Friday News And Views

new Riding Gravel kit for 2017

Something A Bit Different For 2017:

Cycling jerseys are something I wear a lot of, and well, it makes sense that I would. I have always liked them, and I would have a ton more than I do if I had less restraint. I just don't need that many more.

So, back in the Twenty Nine Inches days, I was asked a couple of times about merchandise and of course, t-shirts and jerseys were asked about when I started with TNI. I wasn't at all interested or concerned about any of that back then. It seemed pretentious, too much work, and unnecessary to me at that time to make clothing promoting the site, or 29"ers, for that matter. Although,the creator of the site had some Twenty Nine Inches 29"er frames made. I wonder if anyone still has one of those?

Times changed and now I wanted to be representing what I believe in. That's why for several years I wore Pirate Cycling League jerseys and I still do and will continue to do so into the future. I believe in what those guys stand for. I believe in what they do and I want to support that. The same goes for RidingGravel.com.

So, yeah......they are not wool! Oh well. That would have taken a gargantuan effort and way more dollars. Still, that isn't out of the question. Anyway, on really hot days, I may still be seen in my Giro wool jersey which I used a lot last season. We'll see how this goes though. I like the way these new RidingGravel.com jerseys came out and I will be proud to wear mine. Oh, yeah........I have the matching bibs too. I just didn't post a pic of those.

Final Recon Tomorrow:

 The annual checking of the course is happening again tomorrow. My good friends, Wally & George, will once again be doing the honors when it comes to trying to make sense of this mish-mash of gravel roads, signs, and my cue sheets to guide riders by. They have the power of veto over anything I have in there. If there is anything they think I should have in there, but don't, they will tell me that I should, and then I will put that in.

One small detail that I should mention is that I changed up the very end of the course. Approximately the last 12 miles has been rerouted because I didn't like the way it was ending. Too much busy pavement, weird intersections, and potential conflicts with cars in Grinnell.The new changes added approximately five miles to the course. The new totals for the last segment and overall mileage are 138.8 and 331.6 miles respectively. The course will also end at a different venue than previously stated. Miller Park will now be the place where T.I.v13 will end. It is located off of East Street on Nyanza Drive in the Southeastern part of Grinnell.

. Geezer Ride News For 2017:

Speaking of changing routes, I am also considering switching up the Geezer Ride for Spring 2017. The Geezer Ride will happen on Mother's Day weekend, Saturday, May 13th, 2017.

I still can do the Four County Tour, but I was also thinking we could make the route go to Reinbeck. If we go West, then we can stop at the Broad Street Brewery, have a libation or two, then turn around and ride back to Hudson and stop at a place there for food and drink to end the day. Either way is good with me. However; if you want to, or care to put in your say, please do so in the comments. I will work on ideas for both routes in the meantime.

I may also want to recap last Spring's Geezer Ride as a fun ride for the heck of it at some point during the Summer as well. If anyone is interested, I will be doing the exact same route beginning and ending in North English with a plan to eat at the North English Malt Shoppe afterward. If that idea suits you, chime in and let me know. That might be a good June ride, I think. Here are the recaps for that ride: Part 1, and Part 2. It is in Amish country, so it is a pretty interesting area.

Okay, that's a wrap on this edition of Friday News And Views. have an excellent weekend and get some riding in!

Friday News And Views

new Riding Gravel kit for 2017

Something A Bit Different For 2017:

Cycling jerseys are something I wear a lot of, and well, it makes sense that I would. I have always liked them, and I would have a ton more than I do if I had less restraint. I just don't need that many more.

So, back in the Twenty Nine Inches days, I was asked a couple of times about merchandise and of course, t-shirts and jerseys were asked about when I started with TNI. I wasn't at all interested or concerned about any of that back then. It seemed pretentious, too much work, and unnecessary to me at that time to make clothing promoting the site, or 29"ers, for that matter. Although,the creator of the site had some Twenty Nine Inches 29"er frames made. I wonder if anyone still has one of those?

Times changed and now I wanted to be representing what I believe in. That's why for several years I wore Pirate Cycling League jerseys and I still do and will continue to do so into the future. I believe in what those guys stand for. I believe in what they do and I want to support that. The same goes for RidingGravel.com.

So, yeah......they are not wool! Oh well. That would have taken a gargantuan effort and way more dollars. Still, that isn't out of the question. Anyway, on really hot days, I may still be seen in my Giro wool jersey which I used a lot last season. We'll see how this goes though. I like the way these new RidingGravel.com jerseys came out and I will be proud to wear mine. Oh, yeah........I have the matching bibs too. I just didn't post a pic of those.

Final Recon Tomorrow:

 The annual checking of the course is happening again tomorrow. My good friends, Wally & George, will once again be doing the honors when it comes to trying to make sense of this mish-mash of gravel roads, signs, and my cue sheets to guide riders by. They have the power of veto over anything I have in there. If there is anything they think I should have in there, but don't, they will tell me that I should, and then I will put that in.

One small detail that I should mention is that I changed up the very end of the course. Approximately the last 12 miles has been rerouted because I didn't like the way it was ending. Too much busy pavement, weird intersections, and potential conflicts with cars in Grinnell.The new changes added approximately five miles to the course. The new totals for the last segment and overall mileage are 138.8 and 331.6 miles respectively. The course will also end at a different venue than previously stated. Miller Park will now be the place where T.I.v13 will end. It is located off of East Street on Nyanza Drive in the Southeastern part of Grinnell.

. Geezer Ride News For 2017:

Speaking of changing routes, I am also considering switching up the Geezer Ride for Spring 2017. The Geezer Ride will happen on Mother's Day weekend, Saturday, May 13th, 2017.

I still can do the Four County Tour, but I was also thinking we could make the route go to Reinbeck. If we go West, then we can stop at the Broad Street Brewery, have a libation or two, then turn around and ride back to Hudson and stop at a place there for food and drink to end the day. Either way is good with me. However; if you want to, or care to put in your say, please do so in the comments. I will work on ideas for both routes in the meantime.

I may also want to recap last Spring's Geezer Ride as a fun ride for the heck of it at some point during the Summer as well. If anyone is interested, I will be doing the exact same route beginning and ending in North English with a plan to eat at the North English Malt Shoppe afterward. If that idea suits you, chime in and let me know. That might be a good June ride, I think. Here are the recaps for that ride: Part 1, and Part 2. It is in Amish country, so it is a pretty interesting area.

Okay, that's a wrap on this edition of Friday News And Views. have an excellent weekend and get some riding in!

Country Views '17: Notes Of Spring

The dun colors of Winter's passing are being slowly replaced with notes of Spring's green.

The weather finally decided to be drier than not, which hasn't been the case of late. The Gent's Race day was good, then it went all wet for days since then. I took advantage by getting out and seeing some country. Spring has brought bright green grass and plants are poking their heads up around town. But I wanted to see what was happening out in the open spaces.

I went South, but had I actually checked the weather, I would have gone North first. The wind was out of that direction and it was getting stronger all the while I was out. Oh well. I survived. I'll get used to riding in the wind again, I am sure of that much. Iowa is considered a Great Plains state after all.

So a sure sign of Spring here in Iowa is when you start to notice road maintenance happening. It isn't hard to tell where the maintainers and dump trucks of gravel have been either. one minute you are cruising along on smooth, fast dirt with little gravel, then the next minute you are slogging it out on three inches of jagged marbles. Such is the transition from Winter road conditions to Summer road conditions. In Spring, that mix can be jarring. Literally and figuratively.

Winter conditions still exist on this stretch of road. 

Here you can see where two layers of fresh gravel have been added. 

So, I ran into a solid two mile stretch of that deep, fresh gravel and it was tough sledding. My 37mm tires were getting a workout, and it was hard to keep the bike straight, much less going forward. It is times like these when I wish I was riding a Fargo with 2.1"ers or one of my fat bikes. Then you come off of that to smooth as glass dirt and the bike takes off like you had an anchor cut away from the back end.

The only green is in the ditches and it still has a ways to go before it covers last year's growth.

So, besides the gravel, the only other signs of Spring's arrival were the green grass in the ditch and the return of several song birds. The grass hasn't overcome last year's dead growth, but with this wet, cooler pattern we are in, it won't take long for that grass to get taller. Add a bit of Sun, which we haven't seen for days on end, and it will accelerate the growth even more.

The song birds were really vociferous yesterday. I heard all sorts of piping and tweeting all along my route. My favorite songs are those of the Red Wing Blackbirds, when they are happy, and the Western Meadowlark. The Meadowlark was a bird I heard a lot as a kid when I stayed with my Grandpa and Grandma in Northern Iowa on their farm, so it brings back good memories. Many people don't like Red Wing Blackbirds, but I like their sassy attitude and they just don't bother me when I ride. They haven't quite taken up nesting and territorial protection duties yet. So, they are not doing the dive bombing and hovering over your head thing just yet, but that will come soon enough.

So too will the flowers and my favorite part of riding out in the country. For now the sweet note of song birds singing will have to suffice. More soon......

Country Views '17: Notes Of Spring

The dun colors of Winter's passing are being slowly replaced with notes of Spring's green.

The weather finally decided to be drier than not, which hasn't been the case of late. The Gent's Race day was good, then it went all wet for days since then. I took advantage by getting out and seeing some country. Spring has brought bright green grass and plants are poking their heads up around town. But I wanted to see what was happening out in the open spaces.

I went South, but had I actually checked the weather, I would have gone North first. The wind was out of that direction and it was getting stronger all the while I was out. Oh well. I survived. I'll get used to riding in the wind again, I am sure of that much. Iowa is considered a Great Plains state after all.

So a sure sign of Spring here in Iowa is when you start to notice road maintenance happening. It isn't hard to tell where the maintainers and dump trucks of gravel have been either. one minute you are cruising along on smooth, fast dirt with little gravel, then the next minute you are slogging it out on three inches of jagged marbles. Such is the transition from Winter road conditions to Summer road conditions. In Spring, that mix can be jarring. Literally and figuratively.

Winter conditions still exist on this stretch of road. 

Here you can see where two layers of fresh gravel have been added. 

So, I ran into a solid two mile stretch of that deep, fresh gravel and it was tough sledding. My 37mm tires were getting a workout, and it was hard to keep the bike straight, much less going forward. It is times like these when I wish I was riding a Fargo with 2.1"ers or one of my fat bikes. Then you come off of that to smooth as glass dirt and the bike takes off like you had an anchor cut away from the back end.

The only green is in the ditches and it still has a ways to go before it covers last year's growth.

So, besides the gravel, the only other signs of Spring's arrival were the green grass in the ditch and the return of several song birds. The grass hasn't overcome last year's dead growth, but with this wet, cooler pattern we are in, it won't take long for that grass to get taller. Add a bit of Sun, which we haven't seen for days on end, and it will accelerate the growth even more.

The song birds were really vociferous yesterday. I heard all sorts of piping and tweeting all along my route. My favorite songs are those of the Red Wing Blackbirds, when they are happy, and the Western Meadowlark. The Meadowlark was a bird I heard a lot as a kid when I stayed with my Grandpa and Grandma in Northern Iowa on their farm, so it brings back good memories. Many people don't like Red Wing Blackbirds, but I like their sassy attitude and they just don't bother me when I ride. They haven't quite taken up nesting and territorial protection duties yet. So, they are not doing the dive bombing and hovering over your head thing just yet, but that will come soon enough.

So too will the flowers and my favorite part of riding out in the country. For now the sweet note of song birds singing will have to suffice. More soon......

Steve Tilford, 57, Dies In Traffic Accident

Steve Tilford (L) on the 2015 Gravelleur's Raid podium. Image courtesy of the Gravelluer's Raid Facebook Page

An American cycling icon died today in a traffic accident on the Utah/Colorado border when Steve Tilford's van was involved in what has been described as a chain reaction accident involving two semi-tractor trailers and Tilford's Mercedes Benz van. You can get details on Steve Tilford, his accomplishments, and the tragic accident from this Cyclingtips article here.

I did not have the honor of ever meeting Steve Tilford, but as a mountain biker and gravel road riding enthusiast, if you were paying attention at all, you knew about Steve Tilford. His racing career was long and prolific and, no doubt, will be celebrated for years to come. I was not so much a student of Tilford's results or his races, but what I was impressed by were the stories that are legend amongst cyclists I knew back in the days of my earliest mountain biking riding and racing. Stories about Tilford's prowess on a bike off road, including cyclo cross. His stitching himself up after getting badly gashed. Stories of seemingly epic nature.

Then recently I became aware of Tilford's gravel racing exploits. It should be well noted by any cyclist that Mr. Tilford was good, really good, at any form of cycling competition he chose to focus on. Mountain biking, road racing in all its forms, cyclo cross, and gravel racing were all disciplines that Tilford excelled at. It is my opinion he was the best all-around American cyclist ever.

Finally, as a blogger I have noted that Tilford's blog was a place where he expressed all sorts of well regarded opinions and especially those on doping. It was, and is, a highly popular blog, and his writings will be sorely missed.

I extend my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Steve Tilford upon this news of his death.

Steve Tilford, 57, Dies In Traffic Accident

Steve Tilford (L) on the 2015 Gravelleur's Raid podium. Image courtesy of the Gravelluer's Raid Facebook Page

An American cycling icon died today in a traffic accident on the Utah/Colorado border when Steve Tilford's van was involved in what has been described as a chain reaction accident involving two semi-tractor trailers and Tilford's Mercedes Benz van. You can get details on Steve Tilford, his accomplishments, and the tragic accident from this Cyclingtips article here.

I did not have the honor of ever meeting Steve Tilford, but as a mountain biker and gravel road riding enthusiast, if you were paying attention at all, you knew about Steve Tilford. His racing career was long and prolific and, no doubt, will be celebrated for years to come. I was not so much a student of Tilford's results or his races, but what I was impressed by were the stories that are legend amongst cyclists I knew back in the days of my earliest mountain biking riding and racing. Stories about Tilford's prowess on a bike off road, including cyclo cross. His stitching himself up after getting badly gashed. Stories of seemingly epic nature.

Then recently I became aware of Tilford's gravel racing exploits. It should be well noted by any cyclist that Mr. Tilford was good, really good, at any form of cycling competition he chose to focus on. Mountain biking, road racing in all its forms, cyclo cross, and gravel racing were all disciplines that Tilford excelled at. It is my opinion he was the best all-around American cyclist ever.

Finally, as a blogger I have noted that Tilford's blog was a place where he expressed all sorts of well regarded opinions and especially those on doping. It was, and is, a highly popular blog, and his writings will be sorely missed.

I extend my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Steve Tilford upon this news of his death.

The Renegade Rig

Yep. You all know this rig.

If you were paying attention last week to the blog here you all know that I went around to three choices on bikes for the Renegade Gents Race before I decided on which one I was going to take. The final choice was the Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross" bike which I call "Orange Crush". Here's why it was the one I took.

First off, I was going to take the Twin Six Standard Rando for sure, but mid-week I received a part to test out which is not released yet, so with that part on the bike, I could not take that bike. Too many eyes prying and potential questions. So, that bike was eliminated by a secret.

The Raleigh Tamland Two was also a choice, but there had been an earlier forecast for the weekend for the possibility of showers. The Tamland doesn't have fenders and with bigger tires, which I wanted to run due to the sandier roads, fenders don't fit well on the Tamland. So, due to a weather forecast, I left that bike at home.

The Orange Crush has fenders and big tires. I have the Planet Bike aluminum fenders and the tires are Terrene Elwoods. At a true 43mm wide, they had the float and stability over the looser sandy roads and gravel that the Gents Race course has. As far as that went, I was super happy with the set up.

That's a "Shape My Grip" there under the tape.

One thing I had on the Orange Crush which is unique and new is a product called "Shape My Grip". It is essentially a grip like you'd see on a cruiser bike, with "finger depressions", for drop bars. The grips are slotted so they slip over the bars. They are held on with double sided tape and then you wrap over those grips with bar tape. The idea is that they provide an ergonomic grip area and supposedly dampen vibrations.

I used them for the event the first time. The gravel on that course really doesn't provide the venue to judge vibration damping. But, the grip ergonomics are something I can talk about. The grip makes the bar have a feel that you have more security in your grip. I can totally see where if you are on a course that is really rough, or even off road single track, that the grip would provide a better feel. I'm not 100% sold on the bar top position but the curve version on the drop portion feels great and if I were "monster crossing" or hitting some real off-road-ish road stuff, these would be nice while descending or traversing rough, uneven road or single track.

So, on the vibration thing, I need to hit up some gravel with some good chunky stuff all over. Then I'll know about how, or even if, these grips actually work on the bars. They look goofy at first, but I have found that no one notices them. I never said a word at the Gents Race about them, and no one pointed them out either, so they go fairly unnoticed in reality.

More on those items later, but the bottom line for the event was that the bike performed perfectly and the tires were perfect for that course. That good ol' Black Mountain Cycles rig just works.

The Renegade Rig

Yep. You all know this rig.

If you were paying attention last week to the blog here you all know that I went around to three choices on bikes for the Renegade Gents Race before I decided on which one I was going to take. The final choice was the Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross" bike which I call "Orange Crush". Here's why it was the one I took.

First off, I was going to take the Twin Six Standard Rando for sure, but mid-week I received a part to test out which is not released yet, so with that part on the bike, I could not take that bike. Too many eyes prying and potential questions. So, that bike was eliminated by a secret.

The Raleigh Tamland Two was also a choice, but there had been an earlier forecast for the weekend for the possibility of showers. The Tamland doesn't have fenders and with bigger tires, which I wanted to run due to the sandier roads, fenders don't fit well on the Tamland. So, due to a weather forecast, I left that bike at home.

The Orange Crush has fenders and big tires. I have the Planet Bike aluminum fenders and the tires are Terrene Elwoods. At a true 43mm wide, they had the float and stability over the looser sandy roads and gravel that the Gents Race course has. As far as that went, I was super happy with the set up.

That's a "Shape My Grip" there under the tape.

One thing I had on the Orange Crush which is unique and new is a product called "Shape My Grip". It is essentially a grip like you'd see on a cruiser bike, with "finger depressions", for drop bars. The grips are slotted so they slip over the bars. They are held on with double sided tape and then you wrap over those grips with bar tape. The idea is that they provide an ergonomic grip area and supposedly dampen vibrations.

I used them for the event the first time. The gravel on that course really doesn't provide the venue to judge vibration damping. But, the grip ergonomics are something I can talk about. The grip makes the bar have a feel that you have more security in your grip. I can totally see where if you are on a course that is really rough, or even off road single track, that the grip would provide a better feel. I'm not 100% sold on the bar top position but the curve version on the drop portion feels great and if I were "monster crossing" or hitting some real off-road-ish road stuff, these would be nice while descending or traversing rough, uneven road or single track.

So, on the vibration thing, I need to hit up some gravel with some good chunky stuff all over. Then I'll know about how, or even if, these grips actually work on the bars. They look goofy at first, but I have found that no one notices them. I never said a word at the Gents Race about them, and no one pointed them out either, so they go fairly unnoticed in reality.

More on those items later, but the bottom line for the event was that the bike performed perfectly and the tires were perfect for that course. That good ol' Black Mountain Cycles rig just works.

Trans Iowa v13: Forging Ahead

Numbers have been personalized and are ready to go.

Things are coming together for the 13th annual Trans Iowa. Number plates are done. The final course check is scheduled to happen this weekend during what promises to be beautiful weather. That's good for recon, but I will miss riding again. Oh well..... There could be worse things. Much worse.

Anyway, there are numbers assigned to each rider now which you can see on the T.I.v13 site. These numbers are locked in stone, or Sharpie pen, as it were, so you cannot request something else. It is what it is.

After the aforementioned course recon this coming weekend the course will be locked in and cue sheets will be sent to be printed and cut. Then all I will have to do is arrange them into sets, bag them, and the bare basics for Trans Iowa will be all ready to go.

Volunteers are almost 100% accounted for and committed. I have a few more folks to get around to. If you haven't contacted me recently, or vice-versa, that should happen very soon. I have everything covered and I really shouldn't need anything unless you happen to be at the Pre-Race and want to pitch in. I might have a thing or two needing done there. But it will be okay if no one does.

Don't get in these guys and gals way! Yield or be trampled!

Remember- YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU. There will be some dangerous road crossings, towns and cities to pass through, and some small sections of pavement to traverse besides the regular riding of gravel. Farmers will be out, so watch out and yield to them if you encounter implements of farming coming at you.

Besides that, always RIDE TO THE RIGHT  when climbing hills. You won't hear that farm truck barreling down the road toward you at 50mph until it crests the hill and it will be too late. Riders should police themselves in this as the day goes on. Anyone we catch not abiding by this risks getting DQ'ed.

In the same vein, please YIELD TO EMERGENCY VEHICLES! We had an incident last Spring where a volunteer fire department complained that bicyclists were not yielding the right of way to emergency vehicles. If we hear about this again we will vigorously investigate and disqualify any riders suspected of being an obstruction. I expect to not have to do that, but I never thought it would happen last year either, so do not test me in this. Yield to farmers, STAY RIGHT going up hills, and get out of the way of emergency vehicles!

That should cover things as far as what I expect other than this one thing- Don't take unnecessary risks crossing highways, traveling through towns and cities, and FOLLOW ALL TRAFFIC RULES! These are open roads under the jurisdiction of local and State authorities. If the authorities don't deal with you, I will. Don't be a dumb ass!

Stay tuned. More Trans Iowa v13 thoughts to unload as we get closer to the date.

Trans Iowa v13: Forging Ahead

Numbers have been personalized and are ready to go.

Things are coming together for the 13th annual Trans Iowa. Number plates are done. The final course check is scheduled to happen this weekend during what promises to be beautiful weather. That's good for recon, but I will miss riding again. Oh well..... There could be worse things. Much worse.

Anyway, there are numbers assigned to each rider now which you can see on the T.I.v13 site. These numbers are locked in stone, or Sharpie pen, as it were, so you cannot request something else. It is what it is.

After the aforementioned course recon this coming weekend the course will be locked in and cue sheets will be sent to be printed and cut. Then all I will have to do is arrange them into sets, bag them, and the bare basics for Trans Iowa will be all ready to go.

Volunteers are almost 100% accounted for and committed. I have a few more folks to get around to. If you haven't contacted me recently, or vice-versa, that should happen very soon. I have everything covered and I really shouldn't need anything unless you happen to be at the Pre-Race and want to pitch in. I might have a thing or two needing done there. But it will be okay if no one does.

Don't get in these guys and gals way! Yield or be trampled!

Remember- YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU. There will be some dangerous road crossings, towns and cities to pass through, and some small sections of pavement to traverse besides the regular riding of gravel. Farmers will be out, so watch out and yield to them if you encounter implements of farming coming at you.

Besides that, always RIDE TO THE RIGHT  when climbing hills. You won't hear that farm truck barreling down the road toward you at 50mph until it crests the hill and it will be too late. Riders should police themselves in this as the day goes on. Anyone we catch not abiding by this risks getting DQ'ed.

In the same vein, please YIELD TO EMERGENCY VEHICLES! We had an incident last Spring where a volunteer fire department complained that bicyclists were not yielding the right of way to emergency vehicles. If we hear about this again we will vigorously investigate and disqualify any riders suspected of being an obstruction. I expect to not have to do that, but I never thought it would happen last year either, so do not test me in this. Yield to farmers, STAY RIGHT going up hills, and get out of the way of emergency vehicles!

That should cover things as far as what I expect other than this one thing- Don't take unnecessary risks crossing highways, traveling through towns and cities, and FOLLOW ALL TRAFFIC RULES! These are open roads under the jurisdiction of local and State authorities. If the authorities don't deal with you, I will. Don't be a dumb ass!

Stay tuned. More Trans Iowa v13 thoughts to unload as we get closer to the date.

Renegade Gents Race 7.0: Triumph Through Adversity

My ride started a little earlier and a little further away. AM sunrise over the High Trestle Trail

Every year I've done the Renegade Gents Race it has been awesome for one reason or another. The fact that the same team has been together since the first one, seven Gents rides ago, is maybe the reason why this means so much to me and why the ride has so many great memories for me. This year, despite the fact that we had to replace D-Corn, who couldn't make it due to a work obligation, was no exception.

I spoke with Mrs. Guitar Ted earlier in March and we decided together that going down to stay overnight near to the event would be fun. It would also make a super early, in the dark, two hour drive on the day of the race unnecessary for me. Winning.

We arrived Friday night, had a great family meal together, and I worked out with Mrs. Guitar Ted and then watched my kids play in the pool area before knocking off for the evening. Sleep was so-so, but when I awoke, I had breakfast with my wife and kitted up for a 14+ mile ride to the event's start. I took the High Trestle Trail out of Ankeny, Iowa which cuts across country diagonally, saving me some distance over going up on gravel roads. It was brisk, about 34°, but the winds were light and the day looked to be a really good one in terms of the weather.

Out in the open country on the High Trestle Trail headed to the start of the Gents Race

My greatest fear was that I would flat and miss our 9:04 am start time, but those fears were unfounded. The trail was clean and the only scare I had was when I found myself riding in amongst hundreds of migrating Robins. They were flying up along the trail corridor where it was wooded on each side of the trail. As they were flying back and forth across my path, I feared I might be struck by an unpleasant bomb, but I emerged at the race start at the Nite Hawk Bar and grill unscathed.

L-R: Event organizer, Rob Versteegh, Teammate Steve and his wife, "K-Corn" who replaced D-Corn

As I said, we were down one teammate for the event since D-Corn wasn't going to be there. Part of the schtick for the members of our team is that we all have facial hair, with the exception of D-Corn, whose job won't allow such a thing. Well, when I found out that D-Corn wasn't going to be there, I requested that his replacement have facial hair. Captain Steve told me he had it all under control. I trusted him, but I had no idea he was going to have his wife Kathy wear a fake beard and stoke their tandem! It was fun though, and we welcomed our new teammate, "K-Corn", with open arms. Bob and Sam were also there, so we were racked up and ready to roll for our seventh Renegade Gents Race.

We rode the same course as last year minus the excessive, mighty wind, and the roads were smooth and fast. Teams could be spotted up the road in clusters, unlike last year when the wind shredded teams and there were bikes and bodies all over the road less than a mile into the course. We were not having any of that this time with winds being a non-factor, really. It stayed that way all day as well.

It seems that every year we have a teammate that has difficulty. We also seem to have a team that leaves no one behind as well. If one is slow, we adjust our speeds accordingly, and if we all feel good, we speed along at a good clip. All the above happened Saturday, but it didn't look good after about ten miles into it.

Bob leading us out. The roads are sandy, not unlike the Gravel Worlds course, in this part of the state of Iowa.

 We were maybe ten miles in and I looked back to see Sam falling off the back. I drifted back to help him catch my wheel and see if he might get himself back on, but he kept drifting back. I went back to him to chat and see what might be the matter.

It is no secret that Sam has recently been struggling with his health. He wasn't always in such a pickle though. Back when he was piling on hundreds and thousands of miles on his bicycle I couldn't keep up with him. His "motor" was tuned and he could ride away from anyone on the team the first year we did the Gents Race. However; Sam's profession of being a restaurant owner and chef makes it difficult for him not to overindulge. You can read his own words on the subject here. Warning- It is a highly personal read and the language reflects this. He has recently turned the corner on his health, but it took him longer than 30 days to get where he was and it will take longer than that by far to get back to where he used to be. It happens and his struggles are not unfamiliar to many of us.

Sam up ahead trying not to get mowed down by a huge farm implement of doom.

So, when I looked at Sam when I drifted back to him I could see that he was in difficulty. He was already drenched in sweat. His cycling cap was dripping wet. He just didn't seem to be able to control his breathing and heart rate. He told me he was done.

I gave him a hug as we rode and encouraged him in the best way I knew how. Sam kept riding....

We were a ways behind the remainder of the team. I figured Sam would want to say something to them and would hang on until either they stopped to wait up or, in what seemed like an unlikely event, we caught back up. Meanwhile Sam kept riding........

Besides the food business Sam is a musician. He has a "band" and writes music, records, and performs. So, he and I have the guitar thing in common. I started talking about guitars and asked Sam about his stuff. He got pretty animated, was talking with no difficulty, and he kept riding........

Now, I am not taking credit for anything, but by this time I realized that there was a greater than 50% chance Sam would actually make the checkpoint, at the minimum. Then I also noted that Bob and the tandem team of Steve and K-Corn were dialing it back a bit, or so it seemed. Maybe we were actually catching them up? Whatever the way it really was, all I knew was that we were all back together again as a team. And Sam kept riding.........

Barns for Jason- Renegade Gents version

We were rolling the long stretch of the course which went due North. Last year this was where we were riding into the teeth of a mighty gale and suffering badly. Doing ten miles an hour at maximum effort, and then falling back to a more sustainable 7 miles per hour, while trying to hold a tight echelon, was trying our spirits to the breaking point. Our spirits broke at the checkpoint last year. This time that section was enjoyable, and we rolled along doing pretty well. Suddenly Sam declared, "I suck at quitting."

Indeed he did. I took it as a good sign that he would be going the distance, but I was ready to allow him to quit as well. That said, he looked a lot better, the sweating receded, or seemed to, and Sam was able to put in short bursts of acceleration which was encouraging. And we kept riding......

Mandatory "Safety Stop" after the checkpoint stop. Yes- K-Corn wore the beard the entire ride!

We made the checkpoint, and I wasn't sure Sam would continue, but I was hopeful of that. He got a message he needed to respond to and so I didn't get a read on his mindset as he was busy on the phone for much of the time we were at the checkpoint.

Bob always brings beer so we had some cans of Budweiser and PBR along with some things we had to eat. I had two of my pemmican bars and a bit of almond butter along with a pork chop that Bob brought. Just the meat, no sandwich here! After we passed around a flask of whiskey it was back on the bikes. Sam was coming along too!

I think the team had some inkling by this point that we were not going to be breaking any records for speed on this ride and Bob was saying we should stop twice more in the next 30 miles to break it up. Ten miles, then ten more miles, then finish it up. We all agreed to this and we headed down the road. Sam was doing great, and we formed up a nice pace line in which we were carrying a pretty decent speed. The tandem team of Steve and K-Corn did the leading. We were having fun and riding. What a big surprise to me that was. Especially after what I feared would be another sad day, especially for Sam. I was so glad it was working out after all.

In the "choo-choo train" before the carnage happened.

We made our first "Safety Stop" and we were back rolling along again when Sam turned to me and asked how his rear tire looked. I said that it looked the same as it had all day. A few hundred feet later Sam said "Flat! I have a flat tire, damnit!"

The team immediately stopped and we all lent a hand where we could. I played the part of "bike shop stand" holding Sam's Warbird up so the others could do the work. Sam dug out another tube, Steve got a pump that was better than Sam's while Bob helped pull the old tube out. There seemed to be no concern for what caused the flat, and that concerned me. Steve and Bob swept the tire and didn't find anything, so they proceeded to get it all back together and we were back riding again.

So, that went well, I guess, and now we were gaining on some straggler teams and passing people. It was fun, and all the while, Sam was doing fantastic. Then the miles were winding down, I could see the finishing town of Slater come into view. We crossed the pavement which led into town and across my path I took into town earlier that morning. The last turn North now. We were three miles from getting it done as a team. I thought earlier it would never happen. Then......

BOOM! 

Ya see that yellowish cord on the tire? Yeah........that's not a good thing!

 A week or so ago, Sam misjudged a curb on this bike and slammed the rear wheel into it, causing a flat tire. I am betting that this bruised the bead, damaging it. That flat tire we had earlier? I bet this bead was coming apart then, but we didn't catch it. Well, it caused us to DNF, which was a bummer, but in the end, I think we won.

Right across this field from where Sam's tire failed was where the finish was.

More importantly, I think Sam "won". He finished a ride off that he thought he wasn't going to finish off. Yes, his tire blew out, and we missed the last 3 or less miles, but whatever. When he was in such a situation with only about ten miles under his tires, and he kept going, and going, well.....in my opinion he won. He overcame something out there Saturday and he can now use that to build off of, instead of seeing it as a failure on his part. It was a thing, a tire, that stopped us, and that can happen to anyone. The bottom line is that it wasn't a decision Sam made that stopped us. No, he drove right through that adversity and triumphed.

It was a great day to be out on the bike. I stayed at the finish line area and chatted with many folks. I sat with Steve and Kathy, (K-Corn, y'all!), and had a beer with them until Mrs. Guitar Ted fetched me and we left for home. More great Gents race memories, and I hope there will be more to come.

Thank You: My teammates, Bob, Steve, "K-Corn" (you were awesome and I enjoyed riding with you!), and of course, Sam. Awesome job Sam! Thank you to the organizers of the Gents Race, the Nite Hawk, and anyone else involved in putting on the Renegade Gents Race 7.0. Thank you to my wife and family for joining me on this trip.

Renegade Gents Race 7.0: Triumph Through Adversity

My ride started a little earlier and a little further away. AM sunrise over the High Trestle Trail

Every year I've done the Renegade Gents Race it has been awesome for one reason or another. The fact that the same team has been together since the first one, seven Gents rides ago, is maybe the reason why this means so much to me and why the ride has so many great memories for me. This year, despite the fact that we had to replace D-Corn, who couldn't make it due to a work obligation, was no exception.

I spoke with Mrs. Guitar Ted earlier in March and we decided together that going down to stay overnight near to the event would be fun. It would also make a super early, in the dark, two hour drive on the day of the race unnecessary for me. Winning.

We arrived Friday night, had a great family meal together, and I worked out with Mrs. Guitar Ted and then watched my kids play in the pool area before knocking off for the evening. Sleep was so-so, but when I awoke, I had breakfast with my wife and kitted up for a 14+ mile ride to the event's start. I took the High Trestle Trail out of Ankeny, Iowa which cuts across country diagonally, saving me some distance over going up on gravel roads. It was brisk, about 34°, but the winds were light and the day looked to be a really good one in terms of the weather.

Out in the open country on the High Trestle Trail headed to the start of the Gents Race

My greatest fear was that I would flat and miss our 9:04 am start time, but those fears were unfounded. The trail was clean and the only scare I had was when I found myself riding in amongst hundreds of migrating Robins. They were flying up along the trail corridor where it was wooded on each side of the trail. As they were flying back and forth across my path, I feared I might be struck by an unpleasant bomb, but I emerged at the race start at the Nite Hawk Bar and grill unscathed.

L-R: Event organizer, Rob Versteegh, Teammate Steve and his wife, "K-Corn" who replaced D-Corn

As I said, we were down one teammate for the event since D-Corn wasn't going to be there. Part of the schtick for the members of our team is that we all have facial hair, with the exception of D-Corn, whose job won't allow such a thing. Well, when I found out that D-Corn wasn't going to be there, I requested that his replacement have facial hair. Captain Steve told me he had it all under control. I trusted him, but I had no idea he was going to have his wife Kathy wear a fake beard and stoke their tandem! It was fun though, and we welcomed our new teammate, "K-Corn", with open arms. Bob and Sam were also there, so we were racked up and ready to roll for our seventh Renegade Gents Race.

We rode the same course as last year minus the excessive, mighty wind, and the roads were smooth and fast. Teams could be spotted up the road in clusters, unlike last year when the wind shredded teams and there were bikes and bodies all over the road less than a mile into the course. We were not having any of that this time with winds being a non-factor, really. It stayed that way all day as well.

It seems that every year we have a teammate that has difficulty. We also seem to have a team that leaves no one behind as well. If one is slow, we adjust our speeds accordingly, and if we all feel good, we speed along at a good clip. All the above happened Saturday, but it didn't look good after about ten miles into it.

Bob leading us out. The roads are sandy, not unlike the Gravel Worlds course, in this part of the state of Iowa.

 We were maybe ten miles in and I looked back to see Sam falling off the back. I drifted back to help him catch my wheel and see if he might get himself back on, but he kept drifting back. I went back to him to chat and see what might be the matter.

It is no secret that Sam has recently been struggling with his health. He wasn't always in such a pickle though. Back when he was piling on hundreds and thousands of miles on his bicycle I couldn't keep up with him. His "motor" was tuned and he could ride away from anyone on the team the first year we did the Gents Race. However; Sam's profession of being a restaurant owner and chef makes it difficult for him not to overindulge. You can read his own words on the subject here. Warning- It is a highly personal read and the language reflects this. He has recently turned the corner on his health, but it took him longer than 30 days to get where he was and it will take longer than that by far to get back to where he used to be. It happens and his struggles are not unfamiliar to many of us.

Sam up ahead trying not to get mowed down by a huge farm implement of doom.

So, when I looked at Sam when I drifted back to him I could see that he was in difficulty. He was already drenched in sweat. His cycling cap was dripping wet. He just didn't seem to be able to control his breathing and heart rate. He told me he was done.

I gave him a hug as we rode and encouraged him in the best way I knew how. Sam kept riding....

We were a ways behind the remainder of the team. I figured Sam would want to say something to them and would hang on until either they stopped to wait up or, in what seemed like an unlikely event, we caught back up. Meanwhile Sam kept riding........

Besides the food business Sam is a musician. He has a "band" and writes music, records, and performs. So, he and I have the guitar thing in common. I started talking about guitars and asked Sam about his stuff. He got pretty animated, was talking with no difficulty, and he kept riding........

Now, I am not taking credit for anything, but by this time I realized that there was a greater than 50% chance Sam would actually make the checkpoint, at the minimum. Then I also noted that Bob and the tandem team of Steve and K-Corn were dialing it back a bit, or so it seemed. Maybe we were actually catching them up? Whatever the way it really was, all I knew was that we were all back together again as a team. And Sam kept riding.........

Barns for Jason- Renegade Gents version

We were rolling the long stretch of the course which went due North. Last year this was where we were riding into the teeth of a mighty gale and suffering badly. Doing ten miles an hour at maximum effort, and then falling back to a more sustainable 7 miles per hour, while trying to hold a tight echelon, was trying our spirits to the breaking point. Our spirits broke at the checkpoint last year. This time that section was enjoyable, and we rolled along doing pretty well. Suddenly Sam declared, "I suck at quitting."

Indeed he did. I took it as a good sign that he would be going the distance, but I was ready to allow him to quit as well. That said, he looked a lot better, the sweating receded, or seemed to, and Sam was able to put in short bursts of acceleration which was encouraging. And we kept riding......

Mandatory "Safety Stop" after the checkpoint stop. Yes- K-Corn wore the beard the entire ride!

We made the checkpoint, and I wasn't sure Sam would continue, but I was hopeful of that. He got a message he needed to respond to and so I didn't get a read on his mindset as he was busy on the phone for much of the time we were at the checkpoint.

Bob always brings beer so we had some cans of Budweiser and PBR along with some things we had to eat. I had two of my pemmican bars and a bit of almond butter along with a pork chop that Bob brought. Just the meat, no sandwich here! After we passed around a flask of whiskey it was back on the bikes. Sam was coming along too!

I think the team had some inkling by this point that we were not going to be breaking any records for speed on this ride and Bob was saying we should stop twice more in the next 30 miles to break it up. Ten miles, then ten more miles, then finish it up. We all agreed to this and we headed down the road. Sam was doing great, and we formed up a nice pace line in which we were carrying a pretty decent speed. The tandem team of Steve and K-Corn did the leading. We were having fun and riding. What a big surprise to me that was. Especially after what I feared would be another sad day, especially for Sam. I was so glad it was working out after all.

In the "choo-choo train" before the carnage happened.

We made our first "Safety Stop" and we were back rolling along again when Sam turned to me and asked how his rear tire looked. I said that it looked the same as it had all day. A few hundred feet later Sam said "Flat! I have a flat tire, damnit!"

The team immediately stopped and we all lent a hand where we could. I played the part of "bike shop stand" holding Sam's Warbird up so the others could do the work. Sam dug out another tube, Steve got a pump that was better than Sam's while Bob helped pull the old tube out. There seemed to be no concern for what caused the flat, and that concerned me. Steve and Bob swept the tire and didn't find anything, so they proceeded to get it all back together and we were back riding again.

So, that went well, I guess, and now we were gaining on some straggler teams and passing people. It was fun, and all the while, Sam was doing fantastic. Then the miles were winding down, I could see the finishing town of Slater come into view. We crossed the pavement which led into town and across my path I took into town earlier that morning. The last turn North now. We were three miles from getting it done as a team. I thought earlier it would never happen. Then......

BOOM! 

Ya see that yellowish cord on the tire? Yeah........that's not a good thing!

 A week or so ago, Sam misjudged a curb on this bike and slammed the rear wheel into it, causing a flat tire. I am betting that this bruised the bead, damaging it. That flat tire we had earlier? I bet this bead was coming apart then, but we didn't catch it. Well, it caused us to DNF, which was a bummer, but in the end, I think we won.

Right across this field from where Sam's tire failed was where the finish was.

More importantly, I think Sam "won". He finished a ride off that he thought he wasn't going to finish off. Yes, his tire blew out, and we missed the last 3 or less miles, but whatever. When he was in such a situation with only about ten miles under his tires, and he kept going, and going, well.....in my opinion he won. He overcame something out there Saturday and he can now use that to build off of, instead of seeing it as a failure on his part. It was a thing, a tire, that stopped us, and that can happen to anyone. The bottom line is that it wasn't a decision Sam made that stopped us. No, he drove right through that adversity and triumphed.

It was a great day to be out on the bike. I stayed at the finish line area and chatted with many folks. I sat with Steve and Kathy, (K-Corn, y'all!), and had a beer with them until Mrs. Guitar Ted fetched me and we left for home. More great Gents race memories, and I hope there will be more to come.

Thank You: My teammates, Bob, Steve, "K-Corn" (you were awesome and I enjoyed riding with you!), and of course, Sam. Awesome job Sam! Thank you to the organizers of the Gents Race, the Nite Hawk, and anyone else involved in putting on the Renegade Gents Race 7.0. Thank you to my wife and family for joining me on this trip.

Minus Ten Review- 13

Ten years ago on the blog I was talking about two custom bikes I was having made, news about 29"ers, and off-road drop bars.

I guess no one was really saying much about them back then but me because these posts have, and in many cases still are, garnering a lot of hits here. Hits from all around the world too.

Since those days, the off road drop bar has been adopted as the defacto bar for gravel travel. Every Tom, Dick, and wanna-be bike company is putting out a "gravel bike" now and you gotta have a flared drop bar on it, don't cha know?

Funny how that all worked out. But back ten years ago, we weren't thinking "gravel bikes", I was thinking about single track and mountain biking, so it was a bit different take then. Trying to explain how a drop bar worked off road and how to set one up was a never ending conversation. Many just couldn't wrap the mind around it.

Today, it seems that the flared drop bar is in its hey day, and even mountain bikers are taking another look at these things. More people than not seem to "get it", and that's had the effect of not having those explanatory comments and posts on my end.

All good things.

Minus Ten Review- 13

Ten years ago on the blog I was talking about two custom bikes I was having made, news about 29"ers, and off-road drop bars.

I guess no one was really saying much about them back then but me because these posts have, and in many cases still are, garnering a lot of hits here. Hits from all around the world too.

Since those days, the off road drop bar has been adopted as the defacto bar for gravel travel. Every Tom, Dick, and wanna-be bike company is putting out a "gravel bike" now and you gotta have a flared drop bar on it, don't cha know?

Funny how that all worked out. But back ten years ago, we weren't thinking "gravel bikes", I was thinking about single track and mountain biking, so it was a bit different take then. Trying to explain how a drop bar worked off road and how to set one up was a never ending conversation. Many just couldn't wrap the mind around it.

Today, it seems that the flared drop bar is in its hey day, and even mountain bikers are taking another look at these things. More people than not seem to "get it", and that's had the effect of not having those explanatory comments and posts on my end.

All good things.

Trans Iowa v13: Supporter's Ride And Shenanigans

Ya know, nobody tells me about these things. I had to come across it on Facebook. So, please understand that none of the following is in any way my idea or "officially" connected with Trans Iowa. But that said, it's about time someone else did something like this! 

See, a while back, some of the guys who were sticking around as emergency bail-out personnel for riders in a Trans Iowa, or volunteers waiting for their duty, or volunteers on post duty, would get together and ride. Seems like the gals have gotten the bug as well. I suppose they would take anyone, but then again, it isn't my deal. 

Following is the notice as it appears on Facebook:

Saturday at 4:00 a.m., we will bid good luck to our special someones and the rest of the Trans Iowa field. We can go back to bed, wake up at a reasonable hour, eat breakfast, and then...

Katherine invites you to meet in front of the Comfort Inn & Suites at 11:00 to ride gravel loops around Grinnell.

Each loop is ~24 miles. Total distance is however far you feel like riding. My pace is about 12 mph forward progress (That means I ride a little faster than that, but I stop to take pictures). We may split into faster and slower groups, or faster riders may just take more pictures. I plan to do three loops, so I get a metric (100K) in for the day.

This ride is about fun. Why should the TI riders have all the fun to themselves?!? There are some really pretty gravel and B roads right close to Grinnell and we can ride them.

At most, this route will put you seven miles from the hotel. It is up to you to carry and monitor your phone in case your rider calls for a rescue. If there is an emergency we can *possibly* organize a paceline and maximize the get-back-to-hotel speed, but there is *no* guarantee. Keep that in mind.

If you are going to be in Grinnell and are interested in joining us, please do!

Don't feel like riding?

Last year some folks met up with other supporters and hung out at the coffee shop downtown for a bit. Later, both riding-supporters and non-riding-supportes went to dinner together. And of course we will want to welcome the riders in at the finish line!

We can use this event to post about meeting for riding and meeting for anything else.

#TIv13 #TIv13Shenanigans

Route: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/12141129

For more, see the event page on Facebook.

Trans Iowa v13: Supporter's Ride And Shenanigans

Ya know, nobody tells me about these things. I had to come across it on Facebook. So, please understand that none of the following is in any way my idea or "officially" connected with Trans Iowa. But that said, it's about time someone else did something like this! 

See, a while back, some of the guys who were sticking around as emergency bail-out personnel for riders in a Trans Iowa, or volunteers waiting for their duty, or volunteers on post duty, would get together and ride. Seems like the gals have gotten the bug as well. I suppose they would take anyone, but then again, it isn't my deal. 

Following is the notice as it appears on Facebook:

Saturday at 4:00 a.m., we will bid good luck to our special someones and the rest of the Trans Iowa field. We can go back to bed, wake up at a reasonable hour, eat breakfast, and then...

Katherine invites you to meet in front of the Comfort Inn & Suites at 11:00 to ride gravel loops around Grinnell.

Each loop is ~24 miles. Total distance is however far you feel like riding. My pace is about 12 mph forward progress (That means I ride a little faster than that, but I stop to take pictures). We may split into faster and slower groups, or faster riders may just take more pictures. I plan to do three loops, so I get a metric (100K) in for the day.

This ride is about fun. Why should the TI riders have all the fun to themselves?!? There are some really pretty gravel and B roads right close to Grinnell and we can ride them.

At most, this route will put you seven miles from the hotel. It is up to you to carry and monitor your phone in case your rider calls for a rescue. If there is an emergency we can *possibly* organize a paceline and maximize the get-back-to-hotel speed, but there is *no* guarantee. Keep that in mind.

If you are going to be in Grinnell and are interested in joining us, please do!

Don't feel like riding?

Last year some folks met up with other supporters and hung out at the coffee shop downtown for a bit. Later, both riding-supporters and non-riding-supportes went to dinner together. And of course we will want to welcome the riders in at the finish line!

We can use this event to post about meeting for riding and meeting for anything else.

#TIv13 #TIv13Shenanigans

Route: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/12141129

For more, see the event page on Facebook.