change things.

Looking back: The 3GR was a lot of fun in 2012!

I told Ali and Chelsea that the hills would be coming and I'd likely be bombing the down hills, which would separate us for a bit. Boy! Did it ever. I had to wait several minutes at the corner where we go Southward again for Ali and Chelsea to catch back on.

By this time I had committed to riding my Orange Crush in a single gear and working on my pedaling form, especially going up hill. Slow, meticulous circles were the order of the day. This sure helped keep my speed in check, and more importantly, kept me from getting too far ahead of the gals.

I had fun, and I think the gals were troopers. The ride took a bit longer than usual, so I didn't stop at my usual coffee spot, but instead I turned for home, getting there just in time for lunch. The slow work really worked me! I was torched when I got home, and I am sure it did me good to be riding like that. Probably should do that sort of thing more often!

Well, anyway, it was a unique ending to my gravel group ride experiment. I'll likely start up 3GR next year in the Spring. Thanks to anyone and everyone that participated in 3GR over the past several months.

Trans Iowa V9: Thoughts On Lighting Part II

Last week I hit on some stuff regarding lighting for those who might be attempting T.I.V9, (or any night time gravel grinder). You can check out that post here if you missed it.

The start of T.I.V7

This post will deal mostly with how I think your light should work for you. Mind you, this is merely my own opinion, but having done several night time gravel rides and events, I think I can speak with some authority here, and besides that, I know what lays in store for you on T.I.V9, and you do not!

There are two things, in my mind, that are paramount regarding lighting for Trans Iowa, or similar rides where fast descents may be occurring on gravel. First is getting light up the road. 

You can easily reach speeds of 35mph and probably up over 40mph on some of the descents on gravel for Trans Iowa. Your lighting may be adequate for pavement, but how do you "read the road" on gravel?  You only have a precious few split seconds to make decisions at these speeds, and on gravel- any sudden maneuvers will result in going out of control, or crashing, which are both bad things and usually go hand in hand. Knowing what is coming as soon as possible is very important then. And if you didn't know- the darkness in Iowa is........really dark! 

So here is the other important thing- the beam pattern and quality of that pattern. Having a high powered light with crappy optics isn't going to do you any good at night on gravel roads. Dark rings, spots, or weird shading may not be an issue while you are going down a paved road, because the differences between those oddities in optics are nothing like the surface you are riding. But out on gravel, these things can become trouble since the gravel can mimic shading, weird patterns, and yes- even circular shading, so it becomes difficult to know if you are looking at weird optics or six inches of gravel piled up in your path. You also need a broad swath of useable light. Spot beam patterns are not ideal. What if you want to switch your line to the right? If you are not sure if the gravel is deep, rutted, muddy, or dry outside your spot beam pattern, you have no idea what you are steering into until it is too late at higher speeds. 

T.I.V7: Image by W. Kilburg

Okay- so what should you look for in your choice of lighting? Good optics that do not have strange patterns, hot spots, or shading are best. A good, wide swath of even light is best. If that light can be pushed 100-150 yards up the road, that's even better. (You may want to think low/medium for the flats and hills and punch up the light to high beam for descents.)

My set up uses a cheapo Eveready camp light I hacked to a Cat Eye computer mount. The beam pattern goes from ditch to ditch and up the road far enough to comfortably ride the flats. My helmet mounted torch is going to be a Lezyne Super Drive, which will get my beam way up the road for the descents and will work for sign identification for navigation needs. My handle bar mount is going to be a Lezyne  Mega Drive set on a lower setting for down the road lighting.

I set my Eveready light on a mount off my front rack, lower than the handle bars, and it shows up washboarding, pot holes, and dips quite nicely down there. On my Fargo, that light will mount off my low rider mount which will do the same thing.

There is my set up for night time gravel grinding and it will be an improvement over my old set up, which wasn't quite adequate enough, (for me), on fast descents. Again- it's my opinion, and based off my experiences and perceived need. You should take this only as a guideline and do due diligence by testing your own lighting set up well before Trans Iowa.
 

Trans Iowa V9: Thoughts On Lighting Part II

Last week I hit on some stuff regarding lighting for those who might be attempting T.I.V9, (or any night time gravel grinder). You can check out that post here if you missed it.

The start of T.I.V7

This post will deal mostly with how I think your light should work for you. Mind you, this is merely my own opinion, but having done several night time gravel rides and events, I think I can speak with some authority here, and besides that, I know what lays in store for you on T.I.V9, and you do not!

There are two things, in my mind, that are paramount regarding lighting for Trans Iowa, or similar rides where fast descents may be occurring on gravel. First is getting light up the road. 

You can easily reach speeds of 35mph and probably up over 40mph on some of the descents on gravel for Trans Iowa. Your lighting may be adequate for pavement, but how do you "read the road" on gravel?  You only have a precious few split seconds to make decisions at these speeds, and on gravel- any sudden maneuvers will result in going out of control, or crashing, which are both bad things and usually go hand in hand. Knowing what is coming as soon as possible is very important then. And if you didn't know- the darkness in Iowa is........really dark! 

So here is the other important thing- the beam pattern and quality of that pattern. Having a high powered light with crappy optics isn't going to do you any good at night on gravel roads. Dark rings, spots, or weird shading may not be an issue while you are going down a paved road, because the differences between those oddities in optics are nothing like the surface you are riding. But out on gravel, these things can become trouble since the gravel can mimic shading, weird patterns, and yes- even circular shading, so it becomes difficult to know if you are looking at weird optics or six inches of gravel piled up in your path. You also need a broad swath of useable light. Spot beam patterns are not ideal. What if you want to switch your line to the right? If you are not sure if the gravel is deep, rutted, muddy, or dry outside your spot beam pattern, you have no idea what you are steering into until it is too late at higher speeds. 

T.I.V7: Image by W. Kilburg

Okay- so what should you look for in your choice of lighting? Good optics that do not have strange patterns, hot spots, or shading are best. A good, wide swath of even light is best. If that light can be pushed 100-150 yards up the road, that's even better. (You may want to think low/medium for the flats and hills and punch up the light to high beam for descents.)

My set up uses a cheapo Eveready camp light I hacked to a Cat Eye computer mount. The beam pattern goes from ditch to ditch and up the road far enough to comfortably ride the flats. My helmet mounted torch is going to be a Lezyne Super Drive, which will get my beam way up the road for the descents and will work for sign identification for navigation needs. My handle bar mount is going to be a Lezyne  Mega Drive set on a lower setting for down the road lighting.

I set my Eveready light on a mount off my front rack, lower than the handle bars, and it shows up washboarding, pot holes, and dips quite nicely down there. On my Fargo, that light will mount off my low rider mount which will do the same thing.

There is my set up for night time gravel grinding and it will be an improvement over my old set up, which wasn't quite adequate enough, (for me), on fast descents. Again- it's my opinion, and based off my experiences and perceived need. You should take this only as a guideline and do due diligence by testing your own lighting set up well before Trans Iowa.
 

Friday News And Views

SRAM XX1 Cassette

XX1: The Future Of Drive Trains?- 

 I had the chance to actually handle some XX1 drive train parts yesterday at the shop. The XX1 group is the newest technical advancement in drive trains for mountain biking.

SRAM saw that a lot of racers were not using the inner ring on their 2X10 set ups, so they developed an 11 speed system with the "bail out" gear on the cassette instead of on the crank set. This eliminated the front derailleur, shifter, and cable and housing on the left side. That makes XX1 lighter than XX, but the actual component pieces are heavier.

SRAM put a lot of neat little details into this. For instance, the rearmost cog is actually dished to help it clear the spokes. The cassette carrier is threaded and screws onto the cassette. That carrier has two cartridge bearings on each end to support the massive looking cassette, which is incredibly light, by the way. The carrier reveals the free hub pawls, and since the cassette is removed with a Shimano Hyperdrive lockring tool, you can get in there to clean out things anytime you want to.

The derailluer is also quite interesting. It has a Type 2 clutch to arrest movement of the cage, which stabilizes the chain. Interestingly SRAM used a roller bearing clutch to do this with. Shimano uses a band clamp. SRAM claims a no maintenance use for the Type 2 clutch mechanism for the life of the derailleur.

Downside here is that the entire system with the derailleur, cassette, crankset, shifter, and chain is about $1700.00. So, it isn't for everybody. There also is no option currently for a fatbike, which I think this system would be great for.

San Marco Pirelli damped saddle

Engine Mounts: 

 One of the ongoing pursuits of the cycling industry has been how to design components to absorb vibrations. This is important, since any vibrations or shocks that reach a rider have to be absorbed by that rider, which causes fatigue and loss of power, and at worst can cause failure physically and failure with components on the bicycle. Several ways of taking care of this problem have been attempted in the past. Suspension on mountain bikes is a good example of this, but even the tires and the air pressure you run them at are important in combating vibrations and road shock.

Lately I have seen several seat post based solutions to this problem. A few new ones on me were witnessed at Interbike. Now another one crops up from Cantitoe Road here. Elastomeric isolation from the rest of the bike for the rider is nothing new. (Note the Pirelli designed donuts on the saddle rails of that Selle San Marco saddle I have pictured here.) However; it could be a very effective way to get the job done. Just like engine mounts in a car isolate the activity of the engine from the rest of the car, the Cantitoe Road design could be a great product. However, typically this sort of idea has been problematic in its applications in bicycle components. We'll see how this pans out, but I like the idea.

Whoops! Not yet....

Hydraulic Road Shifter/Brake levers: 

 First off- yes, they are coming. It is not a hoax, something that is being pushed off, or a teaser. SRAM was going to pimp these at Interbike, but for technical reasons in other areas decided to hold off on these. They are just now making the rounds at cyclo-cross races.

Of course, everyone is wondering what Shimano will do. I hadn't heard anything until just recently, and this article in "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" confirms it. Shimano is coming on board with the disc brakes for roadies too.

A few points from the BRAIN article are worth noting. First, that Shimano is involved and plans on coming out with something. Shimano is primarily a research and development company. They likely have had a prototype road disc set up for several years and now can fast track it into production. Secondly- that the CEO for Formula's German arm is quoted as saying, "Shimano will be right from the beginning the leader of the market". That tells me the stuff will be dialed and will be spec'ed everywhere. Thirdly- That standards for road bikes are set for another sea change. You already have different head sets and bottom brackets across several different design standards. Now the wheels and wheel attachment standards will also change. I wouldn't at all be surprised to see road bikes get their rear axle spacing bumped out to 135mm as well. This means that road bikes from now back to the early 90's will become obsolete. Expect choices in wheels and other components to go the way of Campy Nuevo Record. (E-bay, Craigs List, and swap meets.)

A Few Words On T.I.V9:

Tomorrow the registration for Veterans will come to a close. I do not know how many spots the Vets will leave unclaimed, but I am certain there will be a fair number. These unclaimed spots, (if any), will be rolled into the pool available to the Rookies starting Monday. 

Look for a roster update later today and again on Saturday. I will then post what total number will be available to the Rookie Class on the T.I.V9 site.  Rookies will surely fill out their chunk of the roster in a few days or less. Things get kicked off for them on Monday. I have been getting a lot of questions and requests from individuals concerning the way things will work, which tells me interest is high. I am especially pleased to be hearing from several women who are considering jumping in. 

Could be a record year! 

I saw a few kind words were posted by T.I. Vet, John Karrasch on his blog. I admire John for his "never quit" attitude he displayed at last spring's Trans Iowa. You can check out what he had to say here, and read a few suggestions for those looking to attempt T.I.V9 as well.  

Fat Bike Summit: Last night on "The Guitar Ted Show" I had the pleasure of chatting with Jay Petervary and Scott Fitzgerald concerning the upcoming Fat Bike Summit which will feature seminars, information, group rides, a race, and demos of fat bikes in some awesome groomed snow trail country in Idaho. Jay mentioned that there is over 800 miles of snowy goodness out there to ride, so check out the links here and maybe get yourself out there come late January to enjoy the "Moab of Fatbiking".

3GR: It will occur again on Saturday at 8:30am at Gateway Park.

Friday News And Views

SRAM XX1 Cassette

XX1: The Future Of Drive Trains?- 

 I had the chance to actually handle some XX1 drive train parts yesterday at the shop. The XX1 group is the newest technical advancement in drive trains for mountain biking.

SRAM saw that a lot of racers were not using the inner ring on their 2X10 set ups, so they developed an 11 speed system with the "bail out" gear on the cassette instead of on the crank set. This eliminated the front derailleur, shifter, and cable and housing on the left side. That makes XX1 lighter than XX, but the actual component pieces are heavier.

SRAM put a lot of neat little details into this. For instance, the rearmost cog is actually dished to help it clear the spokes. The cassette carrier is threaded and screws onto the cassette. That carrier has two cartridge bearings on each end to support the massive looking cassette, which is incredibly light, by the way. The carrier reveals the free hub pawls, and since the cassette is removed with a Shimano Hyperdrive lockring tool, you can get in there to clean out things anytime you want to.

The derailluer is also quite interesting. It has a Type 2 clutch to arrest movement of the cage, which stabilizes the chain. Interestingly SRAM used a roller bearing clutch to do this with. Shimano uses a band clamp. SRAM claims a no maintenance use for the Type 2 clutch mechanism for the life of the derailleur.

Downside here is that the entire system with the derailleur, cassette, crankset, shifter, and chain is about $1700.00. So, it isn't for everybody. There also is no option currently for a fatbike, which I think this system would be great for.

San Marco Pirelli damped saddle

Engine Mounts: 

 One of the ongoing pursuits of the cycling industry has been how to design components to absorb vibrations. This is important, since any vibrations or shocks that reach a rider have to be absorbed by that rider, which causes fatigue and loss of power, and at worst can cause failure physically and failure with components on the bicycle. Several ways of taking care of this problem have been attempted in the past. Suspension on mountain bikes is a good example of this, but even the tires and the air pressure you run them at are important in combating vibrations and road shock.

Lately I have seen several seat post based solutions to this problem. A few new ones on me were witnessed at Interbike. Now another one crops up from Cantitoe Road here. Elastomeric isolation from the rest of the bike for the rider is nothing new. (Note the Pirelli designed donuts on the saddle rails of that Selle San Marco saddle I have pictured here.) However; it could be a very effective way to get the job done. Just like engine mounts in a car isolate the activity of the engine from the rest of the car, the Cantitoe Road design could be a great product. However, typically this sort of idea has been problematic in its applications in bicycle components. We'll see how this pans out, but I like the idea.

Whoops! Not yet....

Hydraulic Road Shifter/Brake levers: 

 First off- yes, they are coming. It is not a hoax, something that is being pushed off, or a teaser. SRAM was going to pimp these at Interbike, but for technical reasons in other areas decided to hold off on these. They are just now making the rounds at cyclo-cross races.

Of course, everyone is wondering what Shimano will do. I hadn't heard anything until just recently, and this article in "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" confirms it. Shimano is coming on board with the disc brakes for roadies too.

A few points from the BRAIN article are worth noting. First, that Shimano is involved and plans on coming out with something. Shimano is primarily a research and development company. They likely have had a prototype road disc set up for several years and now can fast track it into production. Secondly- that the CEO for Formula's German arm is quoted as saying, "Shimano will be right from the beginning the leader of the market". That tells me the stuff will be dialed and will be spec'ed everywhere. Thirdly- That standards for road bikes are set for another sea change. You already have different head sets and bottom brackets across several different design standards. Now the wheels and wheel attachment standards will also change. I wouldn't at all be surprised to see road bikes get their rear axle spacing bumped out to 135mm as well. This means that road bikes from now back to the early 90's will become obsolete. Expect choices in wheels and other components to go the way of Campy Nuevo Record. (E-bay, Craigs List, and swap meets.)

A Few Words On T.I.V9:

Tomorrow the registration for Veterans will come to a close. I do not know how many spots the Vets will leave unclaimed, but I am certain there will be a fair number. These unclaimed spots, (if any), will be rolled into the pool available to the Rookies starting Monday. 

Look for a roster update later today and again on Saturday. I will then post what total number will be available to the Rookie Class on the T.I.V9 site.  Rookies will surely fill out their chunk of the roster in a few days or less. Things get kicked off for them on Monday. I have been getting a lot of questions and requests from individuals concerning the way things will work, which tells me interest is high. I am especially pleased to be hearing from several women who are considering jumping in. 

Could be a record year! 

I saw a few kind words were posted by T.I. Vet, John Karrasch on his blog. I admire John for his "never quit" attitude he displayed at last spring's Trans Iowa. You can check out what he had to say here, and read a few suggestions for those looking to attempt T.I.V9 as well.  

Fat Bike Summit: Last night on "The Guitar Ted Show" I had the pleasure of chatting with Jay Petervary and Scott Fitzgerald concerning the upcoming Fat Bike Summit which will feature seminars, information, group rides, a race, and demos of fat bikes in some awesome groomed snow trail country in Idaho. Jay mentioned that there is over 800 miles of snowy goodness out there to ride, so check out the links here and maybe get yourself out there come late January to enjoy the "Moab of Fatbiking".

3GR: It will occur again on Saturday at 8:30am at Gateway Park.

Project Black: Update

Yesterday was a glorious late fall day. Sunshine, little wind to speak of, and time off to get out for a ride. I decided to take the Vassago Jabberwocky out for a spin.

I dubbed this "Project Black" some time ago, and used it as a platform to (a) see what the fuss was about a Vassago and to (b) do a lightweight version of a steel single speed. I think I have succeeded in the lightweight department. Project Black ended up at 22lbs ready to ride, as you see it here. That's without any "stupid-light" stuff on it too. So yeah- I could easily take this lower. 

That weight would come out of the wheels and fork. The Black Flags are decently light, but I have stiffer, lighter wheels I could use on it. The fork is a nice early version of a CroMoto Grande, which for a steel fork is light. However; a Niner Bikes fork, for instance, weighs almost half of what this does. So I could throw some money at this and get it down to 20lbs easily enough, but I ain't going to do it. Nope.

I like it fine as is, and I may not hang on to this bike all that long. I mean- I have plenty of single speeds!

 I decided to get out into the Green Belt for a spin. I didn't have all day to drag the rig up to the Camp, and this would be a good test for the Geax Gato 2.1"ers in slicker dirt, which I knew I would find in the Green Belt and not so much at Camp. I was not disappointed either.

The skinnier Gato tires are much like their bigger 2.3" siblings in that you have to run the air a bit lower to get the side knobs to work. It's a good thing I did run 'em lower too, as evidenced here by this sliding sideways mark in this curve. There was just enough side bite to keep it upright. Had the tires been pumped up a bit more, well then.......I probably would have went down here.

The Jabberwocky's longer chain stays probably helped a bit with the stability as well. Speaking of "longer", it is something the Jabberwocky is and you can tell this in tight turns. It isn't real adept at the tighter stuff, and that frame is a bit flexy when you are doing a slow speed maneuver too.

But the same flex that is a detriment there is really the Jabberwocky's best trait as well. The bike feels so smooth, and the lowered pressure in the tires made everything nice until you hit some real bumps in the trail.  Then you'd become aware again that the bike is fully rigid with no suspension to absorb that impact. In fact, the whole bike does this shudder/ringing thing when certain hits are encountered. It's kind of weird, really. I've never had any other bike resonate like a low frequency tuning fork before. Other than this, the Jabberwocky ranks right up there with the smoothest feeling steel frames I've ridden.

In terms of handling it seems to be okay. It isn't a very exciting bike to ride. Very smooth, very stable, and it seems very happy to keep both of its wheels firmly planted on terra-firma. If I had to ride a smooth-ish course for hours on end, I might choose this bike to do it on. If technical features, rough single track, or snappy handling are called for, I am going to reach for my OS Bikes Blackbuck, the Milwaukee Bicycle Company 29"er, or the old Salsa Cycles El Mariachi. If things call for a slightly more stable rig with great slow speed, technical handling and decent steel feel, I would opt for the Sawyer. All of those aforementioned rigs do front wheel lofts and snappy feeling accelerations better than the Jabberwocky does.

That's not to say that the Vassago is bad. It is more correct to say that it rides maybe like how a 70's steel Columbus SL tubed road bike rides in comparison to modern road bikes. Sure, it is smooth, but it isn't as snappy as a newer rig, and isn't as exciting to ride, maybe. If that makes any sense at all.....

Anyway, I ended up riding a loop through the old connector trail I made that runs along Ridgeway Avenue on the North side of the road. It's still all there. Funny that, since back when I made it, I couldn't hardly get anyone to help burn it in, and I gave up on it. Some folks dubbed it "Marky-Mark". (I got some help making the trail from another Mark) Kind of weird to ride a trail named after you.

So, back to the bike, eh? The Vassago is merely "okay". The "Wet Cat" geometry is about as attractive as its namesake. Stable to a fault, low-ish, long, and not conducive to getting active with your riding style like some bikes are. And that's okay. It is different. It just is not my cup of tea as far as grabbing this over other bikes I have sitting around. I'm glad I tried it. I am happy with how the build went and with the weight. I'll have to think it over for awhile and see what I want to do with this thing. I think I already have a pretty good idea what will eventually happen here!

Project Black: Update

Yesterday was a glorious late fall day. Sunshine, little wind to speak of, and time off to get out for a ride. I decided to take the Vassago Jabberwocky out for a spin.

I dubbed this "Project Black" some time ago, and used it as a platform to (a) see what the fuss was about a Vassago and to (b) do a lightweight version of a steel single speed. I think I have succeeded in the lightweight department. Project Black ended up at 22lbs ready to ride, as you see it here. That's without any "stupid-light" stuff on it too. So yeah- I could easily take this lower. 

That weight would come out of the wheels and fork. The Black Flags are decently light, but I have stiffer, lighter wheels I could use on it. The fork is a nice early version of a CroMoto Grande, which for a steel fork is light. However; a Niner Bikes fork, for instance, weighs almost half of what this does. So I could throw some money at this and get it down to 20lbs easily enough, but I ain't going to do it. Nope.

I like it fine as is, and I may not hang on to this bike all that long. I mean- I have plenty of single speeds!

 I decided to get out into the Green Belt for a spin. I didn't have all day to drag the rig up to the Camp, and this would be a good test for the Geax Gato 2.1"ers in slicker dirt, which I knew I would find in the Green Belt and not so much at Camp. I was not disappointed either.

The skinnier Gato tires are much like their bigger 2.3" siblings in that you have to run the air a bit lower to get the side knobs to work. It's a good thing I did run 'em lower too, as evidenced here by this sliding sideways mark in this curve. There was just enough side bite to keep it upright. Had the tires been pumped up a bit more, well then.......I probably would have went down here.

The Jabberwocky's longer chain stays probably helped a bit with the stability as well. Speaking of "longer", it is something the Jabberwocky is and you can tell this in tight turns. It isn't real adept at the tighter stuff, and that frame is a bit flexy when you are doing a slow speed maneuver too.

But the same flex that is a detriment there is really the Jabberwocky's best trait as well. The bike feels so smooth, and the lowered pressure in the tires made everything nice until you hit some real bumps in the trail.  Then you'd become aware again that the bike is fully rigid with no suspension to absorb that impact. In fact, the whole bike does this shudder/ringing thing when certain hits are encountered. It's kind of weird, really. I've never had any other bike resonate like a low frequency tuning fork before. Other than this, the Jabberwocky ranks right up there with the smoothest feeling steel frames I've ridden.

In terms of handling it seems to be okay. It isn't a very exciting bike to ride. Very smooth, very stable, and it seems very happy to keep both of its wheels firmly planted on terra-firma. If I had to ride a smooth-ish course for hours on end, I might choose this bike to do it on. If technical features, rough single track, or snappy handling are called for, I am going to reach for my OS Bikes Blackbuck, the Milwaukee Bicycle Company 29"er, or the old Salsa Cycles El Mariachi. If things call for a slightly more stable rig with great slow speed, technical handling and decent steel feel, I would opt for the Sawyer. All of those aforementioned rigs do front wheel lofts and snappy feeling accelerations better than the Jabberwocky does.

That's not to say that the Vassago is bad. It is more correct to say that it rides maybe like how a 70's steel Columbus SL tubed road bike rides in comparison to modern road bikes. Sure, it is smooth, but it isn't as snappy as a newer rig, and isn't as exciting to ride, maybe. If that makes any sense at all.....

Anyway, I ended up riding a loop through the old connector trail I made that runs along Ridgeway Avenue on the North side of the road. It's still all there. Funny that, since back when I made it, I couldn't hardly get anyone to help burn it in, and I gave up on it. Some folks dubbed it "Marky-Mark". (I got some help making the trail from another Mark) Kind of weird to ride a trail named after you.

So, back to the bike, eh? The Vassago is merely "okay". The "Wet Cat" geometry is about as attractive as its namesake. Stable to a fault, low-ish, long, and not conducive to getting active with your riding style like some bikes are. And that's okay. It is different. It just is not my cup of tea as far as grabbing this over other bikes I have sitting around. I'm glad I tried it. I am happy with how the build went and with the weight. I'll have to think it over for awhile and see what I want to do with this thing. I think I already have a pretty good idea what will eventually happen here!

Randomonium

A completely disjointed and non-flowing stream of consciousness for your consideration today....

By-Tor was a little put out for being left out of yesterday's post

 Wow! I knew a lot of folks were interested in fatbike stuff, but yesterday took the cake. My blog stats revealed a huge amount of hits on yesterday's post making it the single biggest day on this blog ever.

That is impressive when you think about Trans Iowa, or some other posts that have been super popular here. But fatbiking has really captured the imagination of folks, it would seem, and after all- we are going into winter when most folks give thought to these beasts.

So I'm going to give you one more point on fatbikes before moving on to other things. It is a timely point as well. (Okay- it is a bit of a rant, really....)

Fatbikes are great indoor trainer killers: I used to try to keep in shape by doing the trainer workouts or by riding rollers. You know what? It never panned out for me. I'd sooner drive an ice pick into my forehead than ride an indoor trainer. You may have a different opinion on the matter, and that is fine, but as far as I am concerned, the indoor cycling scene is anti-cycling. I'd go as far as saying it is from the heart of the devil, but that is just me. If indoor training is soooo awesome, than why don't folks do it in air conditioned comfort in July? Yeah..........because deep down inside, they know cycling belongs out of doors. That's why. Now with fatbikes at our disposal, there is no reason on earth to buy an indoor trainer, set of rollers, or to buy a pass to the gym. Get outdoors and breathe some fresh air, not some sweaty, humid, gym air. Don't get stuck in a basement. Don't glorify your mundane indoor existence by calling it a "house of pain". Sheesh!

Why would anyone not want to ride out of doors if they could? Now you have no excuse. Go.....

T.I. post card

Trans Iowa V9 registration is in full swing. I get a kick out of the post cards I get. The one I am sharing with you today is from a guy that is suggesting that this is what the Secret Checkpoint people may look like this year.

Reminds me of a Nazereth album cover!

Anyway, it looks as though this Trans Iowa will feature a cast of regulars and I am really pleased to see that. You know....I've grown kind of fond of these folks over the years. I do not get to see most of these people but for a few fleeting moments once a year. Not that I am complaining. I count myself blessed to know all of them at all.

Nuff of that. The registration is going smoothly so far. There are 29 spots left for Veterans as of yesterday. More cards are due in today. Since going to this form of registration the Veterans have not taken all their available spots, and I do not think they will this year either, but I may be surprised after all is said and done Saturday.

Then on Monday the Rookies get their crack at getting on the roster. My prediction is that by Tuesday the 49 available spots will be gone. There may be one, maybe two unclaimed Veteran slots, and if so, they will go into the Rookie pool, but no matter. If you are a Rookie don't sleep on it if you want a piece of T.I.V9, cause the chance at getting in will be a short lived one.

Plus, I am not going to maintain a Waiting List, nor do I allow transfers. If you miss this, you'll have to wit until a possible T.I.V10. (Man! That looks weird- T.I.V10!)

Okay, that's the main stuff on my mind now. Back to regularly scheduled blogging tomorrow....

Randomonium

A completely disjointed and non-flowing stream of consciousness for your consideration today....

By-Tor was a little put out for being left out of yesterday's post

 Wow! I knew a lot of folks were interested in fatbike stuff, but yesterday took the cake. My blog stats revealed a huge amount of hits on yesterday's post making it the single biggest day on this blog ever.

That is impressive when you think about Trans Iowa, or some other posts that have been super popular here. But fatbiking has really captured the imagination of folks, it would seem, and after all- we are going into winter when most folks give thought to these beasts.

So I'm going to give you one more point on fatbikes before moving on to other things. It is a timely point as well. (Okay- it is a bit of a rant, really....)

Fatbikes are great indoor trainer killers: I used to try to keep in shape by doing the trainer workouts or by riding rollers. You know what? It never panned out for me. I'd sooner drive an ice pick into my forehead than ride an indoor trainer. You may have a different opinion on the matter, and that is fine, but as far as I am concerned, the indoor cycling scene is anti-cycling. I'd go as far as saying it is from the heart of the devil, but that is just me. If indoor training is soooo awesome, than why don't folks do it in air conditioned comfort in July? Yeah..........because deep down inside, they know cycling belongs out of doors. That's why. Now with fatbikes at our disposal, there is no reason on earth to buy an indoor trainer, set of rollers, or to buy a pass to the gym. Get outdoors and breathe some fresh air, not some sweaty, humid, gym air. Don't get stuck in a basement. Don't glorify your mundane indoor existence by calling it a "house of pain". Sheesh!

Why would anyone not want to ride out of doors if they could? Now you have no excuse. Go.....

T.I. post card

Trans Iowa V9 registration is in full swing. I get a kick out of the post cards I get. The one I am sharing with you today is from a guy that is suggesting that this is what the Secret Checkpoint people may look like this year.

Reminds me of a Nazereth album cover!

Anyway, it looks as though this Trans Iowa will feature a cast of regulars and I am really pleased to see that. You know....I've grown kind of fond of these folks over the years. I do not get to see most of these people but for a few fleeting moments once a year. Not that I am complaining. I count myself blessed to know all of them at all.

Nuff of that. The registration is going smoothly so far. There are 29 spots left for Veterans as of yesterday. More cards are due in today. Since going to this form of registration the Veterans have not taken all their available spots, and I do not think they will this year either, but I may be surprised after all is said and done Saturday.

Then on Monday the Rookies get their crack at getting on the roster. My prediction is that by Tuesday the 49 available spots will be gone. There may be one, maybe two unclaimed Veteran slots, and if so, they will go into the Rookie pool, but no matter. If you are a Rookie don't sleep on it if you want a piece of T.I.V9, cause the chance at getting in will be a short lived one.

Plus, I am not going to maintain a Waiting List, nor do I allow transfers. If you miss this, you'll have to wit until a possible T.I.V10. (Man! That looks weird- T.I.V10!)

Okay, that's the main stuff on my mind now. Back to regularly scheduled blogging tomorrow....

Fatbikes: Just What Are They For Anyway?

My Mukluk: It's more than just a "snowbike"

I was riding my fatbike home from work yesterday when "it" happened......again....for the umpteenth time. "Hey! What kind of bike is that?"

(Or variations upon that theme including questions about the tires, and where I got them, etc.)

So, I figured a lot of you folks visiting here probably are shaking your heads wondering what in the world all the fuss is about these enormously tired bicycles. I know this is true because of the questions I get all the time, and the fact that "non-endemic" media is coming around asking a lot of the same questions.

So I figured I would put this little ditty together for all of you that do not quite understand what all the fuss is about.....yet. Hopefully you will understand a bit more after this.....

• Fatbikes are not just for snow: This was something I used to think, and it held me back from getting one sooner than I did. I was stupid. Don't make the same mistake I did. Fatbikes are imminently capable mountain bikes. I like to call them the "Human powered two wheeled ATV". 
• Fatbikes Are Not Slow: The tires and rims on these bikes are really big and heavy looking. Yes- they weigh more than most bikes, but many bicycles on bike shop floors weigh more than, or similar to a fat bike, and you never hear folks complain about them. The perception is those wheels must be cumbersome and slow. Nothing could be further from the truth. They take more work than some bikes do, but the pay-off is well worth the extra efforts. 
• Fatbikes are not for shy, introverted people that do not like fun: Seriously, if you are a curmudgeon, or if you can't stand being the center of attention, don't buy a fatbike. You will hate life with this sort of bike. If, however, you are a gregarious, outgoing fun-hog, you really are wired for a fatbike ownership. Get one and watch the attention come in like waves on an ocean. You will love it! You also will have so much fun riding a fatbike you might get giddy and laugh out loud. Really!

• Fatbikes like to run in packs: It's kind of like magnets to steel, or white on rice, but these bikes seem to like getting together and rumbling together. The riders seem to just come along with it. If you like doing things with other people and making car tire noises on gravel, or floating over snow, or if you veer toward mad creek riding adventures, you will find other fatbikes will want to come along for the fun of it. 
• Fatbikes take you to places you can't get to on other bikes: This should be obvious, but those "ATV-like" wheels can float over sand, chunky rock, woodland debris, snow, mud, and other surfaces that trip up an ordinary mountain bike. Road bikes? Whatever.  Let them have the pavement- fatbikers will go where cars can't even go! Want some solitude after all the group riding and attention whoring? A fatbike can crawl back into places no one else will ever look to find you, if you want to go there.
• There are lots of choices in fatbikes now, they are not all "Pugsleys": Used to be that the only turnkey fatbike choice available to the general public was a Surly Bikes Pugsley. They pretty much dominated the scene unless you happened to know the inner circle of Alaskan based fatbikers that knew about Wildfires, Fatbacks, 9 zero 7's or a few others. But the times have changed and now you can easily get your hands on Salsa Mukluks, Surly's newer models, the aforementioned Fatbacks and 9 zero 7's, and now On One is coming out with a fatbike. Tire choices have also ballooned, (no pun intended), in choice over the original Endomorph fatty tire.

•  And yes.......they are good on the snow!: Of course, the fatbike excels at riding over soft surfaces, including sand, mud, and snow. In fact, the bikes were pretty much evolved from the desire to race bicycles on snow. Yes.....racing on snow. There is a great series of fatbike races in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota, plus the long running races on snow like the Arrowhead 135 and Triple D events. 

The bottom line is that these bikes are a fun way to get around. They may seem weird and unnecessary, but don't judge them till you've tried them. I can go on and on about these rigs, but most of the time it takes a personal experience on one to get the "light bulb" to turn on, and trust me- If you try one, that light bulb will turn on!

Oh, and that question I got? I stopped and answered it. The entire time I spoke with the gentleman who was asking me he was fixated on my front tire, ignoring the wails of his toddlers coming through the front door.

Never underestimate the power of the fatbike! 

Fatbikes: Just What Are They For Anyway?

My Mukluk: It's more than just a "snowbike"

I was riding my fatbike home from work yesterday when "it" happened......again....for the umpteenth time. "Hey! What kind of bike is that?"

(Or variations upon that theme including questions about the tires, and where I got them, etc.)

So, I figured a lot of you folks visiting here probably are shaking your heads wondering what in the world all the fuss is about these enormously tired bicycles. I know this is true because of the questions I get all the time, and the fact that "non-endemic" media is coming around asking a lot of the same questions.

So I figured I would put this little ditty together for all of you that do not quite understand what all the fuss is about.....yet. Hopefully you will understand a bit more after this.....

• Fatbikes are not just for snow: This was something I used to think, and it held me back from getting one sooner than I did. I was stupid. Don't make the same mistake I did. Fatbikes are imminently capable mountain bikes. I like to call them the "Human powered two wheeled ATV". 
• Fatbikes Are Not Slow: The tires and rims on these bikes are really big and heavy looking. Yes- they weigh more than most bikes, but many bicycles on bike shop floors weigh more than, or similar to a fat bike, and you never hear folks complain about them. The perception is those wheels must be cumbersome and slow. Nothing could be further from the truth. They take more work than some bikes do, but the pay-off is well worth the extra efforts. 
• Fatbikes are not for shy, introverted people that do not like fun: Seriously, if you are a curmudgeon, or if you can't stand being the center of attention, don't buy a fatbike. You will hate life with this sort of bike. If, however, you are a gregarious, outgoing fun-hog, you really are wired for a fatbike ownership. Get one and watch the attention come in like waves on an ocean. You will love it! You also will have so much fun riding a fatbike you might get giddy and laugh out loud. Really!

• Fatbikes like to run in packs: It's kind of like magnets to steel, or white on rice, but these bikes seem to like getting together and rumbling together. The riders seem to just come along with it. If you like doing things with other people and making car tire noises on gravel, or floating over snow, or if you veer toward mad creek riding adventures, you will find other fatbikes will want to come along for the fun of it. 
• Fatbikes take you to places you can't get to on other bikes: This should be obvious, but those "ATV-like" wheels can float over sand, chunky rock, woodland debris, snow, mud, and other surfaces that trip up an ordinary mountain bike. Road bikes? Whatever.  Let them have the pavement- fatbikers will go where cars can't even go! Want some solitude after all the group riding and attention whoring? A fatbike can crawl back into places no one else will ever look to find you, if you want to go there.
• There are lots of choices in fatbikes now, they are not all "Pugsleys": Used to be that the only turnkey fatbike choice available to the general public was a Surly Bikes Pugsley. They pretty much dominated the scene unless you happened to know the inner circle of Alaskan based fatbikers that knew about Wildfires, Fatbacks, 9 zero 7's or a few others. But the times have changed and now you can easily get your hands on Salsa Mukluks, Surly's newer models, the aforementioned Fatbacks and 9 zero 7's, and now On One is coming out with a fatbike. Tire choices have also ballooned, (no pun intended), in choice over the original Endomorph fatty tire.

•  And yes.......they are good on the snow!: Of course, the fatbike excels at riding over soft surfaces, including sand, mud, and snow. In fact, the bikes were pretty much evolved from the desire to race bicycles on snow. Yes.....racing on snow. There is a great series of fatbike races in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota, plus the long running races on snow like the Arrowhead 135 and Triple D events. 

The bottom line is that these bikes are a fun way to get around. They may seem weird and unnecessary, but don't judge them till you've tried them. I can go on and on about these rigs, but most of the time it takes a personal experience on one to get the "light bulb" to turn on, and trust me- If you try one, that light bulb will turn on!

Oh, and that question I got? I stopped and answered it. The entire time I spoke with the gentleman who was asking me he was fixated on my front tire, ignoring the wails of his toddlers coming through the front door.

Never underestimate the power of the fatbike! 

Weekend Riding And Registration

My new night ridin' buddy

A while back now my son, who is 9 years old, was asking me about riding at night. Apparently the idea caught his fancy and he started pushing me for an "adventure" in which we would ride at night to a little lake and back.

I figured it would be fun, so this past Friday evening we hit the trail. I set him up with my Planet Bike 2 watt commuter lamp and a blinker light attached to my old Osprey Raptor 10 pack. He was pretty stoked to be kitted up like Dad with water in the hydration bladder. In fact, we had to stop a few times so he could use that feature! (I told him not to fiddle with it at night while he was riding.)

Anyhow, I secretly stashed some chocolate bars from his Halloween cache of candy into his backpack. Once we reached a suitable point going around on the single track which encircles the lake, I called for a stop, and lights out. I then told him we needed to look into his back pack, and the candy was a big hit with him, as you can imagine. We stood there on the beach, munching our candy, chatting, when he was suddenly eager to move along.

I said to him that we needed to enjoy some peace and quiet. He turned back, and we stayed there quietly talking for another ten minutes or so. Then we left to go back home. We didn't get very far before he spouted off and said, "You know, that WAS really peaceful back there, and we should come back out here again sometime." 

Yep- that made me smile!

Okay Rookies- The bar has been set pretty high!

Another thing that made me smile was this post card that was hand delivered by Craig, one of the 3GR regulars, for his entry to Trans Iowa V9.

I have to admit that I didn't see something here right away. Craig kept saying that "I borrowed some of your photography to make this...", and I took that to mean the road image. What I didn't see until much later when my son pointed it out to me was that I am the face of the devil there.

Oh!.........now I get it! DOH!

Sometimes the obvious escapes me. Anyway, the Veterans of past Trans Iowa events are sending in post cards to get into the next edition of Trans Iowa. They have 49 spots to fill out before their registration ends on Saturday, or gets filled up before then.  Of course, there is no USPS deliveries today, so everything I get today will be hand delivered, or come via UPS and FedEx overnight letter. The Rookies will get there chance starting a week from today.

I'll be updating the T.I.V9 site throughout the day.

Weekend Riding And Registration

My new night ridin' buddy

A while back now my son, who is 9 years old, was asking me about riding at night. Apparently the idea caught his fancy and he started pushing me for an "adventure" in which we would ride at night to a little lake and back.

I figured it would be fun, so this past Friday evening we hit the trail. I set him up with my Planet Bike 2 watt commuter lamp and a blinker light attached to my old Osprey Raptor 10 pack. He was pretty stoked to be kitted up like Dad with water in the hydration bladder. In fact, we had to stop a few times so he could use that feature! (I told him not to fiddle with it at night while he was riding.)

Anyhow, I secretly stashed some chocolate bars from his Halloween cache of candy into his backpack. Once we reached a suitable point going around on the single track which encircles the lake, I called for a stop, and lights out. I then told him we needed to look into his back pack, and the candy was a big hit with him, as you can imagine. We stood there on the beach, munching our candy, chatting, when he was suddenly eager to move along.

I said to him that we needed to enjoy some peace and quiet. He turned back, and we stayed there quietly talking for another ten minutes or so. Then we left to go back home. We didn't get very far before he spouted off and said, "You know, that WAS really peaceful back there, and we should come back out here again sometime." 

Yep- that made me smile!

Okay Rookies- The bar has been set pretty high!

Another thing that made me smile was this post card that was hand delivered by Craig, one of the 3GR regulars, for his entry to Trans Iowa V9.

I have to admit that I didn't see something here right away. Craig kept saying that "I borrowed some of your photography to make this...", and I took that to mean the road image. What I didn't see until much later when my son pointed it out to me was that I am the face of the devil there.

Oh!.........now I get it! DOH!

Sometimes the obvious escapes me. Anyway, the Veterans of past Trans Iowa events are sending in post cards to get into the next edition of Trans Iowa. They have 49 spots to fill out before their registration ends on Saturday, or gets filled up before then.  Of course, there is no USPS deliveries today, so everything I get today will be hand delivered, or come via UPS and FedEx overnight letter. The Rookies will get there chance starting a week from today.

I'll be updating the T.I.V9 site throughout the day.

3GR Report: An Odd Warm One

Mid-50's at the start

November. Fall is gone, the leaves are down, and the days are just about as short as they are going to get. Usually we're dealing with chilly, gray, cheerless days. But not Saturday.

An odd day of warmth was on tap. Friday it started with a southerly airflow that was pumping warm, humid air into the Mid-West. It continued overnight, and when I awoke Saturday to get ready for the next 3GR it was already in the 50's.

I decided to wear foot covers, but that was a mistake. I could tell just on the way over that my feet would be getting overheated. The streets were wet with condensation. The air was wet feeling, it was so humid. What a strange day for November. That said, it was nice not to have to spend time layering up for a cold ride.

I headed out a bit early, so I took a bit of a different route over to the start that included some more gravel/dirt than I normally get on the ride over to Gateway Park. Good stuff. It was a nice ride over and I wasn't the only one who was out enjoying it. Lots of runners were too.

The wind was picking up, and I knew it was going to be a factor. Craig was already there at the meeting spot when I arrived, but he was across the street having coffee. Kind of threw me for a loop there, but when he showed up on his bike, all was made right. Then a few minutes later Robert flew up, thinking he was going to be late. He actually had three minutes to spare.

We took off with the tail wind and made good time going North. We met Mike coming backward toward us on his fat bike and he turned around to join us. There were some big puffy clouds flying on the wind, but it was nice to see what sun we did.

Of course, eventually we had to turn back out of the tail wind and face the facts of our situation going back to Cedar Falls. The wind was coming at us through the section where the rolling hills kicked in and Mike and his fat bike were slowed. I eventually dropped back and rode with him back to Robert and Craig, then we finally reached Mount Vernon Road and turned out of the stiff breeze with sighs of relief all around.

By this time it was also well into the upper 60's and my long sleeved wool jersey was becoming a bit too warm, but who can complain when you get such a day in the second week of November here? We rolled into Cedar Falls and up to Cup Of Joes for the usual and then it was off to home again.

By the time I got home it was 70°F and sunny. I ended up riding a couple of hours in the afternoon with my son, so by late afternoon, I was fried. But you have to take advantage of days like yesterday when they come along.

3GR Report: An Odd Warm One

Mid-50's at the start

November. Fall is gone, the leaves are down, and the days are just about as short as they are going to get. Usually we're dealing with chilly, gray, cheerless days. But not Saturday.

An odd day of warmth was on tap. Friday it started with a southerly airflow that was pumping warm, humid air into the Mid-West. It continued overnight, and when I awoke Saturday to get ready for the next 3GR it was already in the 50's.

I decided to wear foot covers, but that was a mistake. I could tell just on the way over that my feet would be getting overheated. The streets were wet with condensation. The air was wet feeling, it was so humid. What a strange day for November. That said, it was nice not to have to spend time layering up for a cold ride.

I headed out a bit early, so I took a bit of a different route over to the start that included some more gravel/dirt than I normally get on the ride over to Gateway Park. Good stuff. It was a nice ride over and I wasn't the only one who was out enjoying it. Lots of runners were too.

The wind was picking up, and I knew it was going to be a factor. Craig was already there at the meeting spot when I arrived, but he was across the street having coffee. Kind of threw me for a loop there, but when he showed up on his bike, all was made right. Then a few minutes later Robert flew up, thinking he was going to be late. He actually had three minutes to spare.

We took off with the tail wind and made good time going North. We met Mike coming backward toward us on his fat bike and he turned around to join us. There were some big puffy clouds flying on the wind, but it was nice to see what sun we did.

Of course, eventually we had to turn back out of the tail wind and face the facts of our situation going back to Cedar Falls. The wind was coming at us through the section where the rolling hills kicked in and Mike and his fat bike were slowed. I eventually dropped back and rode with him back to Robert and Craig, then we finally reached Mount Vernon Road and turned out of the stiff breeze with sighs of relief all around.

By this time it was also well into the upper 60's and my long sleeved wool jersey was becoming a bit too warm, but who can complain when you get such a day in the second week of November here? We rolled into Cedar Falls and up to Cup Of Joes for the usual and then it was off to home again.

By the time I got home it was 70°F and sunny. I ended up riding a couple of hours in the afternoon with my son, so by late afternoon, I was fried. But you have to take advantage of days like yesterday when they come along.