Floating An Idea

This t-shirt has a purpose.

 When I ended Trans Iowa back in 2018, some folks were asking for stories about the event to be told that were not well known. The history, if you will, but more than that. The back-stories, the unknown bits to anyone but a few insiders, and some things never told before. 

This has been my motivation since 2018 to write the series "Trans Iowa Stories" which I started posting every Sunday here starting almost exactly two years ago now. (6/2/19) If you've never seen any of those entries they are all being added to their own page which has a link underneath the header here. 

So, there are a number of 'fans' of this gravel event. They have been with me on this ride for years and continue to support my efforts to write up these stories. One of these folks is Ari Andonopoulous, a Trans Iowa rider that came to every Trans Iowa to ride since T.I.v4. He is also known as the leader of those guys and gals that were known as the "Slender Fungus Cycling Association" and some of these fellows still stay in touch with each other despite our far-flung locations from each other. Well, Ari came up with an idea and floated his thoughts to me to consider and to get my blessings on them. 

Ari would dearly love to see a book, a real book, mind you, come out of all these Trans Iowa stories when I am through with the series. He had this idea to produce a Trans Iowa related shirt and raise funds to put aside to help with this effort. As for me, I have always wanted to bring this series to a book form, and really, that was kind of the idea all along, as far as I was concerned. So, I am giving my blessings to the t-shirt design, this idea to raise funds, and perhaps get this book idea off the ground. Here are a few things to know about this:

• The T-Shirt Design: Ari's heart was set on doing a t-shirt featuring the last design for the header art for the Trans Iowa site which I came up with. I'm not going to get into fine details about this design here on this post- that story will come later in the T.I. Stories series, but this digitized version of my design was featured on bottle openers given to riders who rode in the last Trans Iowa. There was no t-shirt then, so this is a commemorative shirt which celebrates the last Trans Iowa ever. 
• The Money: The funds raised will go into an account and sit there until I get the series finished, which I estimate will be perhaps in back end of 2022. Ari will handle that end of things. The funds would help to pay for a production of a book. If all else fails, the idea is to take that money and donate it to a charity, so whatever the outcome, neither Ari, nor I, would benefit from the funds unless it was put towards the production of a book. So, of course, the book is the goal. But I thought everyone should know what might happen if a book doesn't happen for some reason. 
• The Vision: The book will not simply be a recreation directly of "Trans Iowa Stories". That would not make for a good book, even if it could be contained in one book, which I doubt it could. Instead, the plan is that the source material would be edited, condensed down to fit into one book, and with images edited down to something that would make sense. This then would go into a book which wouldn't be so long and riddled with so many images that it would be too cumbersome to interface with comfortably. That process of editing and design for the book is the point where money will have to start being applied to expedite things and get some quality injected into the project. I don't want to slap-dash this thing together and regret the outcome later. 
• How These Shirts Can Be Purchased: I will not be facilitating the sales end as far as the t-shirts go. That is all Ari's deal. He will be posting how you can buy them on his blog. He will be charging $20.00 + $7.00 shipping. He plans on using PayPal, but he also can be contacted via his blog, Instagram, or on Facebook if you need to make other arrangements or to ask questions.  

My part of this is to (a) promote the idea for Ari, and (b) to motivate myself to continue to push toward the goal to get a book out of this someday. Ari's goal is to help me out with that goal, and to celebrate Trans Iowa with this t-shirt. Details will be posted soon and I will have a link to that when Ari gets that up. Once again, I want to thank Ari for his idea here and for going ahead and getting all those shirts printed up. (Yes- he already has a bunch of these ready to go.) 

Thank you for considering this and I hope that you enjoy reading the Trans Iowa Stories so far. Any comments and/or suggestions are always welcome. LINK to Ari's post on the shirts is here.

Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Update On The SCC Lube

Minor residue on the rollers and the chain looks good here.

 NOTICE:  The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all.

It is time for an update on the SCC Tech Lube which is in this latest round of the 'Lube-Off'. If you haven't seen any previous posts on this, here is a link which also has links back to the introduction. 

In that previous entry I mention that the SCC Tech Lube was giving off a bit of wet, black residue when I performed my 'Touch Test'. That's a swipe of the index finger on the inner run of the chain to see what- if anything- comes off on my finger. To be fair, SCC Tech claims to 'clean your chain' and they say that you will notice some black residue which they say is dirt and grime being worked out of the inner workings of the chain. Well, good or bad, this seems to be the case here and the chain is consistently exhibiting such a residue. Even after several hours of dusty gravel road riding. 

Meanwhile, the side plates look great. Granted, this Wippermann chain is black, so maybe I cannot detect a fine, slightly discolored look. The cassette does show this, so I am guessing that I perhaps cannot see this on the chain due to its coloration. Build-up of gunk is very minimal, but there is some to find on the jockey wheels. That said, it was wetter than you'd normally see, sort of along the lines of what SCC Tech would suggest you might find. The fact that this lube seems to not have a gritty component to that residue is something of a surprise here. 

I've got a little ways yet to go to reach six hours on this chain and lube, so I will have a final look at the SCC Tech Lube at that point, then I will contrast this with the NixFrixShun Blue Devil Lube. Then we'll look at how these two stack up against the DuMonde Tech and Muc-Off C3 Ceramic lubricants that I have had the best results with. That will all come within the next couple of weeks, I imagine. 

A final note: There are several new lubricants being suggested by you- the readers- and a few I've seen mentioned via press release and whatnot. Many of these lubricants- including the Blue Devil and SCC Tech being tested now- claim to be 'all-purpose' lubricants. This eschews the long previously held maxim that you need a 'wet' and a 'dry' conditions lubricant. So, I may be splintering off a category here which reflects that and post new 'Top Choice' lubes which fall into a category that reflects the new direction I am noting in lubricant marketing.

Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Update On The SCC Lube

Minor residue on the rollers and the chain looks good here.

 NOTICE:  The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all.

It is time for an update on the SCC Tech Lube which is in this latest round of the 'Lube-Off'. If you haven't seen any previous posts on this, here is a link which also has links back to the introduction. 

In that previous entry I mention that the SCC Tech Lube was giving off a bit of wet, black residue when I performed my 'Touch Test'. That's a swipe of the index finger on the inner run of the chain to see what- if anything- comes off on my finger. To be fair, SCC Tech claims to 'clean your chain' and they say that you will notice some black residue which they say is dirt and grime being worked out of the inner workings of the chain. Well, good or bad, this seems to be the case here and the chain is consistently exhibiting such a residue. Even after several hours of dusty gravel road riding. 

Meanwhile, the side plates look great. Granted, this Wippermann chain is black, so maybe I cannot detect a fine, slightly discolored look. The cassette does show this, so I am guessing that I perhaps cannot see this on the chain due to its coloration. Build-up of gunk is very minimal, but there is some to find on the jockey wheels. That said, it was wetter than you'd normally see, sort of along the lines of what SCC Tech would suggest you might find. The fact that this lube seems to not have a gritty component to that residue is something of a surprise here. 

I've got a little ways yet to go to reach six hours on this chain and lube, so I will have a final look at the SCC Tech Lube at that point, then I will contrast this with the NixFrixShun Blue Devil Lube. Then we'll look at how these two stack up against the DuMonde Tech and Muc-Off C3 Ceramic lubricants that I have had the best results with. That will all come within the next couple of weeks, I imagine. 

A final note: There are several new lubricants being suggested by you- the readers- and a few I've seen mentioned via press release and whatnot. Many of these lubricants- including the Blue Devil and SCC Tech being tested now- claim to be 'all-purpose' lubricants. This eschews the long previously held maxim that you need a 'wet' and a 'dry' conditions lubricant. So, I may be splintering off a category here which reflects that and post new 'Top Choice' lubes which fall into a category that reflects the new direction I am noting in lubricant marketing.

A Few Quick Comments On The Weekend's Event In Emporia

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Over the weekend the inaugural "Unbound Gravel" event occurred, or was it the 15th one? I'm still a bit confused by this. I was at several so-called 'previous editions' of this event which were called the "Dirty Kanza 200". An event co-founded by Jim Cummins and Joel Dyke. I don't remember that it was ever called anything else, and now with so much changed, is it really still that event? 

Well, whatever.... Ignoring your unsavory bits while trying to hold on to your equity is not a new ploy in history.  

There was a huge marketing push behind Unbound Gravel to get out the narratives that they wanted to have take the stage in people's minds. The event had hired a professional firm which sent out daily press releases for four straight days with story line suggestions for media to write about. This included imagery and athlete interview opportunities. (I know because I received them for 'Riding Gravel') It shows how seriously Life Time was taking this event and how they were wanting to form public opinion. 

Missing from any of the releases and story suggestions were any mention of the event's place in gravel event history, previous difficulties with the original name, and only cursory mention of any evidence of a previous history at all by naming 'former winners'. You may remember these people were named "King" and Queen" of Kanza back in the day. Promised 'inclusivity' measures, which were announced during the name change period, were briefly suggested in one day's press release, but were not mentioned during the rest of the event's coverage. These story ideas were presented as a thing that was made 'optional' to cover for those who were sent the releases. Did anyone see this get pushed out? I did not. Updated 6/8/21 @ 4:08pm - Unbound Facebook page shows award being given to the first non-binary racer.

The event promised 'live coverage' via a feed provided by FLO Racing, and while there was some neat drone footage and social media updates, viewers criticized the coverage for several reasons. It was not 'enough this or that' and I saw the mentions of a lack of coverage of the women's race. At one point, the timing and scoring showed Peter Stetina missing, and many were pointing out the failure on Twitter Saturday, comparing how results and scoring and timing worked during Pro road racing from Europe. 

In my experience, if you even breathe a word about 'coverage', you'd better come with full-on, fully budgeted, and Pro level quality content for free, (or almost free) for internet consumption, or it will be viewed as a giant fail. Otherwise you have to explicitly set expectations ahead of time, but I did not see where Unbound did anything of the sort. So, in my opinion, the criticisms are to be expected, even if they are unfair.  

The event itself consisted of about 2800 riders, (according to the press release) but if you watched the social media, all you saw or heard about were the top ten or eleven male and female racers in the 200, the 100, and the top two male and female winners in the "XL" portion of the event, which was the 350 mile 'self-supported' distance. Riders of the shorter distances who used to race the same day as the 100 and 200 were forced to ride on Friday instead. 

Overall, there was no real big news out of the way things went down. It was typical Kansas fare. A lead group whittled its way down to a few potential winners, there were crashes, mechanicals, and in my opinion, the only surprise was the male winner of the XL who smashed the time record. It was hot, (but we were actually hotter here in Iowa by ten degrees- weird!) and there was wind. But the roads looked pretty good for the Flint Hills from the images I saw. 

Finally, I leave off with this observation from the last press release I was sent: There were several '1000 Mile Club" inductees this year- People who had completed the 200 mile distance five times. There was also a mention of "..Kristi Mohn, co-founder of the event...". Okay? Kristi certainly could be a co-founder of Unbound Gravel, but co-founder of the event you are saying these people rode five times and finished? Uhhh.......something doesn't add up here. Either I was dreaming when Jim and Joel cooked this idea up and told me about it in 2005 or something about history is being manipulated here. 

Your guess is as good as mine......

A Few Quick Comments On The Weekend's Event In Emporia

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Over the weekend the inaugural "Unbound Gravel" event occurred, or was it the 15th one? I'm still a bit confused by this. I was at several so-called 'previous editions' of this event which were called the "Dirty Kanza 200". An event co-founded by Jim Cummins and Joel Dyke. I don't remember that it was ever called anything else, and now with so much changed, is it really still that event? 

Well, whatever.... Ignoring your unsavory bits while trying to hold on to your equity is not a new ploy in history.  

There was a huge marketing push behind Unbound Gravel to get out the narratives that they wanted to have take the stage in people's minds. The event had hired a professional firm which sent out daily press releases for four straight days with story line suggestions for media to write about. This included imagery and athlete interview opportunities. (I know because I received them for 'Riding Gravel') It shows how seriously Life Time was taking this event and how they were wanting to form public opinion. 

Missing from any of the releases and story suggestions were any mention of the event's place in gravel event history, previous difficulties with the original name, and only cursory mention of any evidence of a previous history at all by naming 'former winners'. You may remember these people were named "King" and Queen" of Kanza back in the day. Promised 'inclusivity' measures, which were announced during the name change period, were briefly suggested in one day's press release, but were not mentioned during the rest of the event's coverage. These story ideas were presented as a thing that was made 'optional' to cover for those who were sent the releases. Did anyone see this get pushed out? I did not. Updated 6/8/21 @ 4:08pm - Unbound Facebook page shows award being given to the first non-binary racer.

The event promised 'live coverage' via a feed provided by FLO Racing, and while there was some neat drone footage and social media updates, viewers criticized the coverage for several reasons. It was not 'enough this or that' and I saw the mentions of a lack of coverage of the women's race. At one point, the timing and scoring showed Peter Stetina missing, and many were pointing out the failure on Twitter Saturday, comparing how results and scoring and timing worked during Pro road racing from Europe. 

In my experience, if you even breathe a word about 'coverage', you'd better come with full-on, fully budgeted, and Pro level quality content for free, (or almost free) for internet consumption, or it will be viewed as a giant fail. Otherwise you have to explicitly set expectations ahead of time, but I did not see where Unbound did anything of the sort. So, in my opinion, the criticisms are to be expected, even if they are unfair.  

The event itself consisted of about 2800 riders, (according to the press release) but if you watched the social media, all you saw or heard about were the top ten or eleven male and female racers in the 200, the 100, and the top two male and female winners in the "XL" portion of the event, which was the 350 mile 'self-supported' distance. Riders of the shorter distances who used to race the same day as the 100 and 200 were forced to ride on Friday instead. 

Overall, there was no real big news out of the way things went down. It was typical Kansas fare. A lead group whittled its way down to a few potential winners, there were crashes, mechanicals, and in my opinion, the only surprise was the male winner of the XL who smashed the time record. It was hot, (but we were actually hotter here in Iowa by ten degrees- weird!) and there was wind. But the roads looked pretty good for the Flint Hills from the images I saw. 

Finally, I leave off with this observation from the last press release I was sent: There were several '1000 Mile Club" inductees this year- People who had completed the 200 mile distance five times. There was also a mention of "..Kristi Mohn, co-founder of the event...". Okay? Kristi certainly could be a co-founder of Unbound Gravel, but co-founder of the event you are saying these people rode five times and finished? Uhhh.......something doesn't add up here. Either I was dreaming when Jim and Joel cooked this idea up and told me about it in 2005 or something about history is being manipulated here. 

Your guess is as good as mine......

Opinion: What's Happening In The Bicycle Industry

The empty racks and shelves persist- When will it end?

 Note: Today's post is my opinion. My speculations based upon information I have read, been told, and have thought about deeply. This may or may not be the truth, or even close to it. Read on with this in mind......

Obviously the bicycle industry is in the midst of one of its greatest upheavals in recent memory- or maybe for all times. Shelves are empty, bicycles are difficult, if not impossible, to get a hold of. Repair parts are non-existent in some cases, or have risen in prices sharply. 

But more than this, the dealer model for bicycles is being changed now as well. Brands are allocating stock where they think it will pay off the best while shortchanging other smaller, loyal dealers out of the opportunities to sell product. Brands are rethinking how they will sell bicycles in the future. This may have a dramatic effect on many consumers. Meanwhile, I think one major player is in a pickle and is making, what I think is, a major play to corner production.  

First off- the shortages: You know things are not good when brands issue their own take on the problems with obtaining products on their websites. (Example from Ritchey Design here) If you have friends who think this is a false narrative, a conspiracy, or some way to 'rip-off consumers', then maybe they could be swayed by reading those types of statements on the brand websites where typically they are hawking product and marketing lifestyle. But yeah.....they probably wouldn't believe it no matter what. That doesn't change reality. 

A couple things to note: 2023...... Let that sink in. Many people I am hearing from in the industry are now saying that is when things will return to 'normal' stock levels. 2022 will be 'better', but not at 100%. Think about it- we are already halfway to 2022 and it takes months to get stuff from the Far East to our shores. We have not seen shipping issues improving- yet. When those roadblocks start coming down, I then feel we'll see more improvements in stock lists here. I know that as of now things are moving 'on the water', as they say, but almost all of those items are going out immediately to consumers via shops. What is coming is limited in numbers, and to top it all off, the prices for shipping containers from the Far East has seen a HUGE increase in cost over the past year. Guess who will bear the brunt of those costs?

Re-opening of things like Las Vegas will affect the so-called 'Boom".

And on one side of all of this we have the re-opening of the economy and social opportunities. Here in the U.S.A. the pandemic restrictions are all being lifted, or already have been. On June 1st, Las Vegas fully re-opened with no restrictions. Essentially 'back to normal' again. This is just one example, but while this may seem rash on one hand, or very positive on another, you may wonder what in the heck this has to do with cycling and shortages, and upheavals in the industry. 

Well, in many places, something is happening that is not being covered by anyone in the endemic cycling media- yet. I think it will have to be addressed soon though. But what I am hearing from mechanic friends in several places in the country is that cycling repairs and tune-ups are not at the levels they were last season. In fact, some are saying it is below normal, pre-pandemic levels for this time of the season. Why? The narrative in the media is that cycling is 'booming'. Well.....it was, back when you could not do anything else and officials were telling us to get outside and exercise as a way to combat getting "the 'rona". 

But have you seen those families out cruising you saw last year? Have you seen those folks you never saw on the bike paths riding last year lately? What happened? Re-opening happened- that's what. People can go see movies, concerts, or, you know, go to Las Vegas again. Sporting venues are back at full capacity in many places. Families are going to water parks, vacations, Summer camps, etc. Those people are not riding bicycles. 

And finally- the way you find and buy bicycles is undergoing radical change right now. Brands are dropping dealers in some cases, and in others they are reallocating product to their biggest dealers and taking away from orders placed by smaller ones, leaving those dealers with nothing to sell. There is some in-fighting going on, and I feel that the results of what is happening now won't be fully known for quite a while yet. In one case, it is my opinion that a brand that is well known may well be trying to corner production for themselves and the result is that another brand may well be shut out, or greatly reduced in production numbers.

 The end result, I feel, will be that you are going to find that some brands are going to go to an online, direct to consumer only model in the future. Some brands will have no presence in smaller markets and will only be found in Southern California, (traditionally the biggest market for cycling in the country), or in bigger metropolitan areas like Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, New York City, and the like. If you live in a state like Iowa? You may have to drive several hours to get a test ride, or just capitulate and buy online. 

And some brands may not survive. I've felt that for years there have been too many brands out there. But who knows? Maybe these brands pivot and find a niche to survive. Electrified bicycles are certainly one area that could happen in, but again- as I have stated a million times here (not really, but you know), without safe places to ride, you may as well forget about the US being anything like Europe where HPC's (Hybrid Powered Cycles) are all the rage. 

And then again- maybe none of this will matter. If things go 'back-to-normal' again, does that mean we will find ourselves back to the same sort of economic numbers and participation in cycling numbers we had pre-pandemic? There are a lot of things in flux here and the results will be interesting, to say the least. But the ultimate irony may be that in the end the industry catches up only to find that nothing has really changed at all. 

UPDATE: June 10th, 2021- "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" reports that Shimano now has shut down its Malaysian factory where most of the lower end components, hubs, and wheels are manufactured. This will be at least until 6/21 and then the Malaysian government will review the situation. Read the "BRAIN" story here. 

Opinion: What's Happening In The Bicycle Industry

The empty racks and shelves persist- When will it end?

 Note: Today's post is my opinion. My speculations based upon information I have read, been told, and have thought about deeply. This may or may not be the truth, or even close to it. Read on with this in mind......

Obviously the bicycle industry is in the midst of one of its greatest upheavals in recent memory- or maybe for all times. Shelves are empty, bicycles are difficult, if not impossible, to get a hold of. Repair parts are non-existent in some cases, or have risen in prices sharply. 

But more than this, the dealer model for bicycles is being changed now as well. Brands are allocating stock where they think it will pay off the best while shortchanging other smaller, loyal dealers out of the opportunities to sell product. Brands are rethinking how they will sell bicycles in the future. This may have a dramatic effect on many consumers. Meanwhile, I think one major player is in a pickle and is making, what I think is, a major play to corner production.  

First off- the shortages: You know things are not good when brands issue their own take on the problems with obtaining products on their websites. (Example from Ritchey Design here) If you have friends who think this is a false narrative, a conspiracy, or some way to 'rip-off consumers', then maybe they could be swayed by reading those types of statements on the brand websites where typically they are hawking product and marketing lifestyle. But yeah.....they probably wouldn't believe it no matter what. That doesn't change reality. 

A couple things to note: 2023...... Let that sink in. Many people I am hearing from in the industry are now saying that is when things will return to 'normal' stock levels. 2022 will be 'better', but not at 100%. Think about it- we are already halfway to 2022 and it takes months to get stuff from the Far East to our shores. We have not seen shipping issues improving- yet. When those roadblocks start coming down, I then feel we'll see more improvements in stock lists here. I know that as of now things are moving 'on the water', as they say, but almost all of those items are going out immediately to consumers via shops. What is coming is limited in numbers, and to top it all off, the prices for shipping containers from the Far East has seen a HUGE increase in cost over the past year. Guess who will bear the brunt of those costs?

Re-opening of things like Las Vegas will affect the so-called 'Boom".

And on one side of all of this we have the re-opening of the economy and social opportunities. Here in the U.S.A. the pandemic restrictions are all being lifted, or already have been. On June 1st, Las Vegas fully re-opened with no restrictions. Essentially 'back to normal' again. This is just one example, but while this may seem rash on one hand, or very positive on another, you may wonder what in the heck this has to do with cycling and shortages, and upheavals in the industry. 

Well, in many places, something is happening that is not being covered by anyone in the endemic cycling media- yet. I think it will have to be addressed soon though. But what I am hearing from mechanic friends in several places in the country is that cycling repairs and tune-ups are not at the levels they were last season. In fact, some are saying it is below normal, pre-pandemic levels for this time of the season. Why? The narrative in the media is that cycling is 'booming'. Well.....it was, back when you could not do anything else and officials were telling us to get outside and exercise as a way to combat getting "the 'rona". 

But have you seen those families out cruising you saw last year? Have you seen those folks you never saw on the bike paths riding last year lately? What happened? Re-opening happened- that's what. People can go see movies, concerts, or, you know, go to Las Vegas again. Sporting venues are back at full capacity in many places. Families are going to water parks, vacations, Summer camps, etc. Those people are not riding bicycles. 

And finally- the way you find and buy bicycles is undergoing radical change right now. Brands are dropping dealers in some cases, and in others they are reallocating product to their biggest dealers and taking away from orders placed by smaller ones, leaving those dealers with nothing to sell. There is some in-fighting going on, and I feel that the results of what is happening now won't be fully known for quite a while yet. In one case, it is my opinion that a brand that is well known may well be trying to corner production for themselves and the result is that another brand may well be shut out, or greatly reduced in production numbers.

 The end result, I feel, will be that you are going to find that some brands are going to go to an online, direct to consumer only model in the future. Some brands will have no presence in smaller markets and will only be found in Southern California, (traditionally the biggest market for cycling in the country), or in bigger metropolitan areas like Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, New York City, and the like. If you live in a state like Iowa? You may have to drive several hours to get a test ride, or just capitulate and buy online. 

And some brands may not survive. I've felt that for years there have been too many brands out there. But who knows? Maybe these brands pivot and find a niche to survive. Electrified bicycles are certainly one area that could happen in, but again- as I have stated a million times here (not really, but you know), without safe places to ride, you may as well forget about the US being anything like Europe where HPC's (Hybrid Powered Cycles) are all the rage. 

And then again- maybe none of this will matter. If things go 'back-to-normal' again, does that mean we will find ourselves back to the same sort of economic numbers and participation in cycling numbers we had pre-pandemic? There are a lot of things in flux here and the results will be interesting, to say the least. But the ultimate irony may be that in the end the industry catches up only to find that nothing has really changed at all. 

UPDATE: June 10th, 2021- "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" reports that Shimano now has shut down its Malaysian factory where most of the lower end components, hubs, and wheels are manufactured. This will be at least until 6/21 and then the Malaysian government will review the situation. Read the "BRAIN" story here. 

Trans Iowa Stories: A Wrench In The Works

Exactly one week out from T.I.v12, Wally and George helped verify the course.

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject  by clicking on the "Trans Iowa Stories" link under the blog header. Thanks and enjoy! 

I was getting a bit anxious because here we were two weeks out from Trans Iowa v12 and I did not have any cue sheets! That was because instead of doing final recon in March, as I was hoping to do, Wally and George couldn't make it work until the weekend before T.I.v12. That fact was making my stress levels go up, but this step was, in my opinion, a non-negotiable step, and a must if I were to be relying on my directions for the riders. Plus, I mean, Wally and George were now integral parts of the event. I wanted them there, and we had a friendship that was unique. I enjoyed all of that, so waiting until what I thought of as 'the last minute' was okay. It was worth it to have Wally and George be there and for them to be a part of Trans Iowa. 

Besides, doing recon only a week away from the event would surely insure that all my route would not be in danger of changing. Right? Well, I thought so at the time anyway. So, it was that Wally and George came out and on a sunny, warm day we hit the gravel and saw what was to be the Trans Iowa v12 course. But we also had another mission. It had to do with photography. Wally was scoping out good imagery spots along the course and called for several stops to investigate angles and such. He even would do calculations, aided by George, to figure out what the lighting would be at certain times during the event and everything. Then he and George would bounce ideas off each other, Wally would make a few notes, and we'd drive on.

This made what Wally did really good, and by the time of T.I.v12, he had his image-craft down pat. (Although I know he would disagree, Wally being his own worst critic) He is a talented photographer, and he showed that he really cared and was into Trans Iowa by not only his actions, but in the results of his imagery, which as far as Trans Iowa went, reached its zenith with T.I.v12. 

The packing of the schwag-bags was all handled by volunteers who were excited to be there.

With a very favorable weather pattern forecast for the weekend, excitement for the twelfth Trans Iowa was high. Even the volunteers were giddy and the fact that we were 'getting the band back together' was exciting. Plus, we had a few 'new members' too. Co-workers of mine at the time, Todd Southworth and Andy Tetmeyer were to be Checkpoint #1 volunteers and what's more, Andy was bringing down a vintage Winnebago RV to sleep in Friday evening and he invited some folks to stay with him if need be. My friend Tony McGrane offered to haul a bunch of stuff from Waterloo to the venue which lightened my load considerably. Mike Johnson, formerly a finisher and perennial good rider in the event, turned volunteer and was helping with the set up of the Pre-Race event. Plus he got the final cues printed and paid for the job as part of his 'sponsorship' of the event, which also included those 3D printed key fobs I mentioned earlier. People were excited to help me out, and it was really unbelievable to watch unfold in front of me. 

That made me feel a lot better. Things seemed to be put together really well, and many things I used to have to do on my own were now being lifted off of my shoulders by good friends of mine and of the event. Even silly little things like vinyl tape and stakes were off my 'to-do' list because of people like Mike Baggio who bought those supplies and donated them to Trans Iowa, besides his being a volunteer and for Trans Iowa v12, a surrogate 'support person'. Apparently one guy that was coming was going to be losing his support person and had asked for a replacement via social media. Mike asked if I could excuse him after his CP#1 duties to be that support for this guy, just in case. I of course relieved him of any other duties.This all is just one example of many that showed the community spirit that had arisen around Trans Iowa. 

Volunteers Mike Johnson (L) and MG chat after the Pre-Race Meat-Up for v12.

So, what could go wrong? Well, with hindsight I would say, "Never ask that question!" But on the morning of April 22nd, I got my truck packed up and thought I had this thing in the bag. All we had to do was walk through the pre-event formalities and set this rocket off. I filled the gas tank in the truck and decided to take a highway down that sort of shadowed the course as it came up from the South toward Waterloo. Why I did this, I've no idea other than maybe I was thinking it would be easier to drive the first 100 miles of T.I.v12's course backward to Grinnell, thus saving miles on a day where time was of the essence. Whatever the reason, as I sped along Highway 21, I noted a "Road Closed" sign at the intersection of 21 and Co. D-65. And a thought jumped into my brain right then. "Wonder if that is for that bridge we are using?.....OH CRAP!", I thought, as I hit the brakes and made a quick "U" turn. It didn't take long for me to discover that yes- indeed it was the very bridge we were going to use to get across a feeder creek for Wolf Creek just South of there. 

A week before the bridge was there with no indications that any work was about to take place. One week later? It wasn't just blocked off, it was completely GONE! There was zero chance that any rider could navigate through this. I had to do a reroute and I had to do it right then and there. Out came the maps, I did a bit of recon, and within a half an hour I had identified a way around this bridge which added about 4 miles to the course! 

The silver lining to it all was that I discovered it by happenstance on Friday, not Saturday during the event, so I had the chance to actually announce the reroute at the Pre-Race to everyone there. That said, during the event Tony and Mike, Matt and I, and a couple of others manned the corners to the reroute and made sure everyone got around okay. But on Friday, I didn't know how it would go, and all I knew was that a big wrench had been thrown into the works and we hadn't even started yet! 

Next: A Tale of Two Trans Iowas: Part 1

Trans Iowa Stories: A Wrench In The Works

Exactly one week out from T.I.v12, Wally and George helped verify the course.

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject  by clicking on the "Trans Iowa Stories" link under the blog header. Thanks and enjoy! 

I was getting a bit anxious because here we were two weeks out from Trans Iowa v12 and I did not have any cue sheets! That was because instead of doing final recon in March, as I was hoping to do, Wally and George couldn't make it work until the weekend before T.I.v12. That fact was making my stress levels go up, but this step was, in my opinion, a non-negotiable step, and a must if I were to be relying on my directions for the riders. Plus, I mean, Wally and George were now integral parts of the event. I wanted them there, and we had a friendship that was unique. I enjoyed all of that, so waiting until what I thought of as 'the last minute' was okay. It was worth it to have Wally and George be there and for them to be a part of Trans Iowa. 

Besides, doing recon only a week away from the event would surely insure that all my route would not be in danger of changing. Right? Well, I thought so at the time anyway. So, it was that Wally and George came out and on a sunny, warm day we hit the gravel and saw what was to be the Trans Iowa v12 course. But we also had another mission. It had to do with photography. Wally was scoping out good imagery spots along the course and called for several stops to investigate angles and such. He even would do calculations, aided by George, to figure out what the lighting would be at certain times during the event and everything. Then he and George would bounce ideas off each other, Wally would make a few notes, and we'd drive on.

This made what Wally did really good, and by the time of T.I.v12, he had his image-craft down pat. (Although I know he would disagree, Wally being his own worst critic) He is a talented photographer, and he showed that he really cared and was into Trans Iowa by not only his actions, but in the results of his imagery, which as far as Trans Iowa went, reached its zenith with T.I.v12. 

The packing of the schwag-bags was all handled by volunteers who were excited to be there.

With a very favorable weather pattern forecast for the weekend, excitement for the twelfth Trans Iowa was high. Even the volunteers were giddy and the fact that we were 'getting the band back together' was exciting. Plus, we had a few 'new members' too. Co-workers of mine at the time, Todd Southworth and Andy Tetmeyer were to be Checkpoint #1 volunteers and what's more, Andy was bringing down a vintage Winnebago RV to sleep in Friday evening and he invited some folks to stay with him if need be. My friend Tony McGrane offered to haul a bunch of stuff from Waterloo to the venue which lightened my load considerably. Mike Johnson, formerly a finisher and perennial good rider in the event, turned volunteer and was helping with the set up of the Pre-Race event. Plus he got the final cues printed and paid for the job as part of his 'sponsorship' of the event, which also included those 3D printed key fobs I mentioned earlier. People were excited to help me out, and it was really unbelievable to watch unfold in front of me. 

That made me feel a lot better. Things seemed to be put together really well, and many things I used to have to do on my own were now being lifted off of my shoulders by good friends of mine and of the event. Even silly little things like vinyl tape and stakes were off my 'to-do' list because of people like Mike Baggio who bought those supplies and donated them to Trans Iowa, besides his being a volunteer and for Trans Iowa v12, a surrogate 'support person'. Apparently one guy that was coming was going to be losing his support person and had asked for a replacement via social media. Mike asked if I could excuse him after his CP#1 duties to be that support for this guy, just in case. I of course relieved him of any other duties.This all is just one example of many that showed the community spirit that had arisen around Trans Iowa. 

Volunteers Mike Johnson (L) and MG chat after the Pre-Race Meat-Up for v12.

So, what could go wrong? Well, with hindsight I would say, "Never ask that question!" But on the morning of April 22nd, I got my truck packed up and thought I had this thing in the bag. All we had to do was walk through the pre-event formalities and set this rocket off. I filled the gas tank in the truck and decided to take a highway down that sort of shadowed the course as it came up from the South toward Waterloo. Why I did this, I've no idea other than maybe I was thinking it would be easier to drive the first 100 miles of T.I.v12's course backward to Grinnell, thus saving miles on a day where time was of the essence. Whatever the reason, as I sped along Highway 21, I noted a "Road Closed" sign at the intersection of 21 and Co. D-65. And a thought jumped into my brain right then. "Wonder if that is for that bridge we are using?.....OH CRAP!", I thought, as I hit the brakes and made a quick "U" turn. It didn't take long for me to discover that yes- indeed it was the very bridge we were going to use to get across a feeder creek for Wolf Creek just South of there. 

A week before the bridge was there with no indications that any work was about to take place. One week later? It wasn't just blocked off, it was completely GONE! There was zero chance that any rider could navigate through this. I had to do a reroute and I had to do it right then and there. Out came the maps, I did a bit of recon, and within a half an hour I had identified a way around this bridge which added about 4 miles to the course! 

The silver lining to it all was that I discovered it by happenstance on Friday, not Saturday during the event, so I had the chance to actually announce the reroute at the Pre-Race to everyone there. That said, during the event Tony and Mike, Matt and I, and a couple of others manned the corners to the reroute and made sure everyone got around okay. But on Friday, I didn't know how it would go, and all I knew was that a big wrench had been thrown into the works and we hadn't even started yet! 

Next: A Tale of Two Trans Iowas: Part 1

Country Views: Testing Changes

It was one of those picture-perfect days I got to ride on.

Wednesday I made a few changes to the 'Gravel Bus', (documented on Thursday here), and I wanted to get out for a short run to see how these changes affected the ride. So, after lunch was settled I headed out to Prairie Grove Park in the truck to embark on a little test ride. 

It was one of those 'picture-perfect' days which you dream of riding on. The clouds were puffy, the breezes were light, and the temperature was about as 'just-right' as you can hope for in Iowa. Even the humidity was low. 

It reminded me of a lot of rides I got in last year. It seemed that those sorts of days just piled up one on top of another last year. I highly doubt that I will ever experience the string of awesome riding days like that again, but Wednesday was a possible start of another run of these days. I won't complain if it happens again, that is for sure! 

So, the plan was to head South, kind of backwards to my usual loop, going West on Orange Road to Aker Road instead of East to Ansborough. I thought about heading down and doing Petrie Road, but as I got close to the right hander a Jeep passed me by and headed down that road, so I decided to just keep heading South. It was an odd ride in that this was just the first of several cars and trucks I came across during my ride. That usually is not the case out here. 

The land keeps getting greener.

The new set up: Ergon grips and re-wrapped bar tape.

The new set up on the Standard Rando v2 is going to do the trick, I think. The handlebars were much more comfortable and tolerable than before. I may do some tweaking on things. One of the minor changes may include just wrapping with bar tape starting at the base of the levers and the little bit past there towards the stem. The space between the end of the Ergon grip and the lever base could be taken up by bits of ESI silicone grip which I happen to have a longer section of here. That grip section would fit the Winston Bar well at that point. We'll see. For now it is just a thought.

Wind rows of freshly cut hay. There is a baler and wagons in this image, but they are hard to see.

The same area as above. Wagons waiting to be loaded with 'square bales'.

A couple years ago I noted some farmers baling hay with an old 'square baler'- the traditional way hay was baled from the early 20th Century up until the 1980's. That was when I noted that the big, round bales were all you'd see anymore. Things remained that way and that is still the way the majority of farmers seem to handle hay and alfalfa these days. 

But now I've been noting a resurgence of 'square bale' activity. I saw at least three different examples of it last year and now this South of Waterloo where it appears that this entire crop of hay in this field will be taken as the traditional, 'square' bale which I remember as a kid. I have no idea why this would be happening now. Obviously these smaller rectangular hay bales are easier to handle and transport, so maybe that has something to do with it. 

I could have ridden all day, but I had other things to get to....

A big Ag sprayer in action off Ansborough.

The test was successful and I got a decent ride in to boot. So I was pretty pleased with how things went. There will be a few changes yet, but this is very close to where I want to be. I may opt for the 700c wheels and tires again soon. The 650B diameter is jusssst small enough that I feel a bit spun out at times. The 700c set up will rectify that. However, I must say that I have enjoyed the way these voluminous tires roll over chunky, loose gravel. The thing is, we've had so little of that this season so far. Now you just wait, I'll put on the 700c's and the maintainers will be out en force.  Ha!

Country Views: Testing Changes

It was one of those picture-perfect days I got to ride on.

Wednesday I made a few changes to the 'Gravel Bus', (documented on Thursday here), and I wanted to get out for a short run to see how these changes affected the ride. So, after lunch was settled I headed out to Prairie Grove Park in the truck to embark on a little test ride. 

It was one of those 'picture-perfect' days which you dream of riding on. The clouds were puffy, the breezes were light, and the temperature was about as 'just-right' as you can hope for in Iowa. Even the humidity was low. 

It reminded me of a lot of rides I got in last year. It seemed that those sorts of days just piled up one on top of another last year. I highly doubt that I will ever experience the string of awesome riding days like that again, but Wednesday was a possible start of another run of these days. I won't complain if it happens again, that is for sure! 

So, the plan was to head South, kind of backwards to my usual loop, going West on Orange Road to Aker Road instead of East to Ansborough. I thought about heading down and doing Petrie Road, but as I got close to the right hander a Jeep passed me by and headed down that road, so I decided to just keep heading South. It was an odd ride in that this was just the first of several cars and trucks I came across during my ride. That usually is not the case out here. 

The land keeps getting greener.

The new set up: Ergon grips and re-wrapped bar tape.

The new set up on the Standard Rando v2 is going to do the trick, I think. The handlebars were much more comfortable and tolerable than before. I may do some tweaking on things. One of the minor changes may include just wrapping with bar tape starting at the base of the levers and the little bit past there towards the stem. The space between the end of the Ergon grip and the lever base could be taken up by bits of ESI silicone grip which I happen to have a longer section of here. That grip section would fit the Winston Bar well at that point. We'll see. For now it is just a thought.

Wind rows of freshly cut hay. There is a baler and wagons in this image, but they are hard to see.

The same area as above. Wagons waiting to be loaded with 'square bales'.

A couple years ago I noted some farmers baling hay with an old 'square baler'- the traditional way hay was baled from the early 20th Century up until the 1980's. That was when I noted that the big, round bales were all you'd see anymore. Things remained that way and that is still the way the majority of farmers seem to handle hay and alfalfa these days. 

But now I've been noting a resurgence of 'square bale' activity. I saw at least three different examples of it last year and now this South of Waterloo where it appears that this entire crop of hay in this field will be taken as the traditional, 'square' bale which I remember as a kid. I have no idea why this would be happening now. Obviously these smaller rectangular hay bales are easier to handle and transport, so maybe that has something to do with it. 

I could have ridden all day, but I had other things to get to....

A big Ag sprayer in action off Ansborough.

The test was successful and I got a decent ride in to boot. So I was pretty pleased with how things went. There will be a few changes yet, but this is very close to where I want to be. I may opt for the 700c wheels and tires again soon. The 650B diameter is jusssst small enough that I feel a bit spun out at times. The 700c set up will rectify that. However, I must say that I have enjoyed the way these voluminous tires roll over chunky, loose gravel. The thing is, we've had so little of that this season so far. Now you just wait, I'll put on the 700c's and the maintainers will be out en force.  Ha!

Friday News And Views

The New Fox Transfer SL Dropper Post.

 FOX Debuts New Dropper For XC/Gravel Bikes:

Dropper posts, the seat posts which have the ability to lower via a mechanical connection to a lever at your handlebar, are generally thought of as a mountain biking thing. The ability to get that saddle down and out of the way is a boon to off-road cyclists on descents. But the aerodynamic benefits to gravel riders seems to be less known. That benefit, perhaps best described when one thinks about that banned 'top tube seated position' that Pro road racers used to use, is definitely something you have to feel to have it be believed. 

FOX, just this week, debuted a new FOX Transfer SL post which has been lightened quite a bit to get around the complaints many gravel and XC MTB riders have about traditional dropper post weight. This new post weighs a little over 300 grams, (327 claimed), which is about 130 grams more than many fancy, carbon seat posts. (Of course, that doesn't include the lever to operate the post, nor the cable and housing)

Posts will be available in 27.2mm, 30.9mm, and 31.6mm at $399.00 for the Factory version and $329.00 for the Elite version. Various dropper lengths will also be available. 

How did FOX drop the weight so far? Well, they made this post operate via a coil spring with only two positions instead of an infinitely settable positioning within limitations of the dropper. FOX claims that most gravel and XC MTB riders only want 'all the way down' or 'all the way up' positions anyway. This allowed FOX to ditch all the air seals, hydraulic fluids, and the attendant mechanisms to house that within the post. 

Comments: So, in other words, FOX remade Specialized's Command Post from almost ten years ago. I happen to have a Command Post and it operates almost identically to this new FOX post. It has two positions: All the way down or what Specialized called a "Cruiser" height. It is a cable operated post, like the new Transfer SL, and the only difference is that Specialized used an air spring versus FOX's coil spring. 

Otherwise this will appeal to those who want light weight and dropper ability. The downsides are that grit and grime from dirt road/gravel road riding will affect the operation of this sort of post negatively, especially when you see that FOX took away all the sealing mechanisms in order to attain the weight target they set. Time will tell, but the seemingly low-tech seat post, which most of us take for granted, undergoes tremendous amounts of stress and torque while riding. Not to mention exposure to dirt, dust, mud, rain, etc. How this post will hold up to all of that is yet to be seen. 

The Cannondale "Bugger" trailer (Image from old Cannondale marketing print)

Cannondale Turns 50:

Hard to believe it, but Cannondale, as a brand, turns 50 years old this month. Back in 1971 the company started by Joe Montgomery offered its first product, a touring trailer towed by the bicycle. The first product of its kind ever offered. 

The idea was to get the load off the back of the cyclist and using the same positioning, the trailer was designed so that the load could be carried with no weight put on the bike at all. This saved wheels from being stressed more than they would have been with the weight bourne by the bicycle. Of course, this all happened at the dawn of the height of bicycle tourism, so the product found an audience fairly quickly. In fact, one could argue that 'bikepacking' was invented by the brand back in the 70's. 

That history can be read on the MOMBAT page for the brand here. I highly recommend that you check it out. Cannondale was not just a bicycle brand! There are a few things I learned there which I had never known before I researched this entry for today's 'FN&V'. 

My introduction to Cannondale was via mountain bikes, of course, and more intimately through my touring days, which you can read about by clicking the "The Touring Series" tab just under the header on the upper right here. I was exposed to cool Cannondale panniers and Cannondale cycling clothing through those experiences. 

Congratulations to Cannondale on 50 years! 

Good Luck Unbound Riders:

Last week I riffed on this new event's name, which has a really weird reason for being in existence. I say that because 99.9% of folks are just rolling over the DK200 into this and basically 'the why' of this has been swept under a rug. Okay....so be it. Not my circus.....

That said, I do wish everyone a safe, fun, successful event.

Looks like the weather will be pretty okay. Basically pretty typical for this event. "High" humidity, which for them is around what? 40%? And there will be wind. Oh yes.... From the South too, so getting back to Emporia will be tougher than going out. 

Lots of Sunshine too, so, as a person who has experienced all of this there in the past, you'd better stay on top of that hydration, measure out your pace, and keep moving. Sitting around will not be a good play unless you are overheating, dehydrated, and hurting. 

The "North" route tends to be the more gnarly way down there, so I suspect that I will hear about a lot of attrition, biffs, flat tires, and stories about dragging tail to Emporia from this one. That's par for the course down there with this sort of weather set up. 

I hear a lot of folks are going with road shoes and pedals. Hope that you do not have to hike-a-bike on some rocky bits with those. Otherwise this event really caters to that sort of set up and the weather is looking to be playing into that set up as well. Should be interesting. 

Anyway, I am not there, obviously, since I have a family to collect tomorrow, which leads me to the next and last entry today......

Been 'Batchin' It: 

So all this week, a short week, I admit, I have been home alone here. My son graduated last week and since the El Paso relatives could not come to celebrate with us, we sent most of the family down to see them. I, of course, stayed behind to take care of our cat, the plants, and to be able to work the days I could. 

So, with the way the timing of everything worked out with this trip, it precluded me from even thinking about going to Emporia. I will be on the road tomorrow to collect my family from the airport down in Des Moines. Yes- we have to go 2 hours to get to an airport sometimes. That's just how it worked out to be the least expensive way for us. 

Never fear though! I will be sneaking in  a ride, I hope, and that will get reported on next week. Until then, be well, stay safe, ride, have fun, and I'll see y'all soon here on G-Ted Productions. Thanks for reading!

Friday News And Views

The New Fox Transfer SL Dropper Post.

 FOX Debuts New Dropper For XC/Gravel Bikes:

Dropper posts, the seat posts which have the ability to lower via a mechanical connection to a lever at your handlebar, are generally thought of as a mountain biking thing. The ability to get that saddle down and out of the way is a boon to off-road cyclists on descents. But the aerodynamic benefits to gravel riders seems to be less known. That benefit, perhaps best described when one thinks about that banned 'top tube seated position' that Pro road racers used to use, is definitely something you have to feel to have it be believed. 

FOX, just this week, debuted a new FOX Transfer SL post which has been lightened quite a bit to get around the complaints many gravel and XC MTB riders have about traditional dropper post weight. This new post weighs a little over 300 grams, (327 claimed), which is about 130 grams more than many fancy, carbon seat posts. (Of course, that doesn't include the lever to operate the post, nor the cable and housing)

Posts will be available in 27.2mm, 30.9mm, and 31.6mm at $399.00 for the Factory version and $329.00 for the Elite version. Various dropper lengths will also be available. 

How did FOX drop the weight so far? Well, they made this post operate via a coil spring with only two positions instead of an infinitely settable positioning within limitations of the dropper. FOX claims that most gravel and XC MTB riders only want 'all the way down' or 'all the way up' positions anyway. This allowed FOX to ditch all the air seals, hydraulic fluids, and the attendant mechanisms to house that within the post. 

Comments: So, in other words, FOX remade Specialized's Command Post from almost ten years ago. I happen to have a Command Post and it operates almost identically to this new FOX post. It has two positions: All the way down or what Specialized called a "Cruiser" height. It is a cable operated post, like the new Transfer SL, and the only difference is that Specialized used an air spring versus FOX's coil spring. 

Otherwise this will appeal to those who want light weight and dropper ability. The downsides are that grit and grime from dirt road/gravel road riding will affect the operation of this sort of post negatively, especially when you see that FOX took away all the sealing mechanisms in order to attain the weight target they set. Time will tell, but the seemingly low-tech seat post, which most of us take for granted, undergoes tremendous amounts of stress and torque while riding. Not to mention exposure to dirt, dust, mud, rain, etc. How this post will hold up to all of that is yet to be seen. 

The Cannondale "Bugger" trailer (Image from old Cannondale marketing print)

Cannondale Turns 50:

Hard to believe it, but Cannondale, as a brand, turns 50 years old this month. Back in 1971 the company started by Joe Montgomery offered its first product, a touring trailer towed by the bicycle. The first product of its kind ever offered. 

The idea was to get the load off the back of the cyclist and using the same positioning, the trailer was designed so that the load could be carried with no weight put on the bike at all. This saved wheels from being stressed more than they would have been with the weight bourne by the bicycle. Of course, this all happened at the dawn of the height of bicycle tourism, so the product found an audience fairly quickly. In fact, one could argue that 'bikepacking' was invented by the brand back in the 70's. 

That history can be read on the MOMBAT page for the brand here. I highly recommend that you check it out. Cannondale was not just a bicycle brand! There are a few things I learned there which I had never known before I researched this entry for today's 'FN&V'. 

My introduction to Cannondale was via mountain bikes, of course, and more intimately through my touring days, which you can read about by clicking the "The Touring Series" tab just under the header on the upper right here. I was exposed to cool Cannondale panniers and Cannondale cycling clothing through those experiences. 

Congratulations to Cannondale on 50 years! 

Good Luck Unbound Riders:

Last week I riffed on this new event's name, which has a really weird reason for being in existence. I say that because 99.9% of folks are just rolling over the DK200 into this and basically 'the why' of this has been swept under a rug. Okay....so be it. Not my circus.....

That said, I do wish everyone a safe, fun, successful event.

Looks like the weather will be pretty okay. Basically pretty typical for this event. "High" humidity, which for them is around what? 40%? And there will be wind. Oh yes.... From the South too, so getting back to Emporia will be tougher than going out. 

Lots of Sunshine too, so, as a person who has experienced all of this there in the past, you'd better stay on top of that hydration, measure out your pace, and keep moving. Sitting around will not be a good play unless you are overheating, dehydrated, and hurting. 

The "North" route tends to be the more gnarly way down there, so I suspect that I will hear about a lot of attrition, biffs, flat tires, and stories about dragging tail to Emporia from this one. That's par for the course down there with this sort of weather set up. 

I hear a lot of folks are going with road shoes and pedals. Hope that you do not have to hike-a-bike on some rocky bits with those. Otherwise this event really caters to that sort of set up and the weather is looking to be playing into that set up as well. Should be interesting. 

Anyway, I am not there, obviously, since I have a family to collect tomorrow, which leads me to the next and last entry today......

Been 'Batchin' It: 

So all this week, a short week, I admit, I have been home alone here. My son graduated last week and since the El Paso relatives could not come to celebrate with us, we sent most of the family down to see them. I, of course, stayed behind to take care of our cat, the plants, and to be able to work the days I could. 

So, with the way the timing of everything worked out with this trip, it precluded me from even thinking about going to Emporia. I will be on the road tomorrow to collect my family from the airport down in Des Moines. Yes- we have to go 2 hours to get to an airport sometimes. That's just how it worked out to be the least expensive way for us. 

Never fear though! I will be sneaking in  a ride, I hope, and that will get reported on next week. Until then, be well, stay safe, ride, have fun, and I'll see y'all soon here on G-Ted Productions. Thanks for reading!