Trans Iowa Clinic: Report

Saturday was the day for the Trans Iowa Clinic down in Des Moines, Iowa. We were expecting about 40 folks to show up and learn from some very experienced Trans Iowa finishers and veterans. The venue was an empty sliver of space between Tacopocalypse, (a restaurant run by Trans Iowa veteran, Sam Auen), and an art gallery. Years ago it was a milk truck garage. Back in the days when milk was delivered house to house by dairies instead of procured at grocery stores, trucks were loaded with milk for deliveries at such warehouses.

So the space was rustic and I felt fit the vibe of Trans Iowa perfectly. I couldn't have asked for a better place to do this clinic. Besides that, Sam saw to it that we had chairs, That the Christmas tree was decorated, and that the place was swept and in order, and also that he had staff on hand to run his restaurant so he could attend!

I left town before noon with Mrs. Guitar Ted loaded up with my Singular Gryphon set up for a long gravel ride and my materials I needed to put on the show. Likewise, Steve Fuller, who has ridden in a few Trans Iowas, photographed a few, and also finished T.I.v9, was there early to set up a ginormous screen, projector, lap top with power point presentation, and he brought a P.A along with his Salsa La Cruz steel bike set up for T.I.

Looking toward the entrance- R-L: Mrs Guitar Ted, Steve, and Mike

Mike Johnson, a multiple Trans Iowa finisher and Tour Divide finisher came down with his wife and he brought a slew of tire samples, materials for the riders to take notes, some chairs for us to sit on, some gear to show, and his own titanium Vaya set up for a Trans Iowa attempt.

Steve and Sam, along with his staff, had most of the work done by the time the rest of us had arrived, but we took our time getting things arranged correctly and talked a bit about how we were going to run the show. We all ate at various times from Sam's fantastic restaurant, Tacopocalypse throughout the day. Again- I highly recommend the place if you ever get to Des Moines!

So things were running smoothly and by 4:00pm we were pretty much set to go and receive our guests. There were three tables full of gear, Steve's, Mike's, and my bicycles along with the bicycles of Dan Buettner and last Trans Iowa winner, Dick Wince's bike.  All represented different ways to set up a Trans Iowa bike and I think these really were an influence on visitors to the Clinic.

Mid-set up: Tables with Trans Iowa type tires, gear, and later, some bags riders use. 

Two of the five bicycles we had on display, all set up, ready to ride a Trans Iowa. 

Mike and Steve during the Q&A session

At about 5:00pm, some folks started to wander in and take in what we had on display. Soon I found myself deep into conversations with some folks I have met through Trans Iowas and also with some new folks coming for their very first Trans Iowa. Mike and Steve were also available and talking with the various folks stopping in.

Then it was time to start the show. I made a few announcements and then we rolled the documentary "300 Miles of Gravel", which I think we found out everyone there had seen before, so obviously folks are researching Trans Iowa!

After this, I invited Steve and Mike up and we dove into the "meat" of what went on for the evening. I basically was the "moderator/MC", and kind of just helped flow things along while Steve and Mike began to share their experiences and thoughts on everything from bikes, to gear, to strategy, and more. While the audience didn't have a lot of questions, it was obvious that they were engaged in what was being shared. I saw a LOT of note taking going on!

Steve making a point on his bike set up while Mike assists with steadying his steed.

We started out with bicycle choice and why certain bicycles were chosen after starting with others. Steve and Mike are both great examples of how learning from experiences has taught them certain lessons and pushed them towards certain bicycle choices which are quite different from where they started.

The next section was mostly about gear: Tires, lights and bags were discussed and why things were chosen were shared by Mike and Steve. It was about this time when we enjoyed additional commentary coming from Trans Iowa V9 winner, Dick Wince, (aka "Mr. Charming") , Matt Maxwell, and Dan Buettner. With all of this vast Trans Iowa experience on hand, it really made for a well rounded showcase of what works and what doesn't to cover 300+ miles of gravel in one sitting.

We also appreciated the additional content provided by Matt Gersib via images of his T.I.v10 bike set up which we dissected and discussed, so all in all it was really information packed and I think it didn't really focus too much on any single aspect of set up, but showed that riders need to devise and "thinker through" their own set up and make changes based upon what works best for them. This also applied to lights, but I found it interesting that a very underscored point was to get a good light to see signage with mounted on your helmet for night riding navigational purposes. All were in agreement with that one!

Post event hanging out and questions abounded!

We started the event at 5:35pm and the Q&A session started at about 6:20pm. We didn't wrap thing up until 9:30pm, and it could have went far, far longer than that! I was conscious of time and tried to keep things moving along, but I could definitely see that there are a lot of curious minds and much to be shared about this gravel road riding and ultra-distance event riding on gravel. Afterward, everyone in attendance received a bag of Hammer Nutritional supplements as a thank you for attending.

Of course, eventually everything came to an end. So, how well did this go? All I can say is that we received many thank yous, many compliments, and no criticisms at all, (although even I know we could have tweaked it out to be better). I would say yes- it was a big success in my opinion. It came together seamlessly mostly due to the excellent quality of folks involved: Steve Fuller, Mike Johnson, Sam Auen, Dick Wince, Matt Maxwell, and Dan Beuttner were all instrumental in making this clinic a well rounded, information rich experience.

Afterward, we broke everything down, packed up our belongings, and went to Zombie Burger in Des Moines for a late supper. It was super fun to celebrate a great collaboration amongst friends. Well done and thank you to everyone involved!  After all of the festivities, Mrs. Guitar Ted and I had a two hour drive home, and we didn't get back until 3am! Let me tell you, my Sunday started at 6am, and it was a rough day! But that said, I had a ton of fun sharing with everyone our passion for gravel riding and what it takes to do that comfortably for a long distance.

Now, I have to address all of you who are going to "wish that you were there", and all of you who will wonder if all this knowledge and what not will be shared, repeated in another event, or what have you. Unfortunately I have to say without any reservations that "no- it won't", at least not by our crew. Not anytime soon, at any rate. We do encourage all who have the will to get up and take action to do so locally. I think it would be a great idea for this to happen with local knowledge on a small scale all over the country.

That said, without spilling the beans, I do know of a "major event promoter's" plans to do a multi-day gravel clinic. You'll hear about it soon and see it linked here. Stay tuned.....

As for the Trans Iowa Clinic, that;'s a wrap.

Trans Iowa: Ten Years Of Tales #17

In mid-November, the idea of Trans Iowa was hatched. The year was 2004. In the ten years since then there have been many stories and memories. These posts will tell of the most prominent ones to my mind. Maybe I'll even spill the beans on some things you never knew....

The scene of my personal B Road encounter

 The year of 2008 was a pretty dismal year in terms of weather for the Mid-West and Iowa in particular. It started out with a Winter that wouldn't quit. Snow was piled high until very late into March and recon was pushed back till the last week of March for T.I.v4. There were a few odds and ends that needed attending to, and with David Pals working week days, many of my days off were spent traversing Highway 20 East to access parts of our course for that year.

On one of those trips, I took the "Dirty Blue Box", as my '90 Civic wagon was known as, and headed up to the Edgewood area to check on a few things. On my way there, I took a brief shortcut around a town to save some time. The maps showed a county road through the area, but it turned to gravel. Okay, not unusual, I thought, but the map showed pavement here. Hmm.....

So I am cruising along at about 45mph on gravel on a gray, drizzly day, when I crest a hill and.......Bam! I suddenly am out of control sliding down a B Maintenance road on saturated clay! What I am about to write here all happened within a few seconds.

Okay, my first thought was that I could NOT use the brakes. I knew instinctively that had I stuck a foot on the pedal, I would have been every which way but straight on that downhill mess and would have crashed. Wet clay is like grease, or black ice. It's treacherous! The next thing that I was aware of were two, big, deep ruts in the road. They were likely put there by a farmer's tractor, as they were narrow and so deep I don't know how a truck or car could have made them. Whatever! My main concern was to NOT drop a wheel into either rut, or I was done for. The little Civic would have been sitting on its floorpan and I would have had to been towed.......someday.....when the roads dried up! Seriously! When farmers get their tractors stuck out here in fields, they often have helicopters pull them out if it means planting or harvesting won't get done if they do not get pulled out.

Post traumatic mud syndrome

Well, the car finally came to a stop. I was in a small rut, and maybe I could get going? I tried, but the wheels were spinning! I knew that if I were to keep spinning those tires, the car would sink down far enough that all hope of getting out would be lost. I was out of the car, surveying my situation, and running out of reasonable options. So, I thought of something unreasonable! 

My predicament was such that I figured I had a one shot chance at getting out. What I needed was someone to push, while I hit the throttle gently. I just needed to clear the front wheels out of the small rut, (which actually brought the car to a halt originally), and  I figured the down hill nature of the road would help in getting me the 1/8th of a mile I had to go to the intersection and regular gravel. Trouble was, I was alone, at least a half mile away from the nearest farm, where, if anyone was home, I'd have to convince someone to walk down a gooey mud road in a light rain to push a fool out of a rut. Or......I could push it out myself! 

So, I did something unreasonable. I put the car in drive, left the drivers door wide open, and got a firm footing behind the Civic. The front wheels were slowly spinning in the mud this entire time.  I started heaving up and forward on the bumper, and the wheels up front found something to grip, and the car started moving! I kept pushing faster. Now this was a critical point in the plan. Had the car veered to one side or the other, I would have failed, but it stayed going straight due to the wonderful nature of front wheel drive vehicles. When the car was picking up enough speed that I figured I could drive it, I launched around the left side, ran up to the door, and leapt into the car. Again, if I miss, I am done for. But I landed my butt squarely in the seat!

With the door flopping and my left leg dangling precariously out of the side of the car, I gently goosed the accelerator, steered as best I could, and drove it out onto clear gravel! I was so elated that when I stopped I literally danced in the road, hooting and hollering.  Amazingly, I got the car out of that dire situation, plus it was unscathed, if not just a wee bit caked with clay.

I carried on with recon, by the skin-o-my teeth, and got home later safely. Trans Iowa v4's course was in desperate need of drying out, but as we would find out later, it would not get that chance.

Next week: The lead up to, and beginning of Trans Iowa v4.......

Trans Iowa: Ten Years Of Tales #17

In mid-November, the idea of Trans Iowa was hatched. The year was 2004. In the ten years since then there have been many stories and memories. These posts will tell of the most prominent ones to my mind. Maybe I'll even spill the beans on some things you never knew....

The scene of my personal B Road encounter

 The year of 2008 was a pretty dismal year in terms of weather for the Mid-West and Iowa in particular. It started out with a Winter that wouldn't quit. Snow was piled high until very late into March and recon was pushed back till the last week of March for T.I.v4. There were a few odds and ends that needed attending to, and with David Pals working week days, many of my days off were spent traversing Highway 20 East to access parts of our course for that year.

On one of those trips, I took the "Dirty Blue Box", as my '90 Civic wagon was known as, and headed up to the Edgewood area to check on a few things. On my way there, I took a brief shortcut around a town to save some time. The maps showed a county road through the area, but it turned to gravel. Okay, not unusual, I thought, but the map showed pavement here. Hmm.....

So I am cruising along at about 45mph on gravel on a gray, drizzly day, when I crest a hill and.......Bam! I suddenly am out of control sliding down a B Maintenance road on saturated clay! What I am about to write here all happened within a few seconds.

Okay, my first thought was that I could NOT use the brakes. I knew instinctively that had I stuck a foot on the pedal, I would have been every which way but straight on that downhill mess and would have crashed. Wet clay is like grease, or black ice. It's treacherous! The next thing that I was aware of were two, big, deep ruts in the road. They were likely put there by a farmer's tractor, as they were narrow and so deep I don't know how a truck or car could have made them. Whatever! My main concern was to NOT drop a wheel into either rut, or I was done for. The little Civic would have been sitting on its floorpan and I would have had to been towed.......someday.....when the roads dried up! Seriously! When farmers get their tractors stuck out here in fields, they often have helicopters pull them out if it means planting or harvesting won't get done if they do not get pulled out.

Post traumatic mud syndrome

Well, the car finally came to a stop. I was in a small rut, and maybe I could get going? I tried, but the wheels were spinning! I knew that if I were to keep spinning those tires, the car would sink down far enough that all hope of getting out would be lost. I was out of the car, surveying my situation, and running out of reasonable options. So, I thought of something unreasonable! 

My predicament was such that I figured I had a one shot chance at getting out. What I needed was someone to push, while I hit the throttle gently. I just needed to clear the front wheels out of the small rut, (which actually brought the car to a halt originally), and  I figured the down hill nature of the road would help in getting me the 1/8th of a mile I had to go to the intersection and regular gravel. Trouble was, I was alone, at least a half mile away from the nearest farm, where, if anyone was home, I'd have to convince someone to walk down a gooey mud road in a light rain to push a fool out of a rut. Or......I could push it out myself! 

So, I did something unreasonable. I put the car in drive, left the drivers door wide open, and got a firm footing behind the Civic. The front wheels were slowly spinning in the mud this entire time.  I started heaving up and forward on the bumper, and the wheels up front found something to grip, and the car started moving! I kept pushing faster. Now this was a critical point in the plan. Had the car veered to one side or the other, I would have failed, but it stayed going straight due to the wonderful nature of front wheel drive vehicles. When the car was picking up enough speed that I figured I could drive it, I launched around the left side, ran up to the door, and leapt into the car. Again, if I miss, I am done for. But I landed my butt squarely in the seat!

With the door flopping and my left leg dangling precariously out of the side of the car, I gently goosed the accelerator, steered as best I could, and drove it out onto clear gravel! I was so elated that when I stopped I literally danced in the road, hooting and hollering.  Amazingly, I got the car out of that dire situation, plus it was unscathed, if not just a wee bit caked with clay.

I carried on with recon, by the skin-o-my teeth, and got home later safely. Trans Iowa v4's course was in desperate need of drying out, but as we would find out later, it would not get that chance.

Next week: The lead up to, and beginning of Trans Iowa v4.......

Trans Iowa: Ten Years Of Tales #16

In mid-November, the idea of Trans Iowa was hatched. The year was 2004. In the ten years since then there have been many stories and memories. These posts will tell of the most prominent ones to my mind. Maybe I'll even spill the beans on some things you never knew....

Trans Iowa v4 Recon circa January '08

 With David Pals on board, Trans Iowa took on a very different look right away. David was aware of my misgivings about ever doing another Trans Iowa, and he was giving me some great ideas on how to make things better.

With regard to all the drops, which angered me, he suggested we let in "veterans" on the registration first, since they'd likely be more apt to show up. It was decided that out of a roster of 100, 50 spots would go to Veterans of Trans Iowa first, and if they didn't take them all, the rest would go to the Rookies. This marked the first year we discriminated the roster by experience.

Secondly, with regard to keeping track of riders, David suggested more check points be implemented. T.I.v4 would be the first  Trans Iowa that featured a Checkpoint #1 and a Checkpoint #2. This was done primarily to help keep track of who was in and who was not.

We were going to go out of Decorah again, so all the route planning and recon centered around Decorah and Northeast Iowa. Unfortunately, 2007 was the Winter when we got iced out of recon in the early Winter. Simply put, David and I waited too long to get going, and Winter shut us down. We did a meager recon effort early in '08, but basically, nothing got done until about a month before the event.

This image was taken less than 1 month before T.I.V4

Then Winter kept pushing us backward. finally, there was time and there was decent weather about three weekends before T.I.v4 was to occur. David and I did the entire recon in one trip. It was super brutal, but we were backed up against the wall, as it were, by the severe Winter conditions of '07-'08. I remember seeing snow drifts that were ten feet high on the sides of the road and there were hardly any places we didn't see copious amounts of snow sitting around waiting to be melted.

The addition of a second checkpoint made volunteers more important, so a call was out to recruit enough folks to get the ball rolling at two checkpoints. It was decided also to make three sets of cues to get through the event. Starting out would only get you to Checkpoint #1, then a new set of cues to Checkpoint #2, and so on. Time limitations were set to get to each checkpoint and to the finish, which was 34 hours total once again.

Sponsorship was found for the event from Priceton Tech, Surly, and others. I was basically doing all that behind the scenes sponsorship stuff for the first time since Jeff, who was so good at that, was gone. It also meant that Pre-Race stuff was all up to me as well. I secured the T Bock's Sports Bar again as the center of the race start, and the only change there was that we would have to use T Bock's basement level party room, since the old upper room used for T.I.v3 was under renovation.Things were coming together in that respect, but as far as cue sheets and how the course might fare, well- that was another thing altogether.

Tomorrow: The mud-tastic final recon of the T.I.v4 course.

Trans Iowa: Ten Years Of Tales #16

In mid-November, the idea of Trans Iowa was hatched. The year was 2004. In the ten years since then there have been many stories and memories. These posts will tell of the most prominent ones to my mind. Maybe I'll even spill the beans on some things you never knew....

Trans Iowa v4 Recon circa January '08

 With David Pals on board, Trans Iowa took on a very different look right away. David was aware of my misgivings about ever doing another Trans Iowa, and he was giving me some great ideas on how to make things better.

With regard to all the drops, which angered me, he suggested we let in "veterans" on the registration first, since they'd likely be more apt to show up. It was decided that out of a roster of 100, 50 spots would go to Veterans of Trans Iowa first, and if they didn't take them all, the rest would go to the Rookies. This marked the first year we discriminated the roster by experience.

Secondly, with regard to keeping track of riders, David suggested more check points be implemented. T.I.v4 would be the first  Trans Iowa that featured a Checkpoint #1 and a Checkpoint #2. This was done primarily to help keep track of who was in and who was not.

We were going to go out of Decorah again, so all the route planning and recon centered around Decorah and Northeast Iowa. Unfortunately, 2007 was the Winter when we got iced out of recon in the early Winter. Simply put, David and I waited too long to get going, and Winter shut us down. We did a meager recon effort early in '08, but basically, nothing got done until about a month before the event.

This image was taken less than 1 month before T.I.V4

Then Winter kept pushing us backward. finally, there was time and there was decent weather about three weekends before T.I.v4 was to occur. David and I did the entire recon in one trip. It was super brutal, but we were backed up against the wall, as it were, by the severe Winter conditions of '07-'08. I remember seeing snow drifts that were ten feet high on the sides of the road and there were hardly any places we didn't see copious amounts of snow sitting around waiting to be melted.

The addition of a second checkpoint made volunteers more important, so a call was out to recruit enough folks to get the ball rolling at two checkpoints. It was decided also to make three sets of cues to get through the event. Starting out would only get you to Checkpoint #1, then a new set of cues to Checkpoint #2, and so on. Time limitations were set to get to each checkpoint and to the finish, which was 34 hours total once again.

Sponsorship was found for the event from Priceton Tech, Surly, and others. I was basically doing all that behind the scenes sponsorship stuff for the first time since Jeff, who was so good at that, was gone. It also meant that Pre-Race stuff was all up to me as well. I secured the T Bock's Sports Bar again as the center of the race start, and the only change there was that we would have to use T Bock's basement level party room, since the old upper room used for T.I.v3 was under renovation.Things were coming together in that respect, but as far as cue sheets and how the course might fare, well- that was another thing altogether.

Tomorrow: The mud-tastic final recon of the T.I.v4 course.

Trans Iowa v10: News On Schwag

T.I.v10 t-shirt design is in center here.

Earlier on during the registration process I made mention of how my plan was to get everyone that is on the roster and that actually shows up to Trans Iowa v10 a t-shirt and a cycling cap. This post will bring to light what I've got going on with that and a bit of a change up.

First off- There has been a slight change of plans regarding the caps. Apparently, the providers of cycling caps are really proud of their work, because they charge double what it costs to have t-shirts made! That's right- double the price on the average. That pretty much put the kibosh on getting cycling caps made for the racers. But........have no fear, another plan was hatched.

Apparently, "trucker" style caps are el-cheapo. Who knew?  One might think that they should be more expensive to make than a t-shirt, but they are not. Cool! And in a bonus, you won't have to be cycling, or appear as a cyclist to wear one. So, obviously you racers that show up to Grinnell at the Pre-Race Meat-Up will be getting a t-shirt and a hat, just not a cycling cap.

I know- I know! Some of you may be so disappointed that you drop out of T.I.v10 right now, but for those of you that stay in, I think you'll be stoked on these celebratory shirts and hats. It is my way of celebrating 10 years of Trans Iowa madness and thanking you who actually show up to ride this coming April. The designs have been signed off on, the money provided by our fine sponsor, Lederman's Bonding Company and myself,  and everything is being procured and printed now.

Just thought you should know. These are limited edition, one time only products and there will be no extras for sale! The designs are by myself and Jeff Kerkove, the co-originators of Trans Iowa and available only to those who toe the line at Trans Iowa v10. Special? I'll let those who get these tell you that.

Trans Iowa v10: News On Schwag

T.I.v10 t-shirt design is in center here.

Earlier on during the registration process I made mention of how my plan was to get everyone that is on the roster and that actually shows up to Trans Iowa v10 a t-shirt and a cycling cap. This post will bring to light what I've got going on with that and a bit of a change up.

First off- There has been a slight change of plans regarding the caps. Apparently, the providers of cycling caps are really proud of their work, because they charge double what it costs to have t-shirts made! That's right- double the price on the average. That pretty much put the kibosh on getting cycling caps made for the racers. But........have no fear, another plan was hatched.

Apparently, "trucker" style caps are el-cheapo. Who knew?  One might think that they should be more expensive to make than a t-shirt, but they are not. Cool! And in a bonus, you won't have to be cycling, or appear as a cyclist to wear one. So, obviously you racers that show up to Grinnell at the Pre-Race Meat-Up will be getting a t-shirt and a hat, just not a cycling cap.

I know- I know! Some of you may be so disappointed that you drop out of T.I.v10 right now, but for those of you that stay in, I think you'll be stoked on these celebratory shirts and hats. It is my way of celebrating 10 years of Trans Iowa madness and thanking you who actually show up to ride this coming April. The designs have been signed off on, the money provided by our fine sponsor, Lederman's Bonding Company and myself,  and everything is being procured and printed now.

Just thought you should know. These are limited edition, one time only products and there will be no extras for sale! The designs are by myself and Jeff Kerkove, the co-originators of Trans Iowa and available only to those who toe the line at Trans Iowa v10. Special? I'll let those who get these tell you that.

Friday News And Views

Trans Iowa Clinic:

Tomorrow a few of us are descending upon Des Moines for the Trans Iowa Clinic. There are still a few spots available if you want to come learn about gear, techniques, and training tips for longer gravel events like Trans Iowa, Dirty Kanza 200, Odin's Revenge, or Gravel Worlds. 

Just e-mail me @ g.ted.productions@gmail.com and let me know if you are showing up. The evening will include experts Mike Johnson and Steve Fuller along with actual bicycles set up in the manner that Trans Iowa finishers would have them. It should be pretty informative, and hopefully fun!

The event starts at5:30pm at Tacopocalypse in Des Moines Iowa. Click the Facebook link above for more details.

Triple D Race:

Well.........I did it!  I signed up for my third time for Triple D. This is a snow ski, run, and bicycle race put on in Dubuque, Iowa and the bicycle part is about 65 miles, give or take a mile.

It is a really fun time to get together with like minded folks and talk and ride fat bikes. That it happens in the dead of Winter makes it even better, since it is hard to get your bike fix then, and this helps with that in a big way.

This also happens to be going on right before my birthday, so I have been kind of thinking of this as a "kick off" to my birthday celebration for the last couple of years. I mean, when you get to be my age, celebrating for just one day  ain't gonna cut it! I've got too much to be thankful for and it'll take a while to work that all out in observance of my birthday. Ya'all can do what ya want on yer birthdays, this is how I do mine. Triple D is part of that this year, barring any weird weather or other calamities.

So, here's the deal: I am shooting for a faster time than last year, and maybe even getting done before the Sun is completely gone. Maybe. Well, that's the goal, and weather will have its say. If it is as icy as last year....weeellll, I may not push things as far as I did. I went down only once, but I came out of it okay. The thing is, it coulda been really bad. Not worth that, but then again, it may not be icy. It may be really snowy and cold. Mid-January and all, that's a safer bet than how things were last year!

The Triple D Steed

 Global Fat Bike Day: 

Not that I particularly need  a special day to celebrate fat bikes, but there is a ride Saturday around these parts to observe the supposed "global" riding of these corpulent tired safety bikes.

Our ride is supposed to be happening at Ingawanis Woodlands, (formerly the South Side of the Boy Scout Camp), at 9am on Saturday. I'll be hitting this, (probably), very frigid ride up at least for a bit, then I'll have to get on home to be going down to Des Moines, Iowa for the Trans Iowa Clinic. (Mentioned above)

The only wrench that could get thrown into these "works" is that Mrs. Guitar Ted may be going to Des Moines with me and if she does, she'll likely want to leave earlier for shopping opportunities. That would effectively put me into another plan and I would ride earlier, and locally, instead of going up to Ingawanis.

Either way- I am riding, but it may not be with others. I have to get on board with training rides for Triple D, ya know. So there are my plans.

That's a wrap for today. Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Friday News And Views

Trans Iowa Clinic:

Tomorrow a few of us are descending upon Des Moines for the Trans Iowa Clinic. There are still a few spots available if you want to come learn about gear, techniques, and training tips for longer gravel events like Trans Iowa, Dirty Kanza 200, Odin's Revenge, or Gravel Worlds. 

Just e-mail me @ g.ted.productions@gmail.com and let me know if you are showing up. The evening will include experts Mike Johnson and Steve Fuller along with actual bicycles set up in the manner that Trans Iowa finishers would have them. It should be pretty informative, and hopefully fun!

The event starts at5:30pm at Tacopocalypse in Des Moines Iowa. Click the Facebook link above for more details.

Triple D Race:

Well.........I did it!  I signed up for my third time for Triple D. This is a snow ski, run, and bicycle race put on in Dubuque, Iowa and the bicycle part is about 65 miles, give or take a mile.

It is a really fun time to get together with like minded folks and talk and ride fat bikes. That it happens in the dead of Winter makes it even better, since it is hard to get your bike fix then, and this helps with that in a big way.

This also happens to be going on right before my birthday, so I have been kind of thinking of this as a "kick off" to my birthday celebration for the last couple of years. I mean, when you get to be my age, celebrating for just one day  ain't gonna cut it! I've got too much to be thankful for and it'll take a while to work that all out in observance of my birthday. Ya'all can do what ya want on yer birthdays, this is how I do mine. Triple D is part of that this year, barring any weird weather or other calamities.

So, here's the deal: I am shooting for a faster time than last year, and maybe even getting done before the Sun is completely gone. Maybe. Well, that's the goal, and weather will have its say. If it is as icy as last year....weeellll, I may not push things as far as I did. I went down only once, but I came out of it okay. The thing is, it coulda been really bad. Not worth that, but then again, it may not be icy. It may be really snowy and cold. Mid-January and all, that's a safer bet than how things were last year!

The Triple D Steed

 Global Fat Bike Day: 

Not that I particularly need  a special day to celebrate fat bikes, but there is a ride Saturday around these parts to observe the supposed "global" riding of these corpulent tired safety bikes.

Our ride is supposed to be happening at Ingawanis Woodlands, (formerly the South Side of the Boy Scout Camp), at 9am on Saturday. I'll be hitting this, (probably), very frigid ride up at least for a bit, then I'll have to get on home to be going down to Des Moines, Iowa for the Trans Iowa Clinic. (Mentioned above)

The only wrench that could get thrown into these "works" is that Mrs. Guitar Ted may be going to Des Moines with me and if she does, she'll likely want to leave earlier for shopping opportunities. That would effectively put me into another plan and I would ride earlier, and locally, instead of going up to Ingawanis.

Either way- I am riding, but it may not be with others. I have to get on board with training rides for Triple D, ya know. So there are my plans.

That's a wrap for today. Have a great weekend and stay warm!

A Race To The (Fat) Bottom

Buy direct from China- shipped to your door.

The way we buy things, in general, is a quickly shifting landscape. The Internet, and its attendant information pipeline has opened a can-o-worms that can't be packed back up again. For better or worse, we have a different economy these days.

In terms of bicycles, I have written about how the consumer now has a choice to buy direct from factories in China. Something that was unthinkable five years ago  now is commonplace. E-bay is the most common portal for this, but even supposedly "spam-free" forums have representatives of Chinese factories participating in conversations on-line with potential customers.

This hit the 29"er market a few years ago, (not to mention the road and cyclo cross market place), and now fat bikes have fallen into the same "rabbit hole" of the e-marketplace. I won't begin to delve into all the emotions and "he-said-she-said" arguments you can find about this stuff, but I do have some thoughts on this activity.

There seems to be two schools of thought that can most generally be summed up by the labels, (and these are my terms, not anyone elses), "Sticking It To The Man" and the "It's Just Wrong" camps. On one hand you have folks with a varied list of reasoning that are going to buy this stuff because it's a deal of some sort. The other side feels it is wrong on several ethical, moral, or legal grounds to even consider buying like this.

Here's the deal from my standpoint: These frames are made to make a buck. Are they as "good as" Brand X? Whatever...... I think of it as this- Go to your local butcher. Take a look at the cuts of beef, for example. The discerning eye will see how some are different, "better", or hold more value than some of the other cuts of beef. Others will see them as "overpriced", and give their opinions as to why and point you to a small town meat locker, or even a farmer/hunter/source that you can buy stuff "just as good" for much less. Who is right? Both are. That's the bottom line here.

Made in Asia, but not "the same thing".

It comes down to your beliefs and perceptions. What "reality" is often doesn't ever really matter, but if you dig into this, it might just be eye opening. From the standpoint of manufacturers, I think it is high time that some major retooling of the marketing departments was done. Gone are the days when you could say "Our carbon fiber process is top secret", because what is happening is that people are turning carbon fiber into a commodity that is being bid down to the lowest common denominator. Not many folks understand that the bicycle industry doesn't even get the "really good stuff" and that what the bicycle industry does get is not "all the same". I think the industry needs to be a bit more forthcoming about what kind of quality the frames they are putting out there really are. Some open doors instead of closed.

But maybe in the end it won't matter. I've already seen where some industry wonk is saying carbon fiber will replace aluminum as the "material of choice" for the common levels of bicycle products. I find that sort of thinking pretty incredible. Big box store carbon fiber fat bike rigs for $299.99? Maybe, if this is where it is going. Think that it could never happen? I bet people that first saw Cannondales and Kleins in the early 80's thought the same thing.

A Race To The (Fat) Bottom

Buy direct from China- shipped to your door.

The way we buy things, in general, is a quickly shifting landscape. The Internet, and its attendant information pipeline has opened a can-o-worms that can't be packed back up again. For better or worse, we have a different economy these days.

In terms of bicycles, I have written about how the consumer now has a choice to buy direct from factories in China. Something that was unthinkable five years ago  now is commonplace. E-bay is the most common portal for this, but even supposedly "spam-free" forums have representatives of Chinese factories participating in conversations on-line with potential customers.

This hit the 29"er market a few years ago, (not to mention the road and cyclo cross market place), and now fat bikes have fallen into the same "rabbit hole" of the e-marketplace. I won't begin to delve into all the emotions and "he-said-she-said" arguments you can find about this stuff, but I do have some thoughts on this activity.

There seems to be two schools of thought that can most generally be summed up by the labels, (and these are my terms, not anyone elses), "Sticking It To The Man" and the "It's Just Wrong" camps. On one hand you have folks with a varied list of reasoning that are going to buy this stuff because it's a deal of some sort. The other side feels it is wrong on several ethical, moral, or legal grounds to even consider buying like this.

Here's the deal from my standpoint: These frames are made to make a buck. Are they as "good as" Brand X? Whatever...... I think of it as this- Go to your local butcher. Take a look at the cuts of beef, for example. The discerning eye will see how some are different, "better", or hold more value than some of the other cuts of beef. Others will see them as "overpriced", and give their opinions as to why and point you to a small town meat locker, or even a farmer/hunter/source that you can buy stuff "just as good" for much less. Who is right? Both are. That's the bottom line here.

Made in Asia, but not "the same thing".

It comes down to your beliefs and perceptions. What "reality" is often doesn't ever really matter, but if you dig into this, it might just be eye opening. From the standpoint of manufacturers, I think it is high time that some major retooling of the marketing departments was done. Gone are the days when you could say "Our carbon fiber process is top secret", because what is happening is that people are turning carbon fiber into a commodity that is being bid down to the lowest common denominator. Not many folks understand that the bicycle industry doesn't even get the "really good stuff" and that what the bicycle industry does get is not "all the same". I think the industry needs to be a bit more forthcoming about what kind of quality the frames they are putting out there really are. Some open doors instead of closed.

But maybe in the end it won't matter. I've already seen where some industry wonk is saying carbon fiber will replace aluminum as the "material of choice" for the common levels of bicycle products. I find that sort of thinking pretty incredible. Big box store carbon fiber fat bike rigs for $299.99? Maybe, if this is where it is going. Think that it could never happen? I bet people that first saw Cannondales and Kleins in the early 80's thought the same thing.

Missed Ya, Old Friend!

I am trying to wade through the last bit of bike project stuff around heere, and there is one deal in particular, that if I get it done, it will be a minor miracle, but I did get this one up and running, and I am stoked that I did.

A week ago I showed you all this picture and I now have ridden it as well. The X-C-X tires are definitely light years better as tubeless tires. Unbelievably smooth. I should have done that a long time ago.

The big thing is how "in the bike" I feel on the Gryphon. Which, when I look at it, is amazing, since I have about two miles of exposed seat post! Still, that's how it feels to me. I miss those 180mm cranks for the faster gear set up for gravel grinding too. I have a 36T X 17T on it right there. That's a good gear for the gravel for me. I think this will be great if I can get out there without any ice/snow issues.

Those wheels have Flow rims, and even those don't flatten out the X-C-X tire's profile much. Sheesh! I think I could mount these on 30mm rims and be okay. I know the tires would feel more stable on gravel, that's for sure. However; maybe just having these tubeless will help solve that issue. I'll see.

But after yesterday's commute, I must say that the bar swap and tubeless X-C-X tires really have me stoked to be back on the Gryphon again.

Missed Ya, Old Friend!

I am trying to wade through the last bit of bike project stuff around heere, and there is one deal in particular, that if I get it done, it will be a minor miracle, but I did get this one up and running, and I am stoked that I did.

A week ago I showed you all this picture and I now have ridden it as well. The X-C-X tires are definitely light years better as tubeless tires. Unbelievably smooth. I should have done that a long time ago.

The big thing is how "in the bike" I feel on the Gryphon. Which, when I look at it, is amazing, since I have about two miles of exposed seat post! Still, that's how it feels to me. I miss those 180mm cranks for the faster gear set up for gravel grinding too. I have a 36T X 17T on it right there. That's a good gear for the gravel for me. I think this will be great if I can get out there without any ice/snow issues.

Those wheels have Flow rims, and even those don't flatten out the X-C-X tire's profile much. Sheesh! I think I could mount these on 30mm rims and be okay. I know the tires would feel more stable on gravel, that's for sure. However; maybe just having these tubeless will help solve that issue. I'll see.

But after yesterday's commute, I must say that the bar swap and tubeless X-C-X tires really have me stoked to be back on the Gryphon again.

Fat Bike Beach Combing

Frozen lake and beach combing Muks

Last weekend I decided it was high time that my son experienced the "beach combing" capabilities of his new fat bike. I'd been telling him all about how we could do this for awhile, but I knew he'd just have to experience it for himself to really "get it".

Of course, it was also going to be a partial night ride, since the Sun is setting so early now, so we strapped on lights and headed out down the Green Belt. There was still a little snow and ice left over, even though the temperatures had been high enough the day before and earlier that day to obliterate most of what had fallen. Still my son was thrilled by his ability to cruise right on over the snow patches we did discover.

At one point, I heard my son cry out and he was down. A slight off camber sent him down that was muddy, greasy, and the Big Fat Larry couldn't deal with it. Same issues I had with those tires, he was having. Looks like something like some Nates will be in his future. But we finally got going again and reached the lake where the low water levels of late have revealed a big chunk of sand to ride on most of the way around the lake now.

 Once down on the beach we had no trouble rolling along. We just had to be wary of the washouts due to drainage and some bigger branches that had either fallen across our path or that had been washed up by the waves.

While it is a pittance of what this guy gets to ride for beaches, it'll have to do for us! Call it "beach single track", if you will, but it is all we have and it still makes for a lot of fun. We leave little trace of our passing and ride where my 29"ers would have a very difficult time going, if they could go at all.

Of course, my son, being 10 years old, had to stop to toss some sticks and watch them slide across the ice. He also was sorely tempted to go ride his bike out onto the ice, but the ice is no where thick enough for that just yet, so I had to restrain his enthusiasm there!

After our "stick tossing stop" we hit the lights and rolled back towards home. My son is still a little unsure in the dark, which caused me some anxious moments but we arrived back home in one piece with no further incident. Mrs. Guitar Ted was quite happy to receive us with relief, (apparently she worries about us!), and then we sat down to a mighty fine dinner. A great way to end a long weekend off from work!

Fat Bike Beach Combing

Frozen lake and beach combing Muks

Last weekend I decided it was high time that my son experienced the "beach combing" capabilities of his new fat bike. I'd been telling him all about how we could do this for awhile, but I knew he'd just have to experience it for himself to really "get it".

Of course, it was also going to be a partial night ride, since the Sun is setting so early now, so we strapped on lights and headed out down the Green Belt. There was still a little snow and ice left over, even though the temperatures had been high enough the day before and earlier that day to obliterate most of what had fallen. Still my son was thrilled by his ability to cruise right on over the snow patches we did discover.

At one point, I heard my son cry out and he was down. A slight off camber sent him down that was muddy, greasy, and the Big Fat Larry couldn't deal with it. Same issues I had with those tires, he was having. Looks like something like some Nates will be in his future. But we finally got going again and reached the lake where the low water levels of late have revealed a big chunk of sand to ride on most of the way around the lake now.

 Once down on the beach we had no trouble rolling along. We just had to be wary of the washouts due to drainage and some bigger branches that had either fallen across our path or that had been washed up by the waves.

While it is a pittance of what this guy gets to ride for beaches, it'll have to do for us! Call it "beach single track", if you will, but it is all we have and it still makes for a lot of fun. We leave little trace of our passing and ride where my 29"ers would have a very difficult time going, if they could go at all.

Of course, my son, being 10 years old, had to stop to toss some sticks and watch them slide across the ice. He also was sorely tempted to go ride his bike out onto the ice, but the ice is no where thick enough for that just yet, so I had to restrain his enthusiasm there!

After our "stick tossing stop" we hit the lights and rolled back towards home. My son is still a little unsure in the dark, which caused me some anxious moments but we arrived back home in one piece with no further incident. Mrs. Guitar Ted was quite happy to receive us with relief, (apparently she worries about us!), and then we sat down to a mighty fine dinner. A great way to end a long weekend off from work!

Trans Iowa Clinic This Saturday!

See the T.I.v7 documentary at the clinic Saturday!

Just a quick reminder that the Trans Iowa Clinic is this coming Saturday in Des Moines at Tacopocalypse in the downtown area, East Village, 621 Des Moines Street. The event starts at 5:30pm with some time to get in and settle down, but keep in mind that Tacopocalypse will be open to serve you before then, and they have awesome food!

We'll be repairing to an empty space just off of the restaurant's east side and there you will find us ready to share some Trans Iowa knowledge with you. We'll be showing "300 Miles Of Gravel", and then we'll have a Q&A session with Trans Iowa finishers Mike Johnson and Steve Fuller, along with maybe a couple "special guests" who may be in attendance. There also will be a few bicycles set up to show you all how these guys get the job done, and they will also be sharing tactics, strategies, and training tips.

The weather is looking great, (cold, but great), and this starts after all the State CX stuff and "Global Fat Bike Day" stuff goes down, so if you are going to be in Trans Iowa v10, or are just curious, we'd love to meet you. Again, I just need an RSVP, so send me a note at g.ted.productions@gmail.com if you are interested. We have a limited amount of space, so please let us know ahead of time if you are planning to stop in. Thanks!

Trans Iowa Clinic This Saturday!

See the T.I.v7 documentary at the clinic Saturday!

Just a quick reminder that the Trans Iowa Clinic is this coming Saturday in Des Moines at Tacopocalypse in the downtown area, East Village, 621 Des Moines Street. The event starts at 5:30pm with some time to get in and settle down, but keep in mind that Tacopocalypse will be open to serve you before then, and they have awesome food!

We'll be repairing to an empty space just off of the restaurant's east side and there you will find us ready to share some Trans Iowa knowledge with you. We'll be showing "300 Miles Of Gravel", and then we'll have a Q&A session with Trans Iowa finishers Mike Johnson and Steve Fuller, along with maybe a couple "special guests" who may be in attendance. There also will be a few bicycles set up to show you all how these guys get the job done, and they will also be sharing tactics, strategies, and training tips.

The weather is looking great, (cold, but great), and this starts after all the State CX stuff and "Global Fat Bike Day" stuff goes down, so if you are going to be in Trans Iowa v10, or are just curious, we'd love to meet you. Again, I just need an RSVP, so send me a note at g.ted.productions@gmail.com if you are interested. We have a limited amount of space, so please let us know ahead of time if you are planning to stop in. Thanks!

Turkey Burn 2014: Solo Version

Maybe not the right tool for the job, but.....

Every year the Saturday after Thanksgiving there has been a "Turkey Burn" ride at Ingawanis, (either the Boy Scout Camp or on the South side), going back to 2005. I've made most of them. Last year I had to bail out due to having to get my son's haircut at the barber that morning of the 2012 version. There was some scuttlebutt going around here locally about doing a Turkey Burn ride, but nothing ever came of it.

I decided I was going to carry on the tradition regardless whether or not anyone else was coming. The weather was looking like it was going to cooperate even though we'd gotten a bit more snow fall during the week. It didn't amount to much in town, but apparently it had piled up a bit higher up at Ingawanis Woods. More on that in a minute.... The temperatures were to start out in the mid-20's and rise to the upper 30's throughout the morning, so I figured I'd better hit it as early as I could get out there.Warm snow and mud were not what I wanted to be stuck riding on/in.

The morning was going smoothly and I got going and arrived by 8:40am. By 8:45am I was rolling. The trails looked a bit more snowy than I recalled from last weekend, but I crunched along cautiously for the first run down into the woods.

It was readily apparent that no one with a bicycle had been out here since the last snowfall. I found that surprising, and the wondering why I hadn't heard about riding out here of late was answered. There were a ton of hiker tracks, and if there hadn't been, I wouldn't have been able to ride the Singular Buzzard out here at all. As it was, the meaty 29"er tires I had on the Velocity Dually rims were barely enough to get by on, and in several places I had to dismount due to lack of climbing traction to begin things with.

However; I learned very quickly to get into a slow, steady groove, take the trail as it came to me, and to be patient. It worked. I was able to cover ground without dabbing, and even found a way to climb, but it was slooooow going! I had shifted down to the granny ring and the 34T cog out back and I left it in that combination for most of the rest of my ride out there. Crawl up, maybe coast down......maybe! It was a lot rougher trail what with all the semi-frozen human tracks all over the line I wanted to ride in. On the rare occasion I got to bust my own trail, the traction and speed was- oddly enough- much better!

A few notes: The "bottoms", near the Cedar River, where I like to go to get a peek at the Bald Eagles, was so pock marked by deer traffic the trail was unrecognizable. Sure, the down hill leading into the area is plain to see, but once you get down there......nuthin! Just a bunch of confusing tracks in the snow. Maybe the last two days of melting will have changed this.

Secondly, the Turkey Burn rides often were the last clear trail rides of the year. Usually shortly afterward the snow would come and obliterate any chances of riding up there. Well, obviously the Ingawanis Woodland trails have become popular with hikers and trail runners, so maybe a fatbike will be the critter of choice to continue riding up there. Maybe. Perhaps this Winter will be different, but I would not be at all surprised if the trail riding up there is done for the season.

So, it was a successful solo "turkey burn" ride for me in the area where I have become accustomed to riding at this time of the season.

Turkey Burn 2014: Solo Version

Maybe not the right tool for the job, but.....

Every year the Saturday after Thanksgiving there has been a "Turkey Burn" ride at Ingawanis, (either the Boy Scout Camp or on the South side), going back to 2005. I've made most of them. Last year I had to bail out due to having to get my son's haircut at the barber that morning of the 2012 version. There was some scuttlebutt going around here locally about doing a Turkey Burn ride, but nothing ever came of it.

I decided I was going to carry on the tradition regardless whether or not anyone else was coming. The weather was looking like it was going to cooperate even though we'd gotten a bit more snow fall during the week. It didn't amount to much in town, but apparently it had piled up a bit higher up at Ingawanis Woods. More on that in a minute.... The temperatures were to start out in the mid-20's and rise to the upper 30's throughout the morning, so I figured I'd better hit it as early as I could get out there.Warm snow and mud were not what I wanted to be stuck riding on/in.

The morning was going smoothly and I got going and arrived by 8:40am. By 8:45am I was rolling. The trails looked a bit more snowy than I recalled from last weekend, but I crunched along cautiously for the first run down into the woods.

It was readily apparent that no one with a bicycle had been out here since the last snowfall. I found that surprising, and the wondering why I hadn't heard about riding out here of late was answered. There were a ton of hiker tracks, and if there hadn't been, I wouldn't have been able to ride the Singular Buzzard out here at all. As it was, the meaty 29"er tires I had on the Velocity Dually rims were barely enough to get by on, and in several places I had to dismount due to lack of climbing traction to begin things with.

However; I learned very quickly to get into a slow, steady groove, take the trail as it came to me, and to be patient. It worked. I was able to cover ground without dabbing, and even found a way to climb, but it was slooooow going! I had shifted down to the granny ring and the 34T cog out back and I left it in that combination for most of the rest of my ride out there. Crawl up, maybe coast down......maybe! It was a lot rougher trail what with all the semi-frozen human tracks all over the line I wanted to ride in. On the rare occasion I got to bust my own trail, the traction and speed was- oddly enough- much better!

A few notes: The "bottoms", near the Cedar River, where I like to go to get a peek at the Bald Eagles, was so pock marked by deer traffic the trail was unrecognizable. Sure, the down hill leading into the area is plain to see, but once you get down there......nuthin! Just a bunch of confusing tracks in the snow. Maybe the last two days of melting will have changed this.

Secondly, the Turkey Burn rides often were the last clear trail rides of the year. Usually shortly afterward the snow would come and obliterate any chances of riding up there. Well, obviously the Ingawanis Woodland trails have become popular with hikers and trail runners, so maybe a fatbike will be the critter of choice to continue riding up there. Maybe. Perhaps this Winter will be different, but I would not be at all surprised if the trail riding up there is done for the season.

So, it was a successful solo "turkey burn" ride for me in the area where I have become accustomed to riding at this time of the season.

Trans Iowa: Ten Years Of Tales #15

In mid-November, the idea of Trans Iowa was hatched. The year was 2004. In the ten years since then there have been many stories and memories. These posts will tell of the most prominent ones to my mind. Maybe I'll even spill the beans on some things you never knew....

A shirt made for me by T.I.v3 Vet, Gary Cale

 Trans Iowa v3 was over, but I had to get home. After seeing Mike Denehy finish, I don't remember anything else about the awards ceremony, packing up, or leaving Decorah at all. I don't remember anything until being on the road home West of Decorah in my Honda with the windows down. There was a thunderstorm near by and it had gusty winds, which caught up the paperwork I had strewn about the car and made it fly all over the place, almost causing a crash.

I remember nearly crashing due to fatigue and overwhelming sleepiness several times on the way home. When I did get there, I'd been up for 40 hours straight, it was time to eat, and I couldn't function. I couldn't even lift the fork to my mouth. What is more, my wife had something wrong with her, needed to go to the hospital, and I couldn't drive her there. It was a miserable, humiliating end to a long weekend.

It is hard to explain how low I felt after all of that. Sure, there were great results from the event. We had 24 finishers, a record that stood until this year's v9. But the stress before the event, the last minute issues, Ira Ryan's negativity, my stupid decision to drive home, and then to top that all off, what happened when I got there- well, I swore I wouldn't ever put on another Trans Iowa again right then and there. It only made sense too. The guy that instigated it all, (to my mind), was gone and was not going to be a part of it anymore anyway. Who was I to continue this endeavor? Why should I do it when it darn near killed me and caused an uproar with my home life?

Here's an excerpt from my blog not long after T.I.v3 ended:

I went over some final details on Trans Iowa for this year. I am pretty happy about how it all went down. The number one goal was to have a great event where lots of folks could finish. The weather co-operated and the mission was accomplished. 24 finishers out of 64. Then the other goal was to account for all riders. With the great co-operation of the folks involved, that mission was also accomplished. Huzzah! The accolades and thanks were tremendous. Everyone involved, with one notable exception, was extremely thankful and gracious this year. That made all my hard work that much easier to take. Thanks to all of you who took the time out to make an effort to say thanks. I appreciate that more than you know.

The Big Wheeled Ballyhoo '07

So, I accomplished all my goals and that was another reason not to pursue this again. What more could I do? Plus, I'd be leaving it on a high note.

 I was busier than a pet coon in a corn crib anyway. I was drug into a idea for a 29"er gathering that the guy I was working for at Twenty Nine Inches was bent on turning into the "next big bike festival". I was doing reviews for TNI. I went to Trek World, and was doing the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational, all that Summer. I didn't have time to think about another Trans Iowa, and I didn't really want to. I was wishing it would all just fade away. I could forget all about it, people would find other events, and they would all just forget about Trans Iowa as well.

Well, the trouble was that Trans Iowa had infected a few people out there and they were seeing things a bit differently than I was. One of those folks was David Pals, who had been my traveling companion to the first Dirty Kanza 200 the year before. He wanted to help me with the second GTDRI ride. We ended up talking some about Trans Iowa during the planning for that ride. He was pretty stoked about trying to ride in another one, since his T.I.v3 bid fell short. Well, of course, he heard all about why I wasn't really thinking about doing another. Then he offered to help me if I decided to put on another one. The fact that he was willing to sacrifice riding in a T.I. to help put on another one made a big impact on me.

If you've ever seen the documentary,"300 Miles Of Gravel", you know about the scene at the end of it where I get a bit emotional. If you haven't seen that, I relate how I received an e-mail from a friend who was in the cycling industry, but had never been to a Trans Iowa. He had just noticed how it had affected some co-workers who had been to it. He basically said that I should reconsider putting Trans Iowa to bed because it was a "life changing opportunity" that I was giving people. A "gift" of sorts. That hit me right between the eyes. I thought long and hard about that after he sent me that e-mail.

The third nail in the coffin was when Jeff Kerkove made a rare appearance after a long absence to the shop. He was showing off some Ergon stuff and I posed the question about putting on another T.I. Would he be okay with that, if I brought on David, and we did another? Jeff gave his blessing. The day after that, I posted the following on my blog dated August 18th, 2007:

Well, after much deliberation, negotiation, and aggrivation, I have come to a decision regarding putting on that crazy gravel suffer fest in April.....

There  would be a v4 after all.

Next week: The planning for another Trans Iowa gets bogged down....

Trans Iowa: Ten Years Of Tales #15

In mid-November, the idea of Trans Iowa was hatched. The year was 2004. In the ten years since then there have been many stories and memories. These posts will tell of the most prominent ones to my mind. Maybe I'll even spill the beans on some things you never knew....

A shirt made for me by T.I.v3 Vet, Gary Cale

 Trans Iowa v3 was over, but I had to get home. After seeing Mike Denehy finish, I don't remember anything else about the awards ceremony, packing up, or leaving Decorah at all. I don't remember anything until being on the road home West of Decorah in my Honda with the windows down. There was a thunderstorm near by and it had gusty winds, which caught up the paperwork I had strewn about the car and made it fly all over the place, almost causing a crash.

I remember nearly crashing due to fatigue and overwhelming sleepiness several times on the way home. When I did get there, I'd been up for 40 hours straight, it was time to eat, and I couldn't function. I couldn't even lift the fork to my mouth. What is more, my wife had something wrong with her, needed to go to the hospital, and I couldn't drive her there. It was a miserable, humiliating end to a long weekend.

It is hard to explain how low I felt after all of that. Sure, there were great results from the event. We had 24 finishers, a record that stood until this year's v9. But the stress before the event, the last minute issues, Ira Ryan's negativity, my stupid decision to drive home, and then to top that all off, what happened when I got there- well, I swore I wouldn't ever put on another Trans Iowa again right then and there. It only made sense too. The guy that instigated it all, (to my mind), was gone and was not going to be a part of it anymore anyway. Who was I to continue this endeavor? Why should I do it when it darn near killed me and caused an uproar with my home life?

Here's an excerpt from my blog not long after T.I.v3 ended:

I went over some final details on Trans Iowa for this year. I am pretty happy about how it all went down. The number one goal was to have a great event where lots of folks could finish. The weather co-operated and the mission was accomplished. 24 finishers out of 64. Then the other goal was to account for all riders. With the great co-operation of the folks involved, that mission was also accomplished. Huzzah! The accolades and thanks were tremendous. Everyone involved, with one notable exception, was extremely thankful and gracious this year. That made all my hard work that much easier to take. Thanks to all of you who took the time out to make an effort to say thanks. I appreciate that more than you know.

The Big Wheeled Ballyhoo '07

So, I accomplished all my goals and that was another reason not to pursue this again. What more could I do? Plus, I'd be leaving it on a high note.

 I was busier than a pet coon in a corn crib anyway. I was drug into a idea for a 29"er gathering that the guy I was working for at Twenty Nine Inches was bent on turning into the "next big bike festival". I was doing reviews for TNI. I went to Trek World, and was doing the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational, all that Summer. I didn't have time to think about another Trans Iowa, and I didn't really want to. I was wishing it would all just fade away. I could forget all about it, people would find other events, and they would all just forget about Trans Iowa as well.

Well, the trouble was that Trans Iowa had infected a few people out there and they were seeing things a bit differently than I was. One of those folks was David Pals, who had been my traveling companion to the first Dirty Kanza 200 the year before. He wanted to help me with the second GTDRI ride. We ended up talking some about Trans Iowa during the planning for that ride. He was pretty stoked about trying to ride in another one, since his T.I.v3 bid fell short. Well, of course, he heard all about why I wasn't really thinking about doing another. Then he offered to help me if I decided to put on another one. The fact that he was willing to sacrifice riding in a T.I. to help put on another one made a big impact on me.

If you've ever seen the documentary,"300 Miles Of Gravel", you know about the scene at the end of it where I get a bit emotional. If you haven't seen that, I relate how I received an e-mail from a friend who was in the cycling industry, but had never been to a Trans Iowa. He had just noticed how it had affected some co-workers who had been to it. He basically said that I should reconsider putting Trans Iowa to bed because it was a "life changing opportunity" that I was giving people. A "gift" of sorts. That hit me right between the eyes. I thought long and hard about that after he sent me that e-mail.

The third nail in the coffin was when Jeff Kerkove made a rare appearance after a long absence to the shop. He was showing off some Ergon stuff and I posed the question about putting on another T.I. Would he be okay with that, if I brought on David, and we did another? Jeff gave his blessing. The day after that, I posted the following on my blog dated August 18th, 2007:

Well, after much deliberation, negotiation, and aggrivation, I have come to a decision regarding putting on that crazy gravel suffer fest in April.....

There  would be a v4 after all.

Next week: The planning for another Trans Iowa gets bogged down....