So, What Else Have You Been Up To Lately?

Dirt home from work: The Bluebells were out last week.

Trans Iowa was obviously on my brain for quite a while during the month of April, and now with all of the hoopla behind me I can get down to the business of writing "normal" stuff here on the blog. That is, if anything found on these digital pages can be considered "normal". 

So, anyway, I got done with Trans Iowa early and Sunday was a relaxing day with my family. Monday, which post-TI normally finds me a wreck, was just a normal day with extra time on my hands. Jeremy texted me about riding the 3GR course, so that's what we went out and did.

It was a good ride back on the old stomping grounds and I did okay, I think, considering I'd been off a bicycle for the better part of a week. The day was perfect. Not a cloud in the sky and the winds were light. Well......it wasn't totally perfect. On the way out of town I ran over a tack. A real tack. How often does that happen? Anyway, the result was a flat tire fix before we even reached the gravel.

On Monday last week I fixed a flat tire. (Image by J. Fry)

The rest of the ride went without incident and was marked mostly by rough, fresh gravel and seeing farmers in the fields planting. It ended up getting warm by the end of the ride and my feet were roasting in my Fasterkatts. Hopefully that will be the last time I need those boots until this Fall.

Then it was back to the ol' grindstone. I was fearing that, having been off for four straight days, the repair backlog was going to be deep. However; as the bad weather was a negative for Trans Iowa, it was also the reason the repair backlog was manageable. In fact, it was easy to integrate back into the work flow and as far as that goes, I was happy. There was a bit of a sadness for the week last week as my boss' mother died the day of the Meat-Up and we sent along our condolences and commiserated with him following the memorial service when he came back to work..

So, besides that dark cloud, work went well and I was able to relax after work most of the week since I busted out the huge Trans Iowa report in two days- Monday and Tuesday- so I could effectively take the rest of the week off from the blog as well. After work times were also marked by "Fat Fargo" rides and that was fun to get back out into the woods again after a long break. I'll have more to say about the "Fat Fargo" concept soon, so stay tuned on that front.

Then came another weekend and the first "3GR" of 2015. If you are fairly new here, "3GR" stands for "Gravel Grinder Group Ride" and it was something I cranked up on Saturday mornings early on in 2012. I did them for two years, then I took last year off. However; I missed those ride times, and with events on the horizon, the 3GR is a great way for me to tune up fitness and lay down some consistent miles. Saturday was a great day for a ride too.....

A rather large, (for 3GR) group showed up. There were six of us in all. 

The roads were deep with dust or torn up by graders. It was tough to find any good lines.

The rolling hills in the area of the Boy Scout Camp are fun. 

A grain auger dealership in the middle of no-where. This same road also has a Honda marine repair shop as well!

Farmers were out again getting the fields prepped and planted.

The big story for the 3GR was that the roads were deep with dusty sections, or covered in fresher gravel. There weren't any good lines, really, and it was very dusty. Then there was a stiff Southwesterly wind which was gusty. You know the wind is bad when it whips up gravel dust and pushes it down the road like a mini-dust storm.We were struggling to stay at around 12mph, and there were a few rest stops coming back.

We also made the stop at the coffee shop and I enjoyed some great conversation with Robert, Tony, and Craig, who made the trip up from Mount Vernon just to ride with us. I was pretty cashed out afterward since I had put forth a pretty big effort in an attempt to gain some fitness for the Dirty Kanza 200 coming up at the end of the month here. I'll have more to say about that coming up as well.

So, things have swung back to normal in the last week or so and now I am looking forward to a really busy Summer of bicycle riding and more. There will be a trip to the races, Mother's Day, and the aforementioned DK 200 all just in this month alone. Okay........here we go!

So, What Else Have You Been Up To Lately?

Dirt home from work: The Bluebells were out last week.

Trans Iowa was obviously on my brain for quite a while during the month of April, and now with all of the hoopla behind me I can get down to the business of writing "normal" stuff here on the blog. That is, if anything found on these digital pages can be considered "normal". 

So, anyway, I got done with Trans Iowa early and Sunday was a relaxing day with my family. Monday, which post-TI normally finds me a wreck, was just a normal day with extra time on my hands. Jeremy texted me about riding the 3GR course, so that's what we went out and did.

It was a good ride back on the old stomping grounds and I did okay, I think, considering I'd been off a bicycle for the better part of a week. The day was perfect. Not a cloud in the sky and the winds were light. Well......it wasn't totally perfect. On the way out of town I ran over a tack. A real tack. How often does that happen? Anyway, the result was a flat tire fix before we even reached the gravel.

On Monday last week I fixed a flat tire. (Image by J. Fry)

The rest of the ride went without incident and was marked mostly by rough, fresh gravel and seeing farmers in the fields planting. It ended up getting warm by the end of the ride and my feet were roasting in my Fasterkatts. Hopefully that will be the last time I need those boots until this Fall.

Then it was back to the ol' grindstone. I was fearing that, having been off for four straight days, the repair backlog was going to be deep. However; as the bad weather was a negative for Trans Iowa, it was also the reason the repair backlog was manageable. In fact, it was easy to integrate back into the work flow and as far as that goes, I was happy. There was a bit of a sadness for the week last week as my boss' mother died the day of the Meat-Up and we sent along our condolences and commiserated with him following the memorial service when he came back to work..

So, besides that dark cloud, work went well and I was able to relax after work most of the week since I busted out the huge Trans Iowa report in two days- Monday and Tuesday- so I could effectively take the rest of the week off from the blog as well. After work times were also marked by "Fat Fargo" rides and that was fun to get back out into the woods again after a long break. I'll have more to say about the "Fat Fargo" concept soon, so stay tuned on that front.

Then came another weekend and the first "3GR" of 2015. If you are fairly new here, "3GR" stands for "Gravel Grinder Group Ride" and it was something I cranked up on Saturday mornings early on in 2012. I did them for two years, then I took last year off. However; I missed those ride times, and with events on the horizon, the 3GR is a great way for me to tune up fitness and lay down some consistent miles. Saturday was a great day for a ride too.....

A rather large, (for 3GR) group showed up. There were six of us in all. 

The roads were deep with dust or torn up by graders. It was tough to find any good lines.

The rolling hills in the area of the Boy Scout Camp are fun. 

A grain auger dealership in the middle of no-where. This same road also has a Honda marine repair shop as well!

Farmers were out again getting the fields prepped and planted.

The big story for the 3GR was that the roads were deep with dusty sections, or covered in fresher gravel. There weren't any good lines, really, and it was very dusty. Then there was a stiff Southwesterly wind which was gusty. You know the wind is bad when it whips up gravel dust and pushes it down the road like a mini-dust storm.We were struggling to stay at around 12mph, and there were a few rest stops coming back.

We also made the stop at the coffee shop and I enjoyed some great conversation with Robert, Tony, and Craig, who made the trip up from Mount Vernon just to ride with us. I was pretty cashed out afterward since I had put forth a pretty big effort in an attempt to gain some fitness for the Dirty Kanza 200 coming up at the end of the month here. I'll have more to say about that coming up as well.

So, things have swung back to normal in the last week or so and now I am looking forward to a really busy Summer of bicycle riding and more. There will be a trip to the races, Mother's Day, and the aforementioned DK 200 all just in this month alone. Okay........here we go!

Trans Iowa V11: Post Report Thoughts

Kevin Fox took this image of the B Road before CP#1 after everyone else had gone through.

Post Report Thoughts: Now that Trans Iowa is a "known entity", it seems that outsiders that have little knowledge and no experience in gravel events see something like V11 and Trans Iowa in general as weird, unfathomable, or a joke. The folks that do "get it" were just fine with how it was run and, while disappointed in their outcomes in the event, were all appreciative and supportive.

Trans Iowa will continue to cater to those who desire to be challenged in a unique way, and will never have licenses, "winner's jerseys", points, or be "sanctioned". Some may not see it as a race, or see its rules as being fair, but it is a race and the rules are what they are. This is what makes the Trans Iowa race unique and appealing to those who are not all about trappings and hoopla.

Trans Iowa has a history that shows that this event has not had finishers before. It has been shortened a couple of times as well. After eleven events, I think it should be pretty apparent that if Trans Iowa has crap weather, or the roads go to pot, it is going to take place, ( the original rules say as much), and it will be run as far as the roads allow it to be on any given year. I've often said that each Trans Iowa is its own, unique entity, experience, and the outcomes reflect this. That's why the course changes every year. That's why there are no set checkpoints, no "classic climbs", and nothing is the same but the start line since T.I.v6. Even the finish line has moved since we've been in Grinnell.

Many folks don't get that stuff, but that's okay. There are plenty of other events for them to attend, like, be fans of, and complain about. Trans Iowa is a square peg and it ain't gonna fit into your round holes.

In the end, it's about the people that come to T.I.

So, enough about that already....

This year, Trans Iowa took on a new shade for me. The event was so short, and time was available to many, which allowed for gatherings to happen that would not have ordinarily occurred had the event run its full 34 hour course. I ended up down at Lonski's, as previously reported, and found that the social, people side of these gravel events was something I really liked a lot.

I looked around the table and saw four people that spoke foreign languages natively. Two of them from Germany. There were four distinct cultures represented. There were folks from the Mid-West, and folks from the East Coast/New England area. In the back room was a family from middle Missouri, and over at the bar was a couple from Duluth, Minnesota. I couldn't get to know these folks without what happened at Trans Iowa V11. I may not see some of them ever again. This was a treasured moment for me. Trans Iowa may have been a roaring lion that did not allow the riders to pass, but it was also giving me a gift that night that I otherwise would never have gotten. People. Relationships.

Tim Ek told me something that night. He said it numerous times. "Trans Iowa is bigger than you. Don't forget that." I'm not sure I understand what that means. Maybe I won't ever fully understand that. All I know is that the event this year was very unique and I gained a new appreciation for what it can do this year. Next year.....?

I'm not talking about that just yet. Stay tuned............

Trans Iowa V11: Post Report Thoughts

Kevin Fox took this image of the B Road before CP#1 after everyone else had gone through.

Post Report Thoughts: Now that Trans Iowa is a "known entity", it seems that outsiders that have little knowledge and no experience in gravel events see something like V11 and Trans Iowa in general as weird, unfathomable, or a joke. The folks that do "get it" were just fine with how it was run and, while disappointed in their outcomes in the event, were all appreciative and supportive.

Trans Iowa will continue to cater to those who desire to be challenged in a unique way, and will never have licenses, "winner's jerseys", points, or be "sanctioned". Some may not see it as a race, or see its rules as being fair, but it is a race and the rules are what they are. This is what makes the Trans Iowa race unique and appealing to those who are not all about trappings and hoopla.

Trans Iowa has a history that shows that this event has not had finishers before. It has been shortened a couple of times as well. After eleven events, I think it should be pretty apparent that if Trans Iowa has crap weather, or the roads go to pot, it is going to take place, ( the original rules say as much), and it will be run as far as the roads allow it to be on any given year. I've often said that each Trans Iowa is its own, unique entity, experience, and the outcomes reflect this. That's why the course changes every year. That's why there are no set checkpoints, no "classic climbs", and nothing is the same but the start line since T.I.v6. Even the finish line has moved since we've been in Grinnell.

Many folks don't get that stuff, but that's okay. There are plenty of other events for them to attend, like, be fans of, and complain about. Trans Iowa is a square peg and it ain't gonna fit into your round holes.

In the end, it's about the people that come to T.I.

So, enough about that already....

This year, Trans Iowa took on a new shade for me. The event was so short, and time was available to many, which allowed for gatherings to happen that would not have ordinarily occurred had the event run its full 34 hour course. I ended up down at Lonski's, as previously reported, and found that the social, people side of these gravel events was something I really liked a lot.

I looked around the table and saw four people that spoke foreign languages natively. Two of them from Germany. There were four distinct cultures represented. There were folks from the Mid-West, and folks from the East Coast/New England area. In the back room was a family from middle Missouri, and over at the bar was a couple from Duluth, Minnesota. I couldn't get to know these folks without what happened at Trans Iowa V11. I may not see some of them ever again. This was a treasured moment for me. Trans Iowa may have been a roaring lion that did not allow the riders to pass, but it was also giving me a gift that night that I otherwise would never have gotten. People. Relationships.

Tim Ek told me something that night. He said it numerous times. "Trans Iowa is bigger than you. Don't forget that." I'm not sure I understand what that means. Maybe I won't ever fully understand that. All I know is that the event this year was very unique and I gained a new appreciation for what it can do this year. Next year.....?

I'm not talking about that just yet. Stay tuned............

Trans Iowa V11 Report: Gathering Of The Tribe

Lonski's in Grinnell ended up becoming the post T.I.v11 gathering spot.

All afternoon we were being asked if folks were getting together afterward to hang out. We decided to send everyone to Lonski's which is a bar and grill in downtown Grinnell. I know MG asked me several times what the name of the place was and a couple of times he asked how to spell the name. At any rate, we were giving that info to several different folks, so it probably got passed around quite a bit from there.

We arrived at the Comfort Inn and Suites, where we deposited Greg Gleason and his bike, at around 6:30-ish in the afternoon. Then we headed downtown to Lonski's to see who- if anyone- was there. MG grabbed a primo parking place, but I had to go around the other side of the block to find one for my truck. MG was nowhere to be seen when I peeked inside the door of Lonski's, and I took a few steps in. My eyes weren't accustomed to the lighting there, so I did not recognize a line of tables in front of me that had several Trans Iowa riders seated at it. Suddenly Ari Andonopoulous raised his long arm and waved me over, at which time the rest of the revelers all gave a yelp to invite me to sit down.

The Lonski's staff was amazed all day long at how busy they were, and once they figured out that Trans Iowa was sending them all these folks, they went out of their way to thank me, not once, but twice! Thank you to all the Trans Iowa folks that supported this local business!  They really appreciated that, and I am happy to somehow bring a benefit to this community that has been so supportive of Trans Iowa since we moved the event there for V6.

It was a treasured moment to have had the time to spend with such excellent folks.

Mountain Bike Action's legendary former editor, Zapata Espinoza, used to make a big deal about mountain bikers being their own little "tribe", as if they were a cultural, ethnic phenomenon that deserved to be recognized by cycling snobs, (read "roadies") and the Sierra Club. Well, I don't know if gravel cyclists fit the criteria, but it seemed to me to be a gathering of the tribe that night right there in Lonski's. Whatever it was, you could feel the energy and the camaraderie was real. 

I stuck around until about 10:00pm when MG and I took our leave and we went outside. MG and I said our goodbyes, and then I drove the almost hour and a half trip home. There were no incidents and everything was smooth, since I was only awake a minimal amount of time compared to what I normally am when I drive back from a Trans Iowa. I pulled up in front of the house where the inside lights were on and Mrs. Guitar Ted was waiting for me. As I opened the door, I could smell the aroma of fresh, homemade chicken soup.

Trans Iowa v11 was over.

Tomorrow I will publish my post event thoughts and then I will return to "normal" G-Ted Productions postings afterward.

Trans Iowa V11 Report: Gathering Of The Tribe

Lonski's in Grinnell ended up becoming the post T.I.v11 gathering spot.

All afternoon we were being asked if folks were getting together afterward to hang out. We decided to send everyone to Lonski's which is a bar and grill in downtown Grinnell. I know MG asked me several times what the name of the place was and a couple of times he asked how to spell the name. At any rate, we were giving that info to several different folks, so it probably got passed around quite a bit from there.

We arrived at the Comfort Inn and Suites, where we deposited Greg Gleason and his bike, at around 6:30-ish in the afternoon. Then we headed downtown to Lonski's to see who- if anyone- was there. MG grabbed a primo parking place, but I had to go around the other side of the block to find one for my truck. MG was nowhere to be seen when I peeked inside the door of Lonski's, and I took a few steps in. My eyes weren't accustomed to the lighting there, so I did not recognize a line of tables in front of me that had several Trans Iowa riders seated at it. Suddenly Ari Andonopoulous raised his long arm and waved me over, at which time the rest of the revelers all gave a yelp to invite me to sit down.

The Lonski's staff was amazed all day long at how busy they were, and once they figured out that Trans Iowa was sending them all these folks, they went out of their way to thank me, not once, but twice! Thank you to all the Trans Iowa folks that supported this local business!  They really appreciated that, and I am happy to somehow bring a benefit to this community that has been so supportive of Trans Iowa since we moved the event there for V6.

It was a treasured moment to have had the time to spend with such excellent folks.

Mountain Bike Action's legendary former editor, Zapata Espinoza, used to make a big deal about mountain bikers being their own little "tribe", as if they were a cultural, ethnic phenomenon that deserved to be recognized by cycling snobs, (read "roadies") and the Sierra Club. Well, I don't know if gravel cyclists fit the criteria, but it seemed to me to be a gathering of the tribe that night right there in Lonski's. Whatever it was, you could feel the energy and the camaraderie was real. 

I stuck around until about 10:00pm when MG and I took our leave and we went outside. MG and I said our goodbyes, and then I drove the almost hour and a half trip home. There were no incidents and everything was smooth, since I was only awake a minimal amount of time compared to what I normally am when I drive back from a Trans Iowa. I pulled up in front of the house where the inside lights were on and Mrs. Guitar Ted was waiting for me. As I opened the door, I could smell the aroma of fresh, homemade chicken soup.

Trans Iowa v11 was over.

Tomorrow I will publish my post event thoughts and then I will return to "normal" G-Ted Productions postings afterward.

Trans Iowa V11 Report: Grinding To A Halt

Well, lookee here! We found Greg Gleason's bike outside a C store in Sigourney

Grinding To A Halt:

Saturday, 11:20am, text from Mike Johnson: "Things look good down here no rain, He maybe through already.

Mike and Tony had left Checkpoint #1 and helped redirect some riders, then peeled off in search of Greg Gleason. Meanwhile, MG and I had grabbed a bite to eat, and then we were on our way to the Casey's in Sigourney Iowa. It was the first convenience store on the route, so we were certain Greg would be stopping there for resupply.

The convenience store was approximately 30 miles or so past the checkpoint, and knowing Greg left right about at 8:30am, we were a bit surprised to have not seen him, and this is what prompted Mike's text that maybe Greg had slipped by already. It was then decided that Mike and Tony would hit the roads Southward to see if they could find any evidence of his passing. They did not find a thing, and Tony said the roads were worse than anywhere else they had been that morning in that sector. Tracks should have been easily seen had Greg passed through there. So they decided to go back up North to see where he may be at. We arrived in Sigourney at about 12:40pm, just minutes after Greg had. Mike and Tony were standing outside by his bike.

Greg was wolfing down a sandwich and then he came out just before 1:00pm to remount on his bike in an attempt to get to Checkpoint #2 before 8:00pm. He had about 80 miles to go. I said to him, "With 80 miles to go it's gonna be tough to make it in time." Greg gave me a short, curt answer and lurched his bike forward and pedaled off to the South. Meanwhile, I told Mike and Tony to go check a low water crossing at a point further up the course, which I was sure we'd have to reroute, and MG and I would leapfrog Greg up the course somewhere. I had a spot in mind where we could sit and time Greg to see if he was actually going to have any shot at all of getting to CP#2 in time.

MG and I parked at the entrance to this B Road, which was clearly unrideable.

 

MG brought his dog, Amy Sue down and we had fun hanging out with her. 

This was our view for two plus hours as we waited for the appearance of Greg over that horizon line.

 MG and I finally arrived at my predetermined spot and we had some energy drinks and a nice long chat. I crunched some numbers and sent Mike and Jeremy Fry, one of the CP#2 volunteers, a text to see what they thought of my conclusions. Looking at things, it was getting pretty obvious that Greg would need to, at a minimum, reach our spot by 4:00pm. If he did not, there was an immediate turn to a mile of unrideable dirt road, and approximately 2.5 miles more Level B before he would reach CP#2. Greg had already done 2 miles of B Level past the first checkpoint, and had another mile of Level B between Sigourney and our spot. I wasn't seeing any way, considering his massive expenditure of energy just to make it through CP#1, that he was going to sustain such a high level of output. That and he could not afford a single error or mishap. Any slip ups that cost him time would be all it took to effectively end his ride. While I had my theories, we still had a determined, highly motivated, and talented rider out there. The weather was better, the winds had died down to just breezes, and the roads were firming up nicely. What would happen?

At 4:20pm, Greg Gleason appeared in front of us.

As 4:00pm drew near, MG and I sat expectantly in my truck. I was positive he would show up with minutes to spare and we'd be off again to Checkpoint #2 waiting all over again. However; 4:00pm rolled up on the digital clock and still no sign of Greg Gleason.

I texted Jeremy to tell him to not bother driving down to man the checkpoint, as there would be no need to. I also texted Mike and Tony to let them know my decision. The event was going to be over at the corner of 110th and Kava Avenue. I made no public announcement though, as we wanted to wait to see Greg first.

Finally, MG spotted him cresting the horizon right at 4:20pm. I stepped out of the truck and Greg rolled up to me. I asked him how he was, and he mumbled something nearly inaudible. I then said, "I don't think there is any way you are going to make the checkpoint in time." Greg replied as he hung his head down, "I know....." 

We all had a Dale's beer and toasted Greg's valiant effort. Then we loaded his bike in my truck, and Greg in MG's much more comfortable Honda, and took off for Grinnell Iowa. Trans Iowa was "officially" over at that point, but that wasn't the end of the day for me by a long shot.

Next: Gathering Of The Tribe

Trans Iowa V11 Report: Grinding To A Halt

Well, lookee here! We found Greg Gleason's bike outside a C store in Sigourney

Grinding To A Halt:

Saturday, 11:20am, text from Mike Johnson: "Things look good down here no rain, He maybe through already.

Mike and Tony had left Checkpoint #1 and helped redirect some riders, then peeled off in search of Greg Gleason. Meanwhile, MG and I had grabbed a bite to eat, and then we were on our way to the Casey's in Sigourney Iowa. It was the first convenience store on the route, so we were certain Greg would be stopping there for resupply.

The convenience store was approximately 30 miles or so past the checkpoint, and knowing Greg left right about at 8:30am, we were a bit surprised to have not seen him, and this is what prompted Mike's text that maybe Greg had slipped by already. It was then decided that Mike and Tony would hit the roads Southward to see if they could find any evidence of his passing. They did not find a thing, and Tony said the roads were worse than anywhere else they had been that morning in that sector. Tracks should have been easily seen had Greg passed through there. So they decided to go back up North to see where he may be at. We arrived in Sigourney at about 12:40pm, just minutes after Greg had. Mike and Tony were standing outside by his bike.

Greg was wolfing down a sandwich and then he came out just before 1:00pm to remount on his bike in an attempt to get to Checkpoint #2 before 8:00pm. He had about 80 miles to go. I said to him, "With 80 miles to go it's gonna be tough to make it in time." Greg gave me a short, curt answer and lurched his bike forward and pedaled off to the South. Meanwhile, I told Mike and Tony to go check a low water crossing at a point further up the course, which I was sure we'd have to reroute, and MG and I would leapfrog Greg up the course somewhere. I had a spot in mind where we could sit and time Greg to see if he was actually going to have any shot at all of getting to CP#2 in time.

MG and I parked at the entrance to this B Road, which was clearly unrideable.

 

MG brought his dog, Amy Sue down and we had fun hanging out with her. 

This was our view for two plus hours as we waited for the appearance of Greg over that horizon line.

 MG and I finally arrived at my predetermined spot and we had some energy drinks and a nice long chat. I crunched some numbers and sent Mike and Jeremy Fry, one of the CP#2 volunteers, a text to see what they thought of my conclusions. Looking at things, it was getting pretty obvious that Greg would need to, at a minimum, reach our spot by 4:00pm. If he did not, there was an immediate turn to a mile of unrideable dirt road, and approximately 2.5 miles more Level B before he would reach CP#2. Greg had already done 2 miles of B Level past the first checkpoint, and had another mile of Level B between Sigourney and our spot. I wasn't seeing any way, considering his massive expenditure of energy just to make it through CP#1, that he was going to sustain such a high level of output. That and he could not afford a single error or mishap. Any slip ups that cost him time would be all it took to effectively end his ride. While I had my theories, we still had a determined, highly motivated, and talented rider out there. The weather was better, the winds had died down to just breezes, and the roads were firming up nicely. What would happen?

At 4:20pm, Greg Gleason appeared in front of us.

As 4:00pm drew near, MG and I sat expectantly in my truck. I was positive he would show up with minutes to spare and we'd be off again to Checkpoint #2 waiting all over again. However; 4:00pm rolled up on the digital clock and still no sign of Greg Gleason.

I texted Jeremy to tell him to not bother driving down to man the checkpoint, as there would be no need to. I also texted Mike and Tony to let them know my decision. The event was going to be over at the corner of 110th and Kava Avenue. I made no public announcement though, as we wanted to wait to see Greg first.

Finally, MG spotted him cresting the horizon right at 4:20pm. I stepped out of the truck and Greg rolled up to me. I asked him how he was, and he mumbled something nearly inaudible. I then said, "I don't think there is any way you are going to make the checkpoint in time." Greg replied as he hung his head down, "I know....." 

We all had a Dale's beer and toasted Greg's valiant effort. Then we loaded his bike in my truck, and Greg in MG's much more comfortable Honda, and took off for Grinnell Iowa. Trans Iowa was "officially" over at that point, but that wasn't the end of the day for me by a long shot.

Next: Gathering Of The Tribe

Trans Iowa V11 Report: The Carnage

Greg Gleason at CP#1 (Image by Wally Kilburg)

The Carnage: 

I rolled into Guernsey around quarter to seven in the morning. The Checkpoint was all set up and the volunteers were all huddled under a small, tin roofed shelter in a small public park just off the main road coming into town. The bright orange lettering on the black vinyl banner affixed to the support poles of the shelter declared this as Trans Iowa V11's checkpoint. Rain slashed down sideways being driven by a strong Northeasterly wind. I got out of the truck and darted over to the shelter house.

Underneath were Steve Fuller, Tim Bauer, Patrice Parsons, Alex Oenes, Todd Southworth, Mike Johnson, and Tony McGrane. The floor of the tiny shelter was wet and covered in mud. Todd said that dust blew in right before the rain started and then the water ran in on top of that. It was a mess, but at least we were out of the elements.

Questions abounded and I was asked "What if no one makes it on time?" To which I answered, "Well, the event would be over. We'd be done and we'd all go home." Tim Bauer then quipped, "Does that mean we'd have to give back these awesome t-shirts?" Cue laughter. Of course, I said they could keep them! The volunteers deserved at least that much for their efforts.

Not long afterward, Wally, George, and Jason showed up, and they began to try and see where good shots could be taken and were prowling the streets of Guernsey like they owned the place. I am quite sure that the residents were frightened. I told the assembled volunteers that we likely outnumbered the entire population of Guernsey, and certainly we would once the riders started showing up.

The riders........ Where were they? I figured they would be there around 7:30am to 8:00am, but that time had long gone by. It was 8:15am, and Ben Welnak, my RidingGravel.com partner was sure the event was going to be a very short one. 8:20 came and Wally, Jason, and George were standing, peering into the grey morning to the East. Suddenly Wally shouted something and pulled his camera up to his face to focus. A rider! It was about 8:24am. A minute later, Greg Gleason rolled up to a small round of applause and hoots and hollers. He didn't stick around long. Steve Fuller asked him, "Are you sure you want your cue sheets?" to which Greg replied, "That's what I'm here for." He wrung about a pint of water out of his waterlogged gloves and packed his cues carefully away. Then with a fist pump he sped away Westward not to be seen again for several hours.

The T.I.v11 banner displayed in Guernsey Iowa

The checkpoint cutoff time then expired. No one else was in the event! This was unprecedented, and the volunteers were a little befuddled. Should they go home? Ten minutes later, Bruce Gustafson rolled in and looked waterlogged but was in good spirits. Not long afterward, a foursome including John Gorilla and Eric Brunt rolled up. Then single riders, pairs, and triplets of riders were showing up. It wasn't long before the little shelter was packed with people shell shocked, shivering, and looking for ways to get back to Grinnell.

Suddenly the volunteers had a purpose. They were tabulating DNF's, getting folks into warm vehicles, (Steve Fuller- thank you- amongst others.), and they were giving riders information they needed to make decisions on what they could do. Meanwhile my phone was blowing up with texts and social media alerts. There were phone calls and updates to make. Then, in a spectacularly overlooked way, my battery died on the phone due to my not thinking about cell coverage in a tiny, "off the beaten path" village. Yes......in 2015 there are plenty of places with no, or very bad cell phone coverage. I'm sure you'd never think of Iowa when this coverage issue comes up, but ya know, they don't call it the boonies fer nuthin'. So, I had to yoke my phone to the truck and run back and forth with info for Steve to tabulate so we could keep track of all the riders. Meanwhile, the shelter looked like a scene from a locker room after team lost a football game.

Bruce Gustafson's Raleigh Tamland Two doesn't look too bad considering. The rain tended to wash stuff off the earlier arriving bikes.

John Gorilla leads in a foursome. They purposely waited to make sure they missed the cutoff. 

Mark Johnson shares a laugh at Checkpoint #1. Craig Cooper of Bikes To You is on the left here.

A couple more riders wander in.

Andrea Cohen chats with an onlooker just after arriving in Guernsey.

A shelled rider stares blankly as he rests at Checkpoint #1.

Riders showed the after-effects of being on the messy roads. 

Jeremy Kershaw rolls in as I chat with Andrea Cohen.

The rutted lead up to the shelter. We were busy up till about 11:00am

While the rains let up, the winds did not, and riders were straggling in up until about 10:30am. That's when we saw the last riders that we would see there at Checkpoint #1, a full two hours past the deadline. Between those two hours, Guernsey was a beehive of activity with cars, trucks, and SUV's picking up shelled out racers and getting them back to Grinnell to get them cleaned up and fed. In the meantime, MG got to feeling better and drove down to see what the deal was. Tony and Mike went off in search of Greg Gleason, and after the last riders were picked up, MG and I went up the road a piece to get a real meal. I hadn't eaten anything but a few mini-donuts since 3:00am.

I destroyed a breakfast skillet and then MG and I turned our attention to rendezvousing with Tony and Mike as we searched for Greg Gleason's whereabouts.

Next: Grinding To A Halt

Trans Iowa V11 Report: The Carnage

Greg Gleason at CP#1 (Image by Wally Kilburg)

The Carnage: 

I rolled into Guernsey around quarter to seven in the morning. The Checkpoint was all set up and the volunteers were all huddled under a small, tin roofed shelter in a small public park just off the main road coming into town. The bright orange lettering on the black vinyl banner affixed to the support poles of the shelter declared this as Trans Iowa V11's checkpoint. Rain slashed down sideways being driven by a strong Northeasterly wind. I got out of the truck and darted over to the shelter house.

Underneath were Steve Fuller, Tim Bauer, Patrice Parsons, Alex Oenes, Todd Southworth, Mike Johnson, and Tony McGrane. The floor of the tiny shelter was wet and covered in mud. Todd said that dust blew in right before the rain started and then the water ran in on top of that. It was a mess, but at least we were out of the elements.

Questions abounded and I was asked "What if no one makes it on time?" To which I answered, "Well, the event would be over. We'd be done and we'd all go home." Tim Bauer then quipped, "Does that mean we'd have to give back these awesome t-shirts?" Cue laughter. Of course, I said they could keep them! The volunteers deserved at least that much for their efforts.

Not long afterward, Wally, George, and Jason showed up, and they began to try and see where good shots could be taken and were prowling the streets of Guernsey like they owned the place. I am quite sure that the residents were frightened. I told the assembled volunteers that we likely outnumbered the entire population of Guernsey, and certainly we would once the riders started showing up.

The riders........ Where were they? I figured they would be there around 7:30am to 8:00am, but that time had long gone by. It was 8:15am, and Ben Welnak, my RidingGravel.com partner was sure the event was going to be a very short one. 8:20 came and Wally, Jason, and George were standing, peering into the grey morning to the East. Suddenly Wally shouted something and pulled his camera up to his face to focus. A rider! It was about 8:24am. A minute later, Greg Gleason rolled up to a small round of applause and hoots and hollers. He didn't stick around long. Steve Fuller asked him, "Are you sure you want your cue sheets?" to which Greg replied, "That's what I'm here for." He wrung about a pint of water out of his waterlogged gloves and packed his cues carefully away. Then with a fist pump he sped away Westward not to be seen again for several hours.

The T.I.v11 banner displayed in Guernsey Iowa

The checkpoint cutoff time then expired. No one else was in the event! This was unprecedented, and the volunteers were a little befuddled. Should they go home? Ten minutes later, Bruce Gustafson rolled in and looked waterlogged but was in good spirits. Not long afterward, a foursome including John Gorilla and Eric Brunt rolled up. Then single riders, pairs, and triplets of riders were showing up. It wasn't long before the little shelter was packed with people shell shocked, shivering, and looking for ways to get back to Grinnell.

Suddenly the volunteers had a purpose. They were tabulating DNF's, getting folks into warm vehicles, (Steve Fuller- thank you- amongst others.), and they were giving riders information they needed to make decisions on what they could do. Meanwhile my phone was blowing up with texts and social media alerts. There were phone calls and updates to make. Then, in a spectacularly overlooked way, my battery died on the phone due to my not thinking about cell coverage in a tiny, "off the beaten path" village. Yes......in 2015 there are plenty of places with no, or very bad cell phone coverage. I'm sure you'd never think of Iowa when this coverage issue comes up, but ya know, they don't call it the boonies fer nuthin'. So, I had to yoke my phone to the truck and run back and forth with info for Steve to tabulate so we could keep track of all the riders. Meanwhile, the shelter looked like a scene from a locker room after team lost a football game.

Bruce Gustafson's Raleigh Tamland Two doesn't look too bad considering. The rain tended to wash stuff off the earlier arriving bikes.

John Gorilla leads in a foursome. They purposely waited to make sure they missed the cutoff. 

Mark Johnson shares a laugh at Checkpoint #1. Craig Cooper of Bikes To You is on the left here.

A couple more riders wander in.

Andrea Cohen chats with an onlooker just after arriving in Guernsey.

A shelled rider stares blankly as he rests at Checkpoint #1.

Riders showed the after-effects of being on the messy roads. 

Jeremy Kershaw rolls in as I chat with Andrea Cohen.

The rutted lead up to the shelter. We were busy up till about 11:00am

While the rains let up, the winds did not, and riders were straggling in up until about 10:30am. That's when we saw the last riders that we would see there at Checkpoint #1, a full two hours past the deadline. Between those two hours, Guernsey was a beehive of activity with cars, trucks, and SUV's picking up shelled out racers and getting them back to Grinnell to get them cleaned up and fed. In the meantime, MG got to feeling better and drove down to see what the deal was. Tony and Mike went off in search of Greg Gleason, and after the last riders were picked up, MG and I went up the road a piece to get a real meal. I hadn't eaten anything but a few mini-donuts since 3:00am.

I destroyed a breakfast skillet and then MG and I turned our attention to rendezvousing with Tony and Mike as we searched for Greg Gleason's whereabouts.

Next: Grinding To A Halt