GPS Take 3: Wahoo Elemnt ROAM - Part 4

Okay, I have a couple of things to share now about this GPS computer. I've been putting up updates here and there and the last one I posted was HERE. Also, in case you haven't figured it out, I received this GPS computer at no charge to test and review. (Again, I'll post about why this statement needs to be here now later) Anyway.... 

First off, there was trouble the other day when I tried to do my 4th of July ride. I had intended on doing a ride I had uploaded to the device. A route of around 30 miles, which I actually replicated on the 4th, except that I went backward on it. 

Well, it wasn't in the device. It was on the app, but I am not familiar with that enough to know where to look, so I missed that on my phone. (But I didn't think you needed the phone for this?)  I was frustrated. My plan was to have the device give me turn-by-turn instructions and test to see if the device could accurately follow a route. However; that will have to wait until another time now. (I've figured out what I missed there) That said, through all the furious button pushing I was doing, I accidentally stumbled upon a page with what I was wanting to see for elevation. A current elevation readout!

Well, well! There ya go!

How did I stumble upon this? I actually did realize how I did this. I had the computer on, the GPS was all set to go, and I tapped the power on button with a short push. This brought up the page you see above and what's more, I can minimize or maximize data on that screen using the two buttons on the right. 

The only thing I can find about this function of the Power button on Wahoo's site is that a short push will let you toggle between "workout pages", whatever THAT means. See, this is what is whack about these devices. You have to go to the website, sift through all the questions, or search the site, and maybe you'll find what you are looking for? Maybe. 

This is dumb. It's frustrating and dumb. I mean, there is no reason that I should have to go back into the house, sit at my PC and try to find out what the heck this thing can do. I could use my phone, but I'm not going to try and squint in the bright Sunshine right before I am supposed to go ride to see what I "might" find out. No..... I am going to ride. Again, a real owner's manual with everything I need to understand written in a cohesive, easily understood and searched manner would go a long way in mitigating this stupidity. 

And to be fair, this isn't a Wahoo only problem. It's pretty much ubiquitous with regard to many consumer electronic devices. 

But I have a running elevation to look at now, and that's really awesome. Well, it is if I can actually see it as I am rumbling over the gravel chunder out there. Actually things were so rough at times on the 4th I just quit even trying to look at the screen. No fault of the device, but t just goes to show you, these things are not always a good idea to look at while riding. 

More soon....

GPS Take 3: Wahoo Elemnt ROAM - Part 4

Okay, I have a couple of things to share now about this GPS computer. I've been putting up updates here and there and the last one I posted was HERE. Also, in case you haven't figured it out, I received this GPS computer at no charge to test and review. (Again, I'll post about why this statement needs to be here now later) Anyway.... 

First off, there was trouble the other day when I tried to do my 4th of July ride. I had intended on doing a ride I had uploaded to the device. A route of around 30 miles, which I actually replicated on the 4th, except that I went backward on it. 

Well, it wasn't in the device. It was on the app, but I am not familiar with that enough to know where to look, so I missed that on my phone. (But I didn't think you needed the phone for this?)  I was frustrated. My plan was to have the device give me turn-by-turn instructions and test to see if the device could accurately follow a route. However; that will have to wait until another time now. (I've figured out what I missed there) That said, through all the furious button pushing I was doing, I accidentally stumbled upon a page with what I was wanting to see for elevation. A current elevation readout!

Well, well! There ya go!

How did I stumble upon this? I actually did realize how I did this. I had the computer on, the GPS was all set to go, and I tapped the power on button with a short push. This brought up the page you see above and what's more, I can minimize or maximize data on that screen using the two buttons on the right. 

The only thing I can find about this function of the Power button on Wahoo's site is that a short push will let you toggle between "workout pages", whatever THAT means. See, this is what is whack about these devices. You have to go to the website, sift through all the questions, or search the site, and maybe you'll find what you are looking for? Maybe. 

This is dumb. It's frustrating and dumb. I mean, there is no reason that I should have to go back into the house, sit at my PC and try to find out what the heck this thing can do. I could use my phone, but I'm not going to try and squint in the bright Sunshine right before I am supposed to go ride to see what I "might" find out. No..... I am going to ride. Again, a real owner's manual with everything I need to understand written in a cohesive, easily understood and searched manner would go a long way in mitigating this stupidity. 

And to be fair, this isn't a Wahoo only problem. It's pretty much ubiquitous with regard to many consumer electronic devices. 

But I have a running elevation to look at now, and that's really awesome. Well, it is if I can actually see it as I am rumbling over the gravel chunder out there. Actually things were so rough at times on the 4th I just quit even trying to look at the screen. No fault of the device, but t just goes to show you, these things are not always a good idea to look at while riding. 

More soon....

Country Views: 4th Of July Ride

Escape Route: Sergeant Road bike path.

The plan was to get up early, get out by 6:00am, and beat the impending doom of heat that the weather-people were claiming was on our way. Well, they didn't say anything about an early morning thunderstorm! So I ended up having to wait a bit before heading out.

I had been checking out previous 4th of July rides and noticed that I had used my Noble Bikes GX5 probably four years in a row for the 4th, so I thought I'd change things up and ride the Twin Six Standard Rando v2. Besides, Twin Six has a motto for the bike, "Freedom Machine", which fits the theme for a 4th of July ride rather nicely, I think. 

I experienced some consternation when the Wahoo wasn't cooperating with me, (more on that later), so I had to just forget about that and focus on just having some fun. Once that was decided, I was off and rolling.

This is about as clear as the skies have been in over a month.

Not everyone gets the 4th of July off from work.

That rain I spoke of? Well, that and the combination of several other days of thunderstorms and showers has conspired to make the roads wet. Kind of like a Springtime situation. Everything was at least somewhat mushy. Some places more than others. I could see the impression of another cyclist's tires in Aker Road, so I knew I was fighting that a bit. Not to mention a fairly stiff headwind. 

Most of the corn isn't quite this tall, unlike other years, I suppose due to the dry weather in June.

Man! I was sure glad to turn out of that South wind when I did. I wasn't firing on all cylinders or something. My breakfast wasn't settling well with me, and at times I felt nauseous. I never got real comfortable on the bike and I felt tired. But I plugged along anyway. 

If you look close here you can see the chicory flowers. Obviously, the road was pretty chunky here!

 

Pretty sano flag display here.

Heading East the road was difficult in spots. There was alternately either lots of gravel with a wet base or just mushy dirty gravel. Sometimes there were good lines. I was quite surprised at the condition of the roads out there. 

You can see how the dirt is getting pulled up through the gravel in spots here due to the saturation of water.

I was surprised to find a lot of trees missing here.

I rolled up to the sharp hill where Quarry Road crosses Dysart Road. This is the area where Quarry Road takes its name from as there are quarries at each corner here. All of them are retired from active usage and have been filled with water for years now. 

There always were trees lining the road here so thickly that you couldn't see the small lakes formed by the quarries. But I saw now where there trees are gone, grubbed out right down to the Northwestern lake's shoreline. Big huge piles of chipped wood sit there now. I'm not sure what is going on here but it sure looks interesting.

Rolling North and I was thinking about how this ride was going to end. I could just go over the Cedar River on the CVNT bridge and head back the "usual way" or I could try something different. I needed to think about something like that because I needed the distraction from not feeling the greatest on this ride. 

I was contemplating one way, which I had done once, but I wasn't feeling it, so I ended up taking this bike path on a whim. It ended up dumping me right back into the road after about a half mile. I mean.....why?! Why even bother making that bit, unless they have plans, but sheesh! It was not only a dead end bike path, but the road had zero shoulder and traffic was going 45mph. Nice! 

Day lillies have been severely stunted this year by dry weather. This was the best I've seen this year here.

Almost off the gravel by this point. The roads were mushy the entire way.

I ended up over by the casino in Waterloo, a very high traffic area, and I had to blitz across an intersection that had been designed with no concern for pedestrians or cyclists at all. Then I found another bike path. It went about a half mile then it made you cross at a busy turn off to an amusement park to get to the other side where the path picked up again, only except there is construction now, so it's closed. 

Oh yeah, and ALL of that is brand new and really stupidly designed. Great! I should have just stayed on the road.Then there was this.....

Adventure time!

Honestly, this was great. No traffic since the road was closed, obviously, and no construction was going on because it was the 4th of July. Perfect! I could navigate this with no issues since I would have no cars at all to deal with. 

It was muddy, but rideable. Barely. I laid down some awesome mud chunks on the bike path once I cleared the area. Then it was on toward home and the end of the ride. 

Barns For Jason

I actually had never been on the Shaulis Road bike path this far East. So, because of that. I ended up riding by a barn I hadn't ridden by before and well, there's another Barns For Jason pic now! 

I ended up with 32 miles and got back before it got brutally hot. So, despite my not feeling great at all, and hurting everywhere, I got a ride in and that felt great. I hope to log another this week at some point, maybe Friday. We'll see, but this was a great opportunity that I had and I am glad I took it.

Country Views: 4th Of July Ride

Escape Route: Sergeant Road bike path.

The plan was to get up early, get out by 6:00am, and beat the impending doom of heat that the weather-people were claiming was on our way. Well, they didn't say anything about an early morning thunderstorm! So I ended up having to wait a bit before heading out.

I had been checking out previous 4th of July rides and noticed that I had used my Noble Bikes GX5 probably four years in a row for the 4th, so I thought I'd change things up and ride the Twin Six Standard Rando v2. Besides, Twin Six has a motto for the bike, "Freedom Machine", which fits the theme for a 4th of July ride rather nicely, I think. 

I experienced some consternation when the Wahoo wasn't cooperating with me, (more on that later), so I had to just forget about that and focus on just having some fun. Once that was decided, I was off and rolling.

This is about as clear as the skies have been in over a month.

Not everyone gets the 4th of July off from work.

That rain I spoke of? Well, that and the combination of several other days of thunderstorms and showers has conspired to make the roads wet. Kind of like a Springtime situation. Everything was at least somewhat mushy. Some places more than others. I could see the impression of another cyclist's tires in Aker Road, so I knew I was fighting that a bit. Not to mention a fairly stiff headwind. 

Most of the corn isn't quite this tall, unlike other years, I suppose due to the dry weather in June.

Man! I was sure glad to turn out of that South wind when I did. I wasn't firing on all cylinders or something. My breakfast wasn't settling well with me, and at times I felt nauseous. I never got real comfortable on the bike and I felt tired. But I plugged along anyway. 

If you look close here you can see the chicory flowers. Obviously, the road was pretty chunky here!

 

Pretty sano flag display here.

Heading East the road was difficult in spots. There was alternately either lots of gravel with a wet base or just mushy dirty gravel. Sometimes there were good lines. I was quite surprised at the condition of the roads out there. 

You can see how the dirt is getting pulled up through the gravel in spots here due to the saturation of water.

I was surprised to find a lot of trees missing here.

I rolled up to the sharp hill where Quarry Road crosses Dysart Road. This is the area where Quarry Road takes its name from as there are quarries at each corner here. All of them are retired from active usage and have been filled with water for years now. 

There always were trees lining the road here so thickly that you couldn't see the small lakes formed by the quarries. But I saw now where there trees are gone, grubbed out right down to the Northwestern lake's shoreline. Big huge piles of chipped wood sit there now. I'm not sure what is going on here but it sure looks interesting.

Rolling North and I was thinking about how this ride was going to end. I could just go over the Cedar River on the CVNT bridge and head back the "usual way" or I could try something different. I needed to think about something like that because I needed the distraction from not feeling the greatest on this ride. 

I was contemplating one way, which I had done once, but I wasn't feeling it, so I ended up taking this bike path on a whim. It ended up dumping me right back into the road after about a half mile. I mean.....why?! Why even bother making that bit, unless they have plans, but sheesh! It was not only a dead end bike path, but the road had zero shoulder and traffic was going 45mph. Nice! 

Day lillies have been severely stunted this year by dry weather. This was the best I've seen this year here.

Almost off the gravel by this point. The roads were mushy the entire way.

I ended up over by the casino in Waterloo, a very high traffic area, and I had to blitz across an intersection that had been designed with no concern for pedestrians or cyclists at all. Then I found another bike path. It went about a half mile then it made you cross at a busy turn off to an amusement park to get to the other side where the path picked up again, only except there is construction now, so it's closed. 

Oh yeah, and ALL of that is brand new and really stupidly designed. Great! I should have just stayed on the road.Then there was this.....

Adventure time!

Honestly, this was great. No traffic since the road was closed, obviously, and no construction was going on because it was the 4th of July. Perfect! I could navigate this with no issues since I would have no cars at all to deal with. 

It was muddy, but rideable. Barely. I laid down some awesome mud chunks on the bike path once I cleared the area. Then it was on toward home and the end of the ride. 

Barns For Jason

I actually had never been on the Shaulis Road bike path this far East. So, because of that. I ended up riding by a barn I hadn't ridden by before and well, there's another Barns For Jason pic now! 

I ended up with 32 miles and got back before it got brutally hot. So, despite my not feeling great at all, and hurting everywhere, I got a ride in and that felt great. I hope to log another this week at some point, maybe Friday. We'll see, but this was a great opportunity that I had and I am glad I took it.

The 4th

4th of July parade, Iowa Falls, IA, 2015

 Happy 4th of July!

I don't take many days of here on the blog, but today is one of them. I will be out riding today and hope to have a "Country Views" post for you all tomorrow.

Here's hoping you find time to celebrate, (if that matters to you), the founding of the United States of America. I hope that if you are doing something to mark the occasion that you are staying safe, having fun, and enjoying time with loved ones. 

And as always, thank you for reading the blog and engaging in the comments if you do that. 

Okay, so see ya all later. have a great day!

The 4th

4th of July parade, Iowa Falls, IA, 2015

 Happy 4th of July!

I don't take many days of here on the blog, but today is one of them. I will be out riding today and hope to have a "Country Views" post for you all tomorrow.

Here's hoping you find time to celebrate, (if that matters to you), the founding of the United States of America. I hope that if you are doing something to mark the occasion that you are staying safe, having fun, and enjoying time with loved ones. 

And as always, thank you for reading the blog and engaging in the comments if you do that. 

Okay, so see ya all later. have a great day!

Two Things

 Rechargeable Air Compressor Device In For Review:

I mentioned this last week, and well.....here it is. The device that claims to make all your inflation jobs easier. And then some... Oh! I purchased this device with my own money and the company has no idea I am reviewing this item. (I'll have more on why this statement is here later)

Out of the box I have been impressed. This borders on maybe being too much to have for casual rides around town or even longer gravel rides out into the country, but if I were on a tour? Or if I were on a really long ride? Yeah, I could make space for this because it could be a back-up for a device that you'd need an emergency charge for and it has the ability to be a flashlight.  So making repairs in the dark, or setting up camp in the dark, might be an easier task with the light function. Oh, and it also can double as a digital pressure gauge.

The unit and accessories seem well done. I see no reason at all why it wouldn't work well, and the waterproof carrying bag is a nice touch. Stay tuned here and on Riding Gravel for more. 

N.Y. Roll said something about a sub-24 outing. So, I had to get busy.....

 Sub-24 Set Up:

One of my goals for the year was to do a sub-24 camp trip which is going to lead into a special two-day trip I have wanted to do since about this time last year. I hadn't gotten around to setting up the Singular Gryphon Mk3 with the Old Man Mountain Elkhorn Rack I have, but I had meant to get that done and then to start messing with the set up for a sub-24 and eventually this trip. 

N.Y. Roll blurted out something the other day which was quite unexpected, but he wondered if I was up for a sub-24 trip. Now, I don't think he knew what I was thinking about, but it was perfect timing and the kick in the rear I needed to get started.

So, what you see above is basically a "sketch" of a set up. This could all change, and some of it definitely will. But here is what I had in mind so you can understand where I am possibly going here. 

• Rack: I thought I'd try the Elkhorn up front. I see a lot of bikepackers doing this and it makes sense to a degree.
• Rear Seat Pack: That's a Topeak unit I have and it has that removable dry sack so the bag stays on the bike. It's big enough to hold my two-man tent, so that's where I stuffed that for now.
• Topeak also made the extendable water bottle cage which I put underneath and because the front center of the Singular is longer than a gravel bike's, I can stuff a 32oz bottle in there. Perfect! 
• Water: Speaking of bottles, with the Elkhorn not interfering with the water bottle cages, I can have five bottles, and I could use a Bike Bag Dude Chaff bag for a sixth, if I wanted that, but this amount should do with one chance at a resupply. 
• Cargo: Okay, here's where I am not 100% yet. I need to rethink my using that old Thermarest pad which is that orangey-brown roll on the rack deck. It still works just fine, but that's as small as I can make it and I really should have it in something. I may just use one of those windshield Sun protectors that some minimalist bikepackers go with. And maybe I don't need to take so much stuff? That's always something I wrestle with, but the Outdoor Research handle bar roll really can handle a lot of my clothing and my sleeping bag, so I'm not sure how much I'll need that rack for in the first place. 

I could buddy-up that Salsa dry bag of the front of the OR handlebar roll, and maybe I don't need the Elkhorn, or....? Still trying to work that all out. But I test rode this set up and it would be okay. So, I am encouraged. I just need to do some decision making on the finer bits and she's ready. 

Stay tuned.....

Two Things

 Rechargeable Air Compressor Device In For Review:

I mentioned this last week, and well.....here it is. The device that claims to make all your inflation jobs easier. And then some... Oh! I purchased this device with my own money and the company has no idea I am reviewing this item. (I'll have more on why this statement is here later)

Out of the box I have been impressed. This borders on maybe being too much to have for casual rides around town or even longer gravel rides out into the country, but if I were on a tour? Or if I were on a really long ride? Yeah, I could make space for this because it could be a back-up for a device that you'd need an emergency charge for and it has the ability to be a flashlight.  So making repairs in the dark, or setting up camp in the dark, might be an easier task with the light function. Oh, and it also can double as a digital pressure gauge.

The unit and accessories seem well done. I see no reason at all why it wouldn't work well, and the waterproof carrying bag is a nice touch. Stay tuned here and on Riding Gravel for more. 

N.Y. Roll said something about a sub-24 outing. So, I had to get busy.....

 Sub-24 Set Up:

One of my goals for the year was to do a sub-24 camp trip which is going to lead into a special two-day trip I have wanted to do since about this time last year. I hadn't gotten around to setting up the Singular Gryphon Mk3 with the Old Man Mountain Elkhorn Rack I have, but I had meant to get that done and then to start messing with the set up for a sub-24 and eventually this trip. 

N.Y. Roll blurted out something the other day which was quite unexpected, but he wondered if I was up for a sub-24 trip. Now, I don't think he knew what I was thinking about, but it was perfect timing and the kick in the rear I needed to get started.

So, what you see above is basically a "sketch" of a set up. This could all change, and some of it definitely will. But here is what I had in mind so you can understand where I am possibly going here. 

• Rack: I thought I'd try the Elkhorn up front. I see a lot of bikepackers doing this and it makes sense to a degree.
• Rear Seat Pack: That's a Topeak unit I have and it has that removable dry sack so the bag stays on the bike. It's big enough to hold my two-man tent, so that's where I stuffed that for now.
• Topeak also made the extendable water bottle cage which I put underneath and because the front center of the Singular is longer than a gravel bike's, I can stuff a 32oz bottle in there. Perfect! 
• Water: Speaking of bottles, with the Elkhorn not interfering with the water bottle cages, I can have five bottles, and I could use a Bike Bag Dude Chaff bag for a sixth, if I wanted that, but this amount should do with one chance at a resupply. 
• Cargo: Okay, here's where I am not 100% yet. I need to rethink my using that old Thermarest pad which is that orangey-brown roll on the rack deck. It still works just fine, but that's as small as I can make it and I really should have it in something. I may just use one of those windshield Sun protectors that some minimalist bikepackers go with. And maybe I don't need to take so much stuff? That's always something I wrestle with, but the Outdoor Research handle bar roll really can handle a lot of my clothing and my sleeping bag, so I'm not sure how much I'll need that rack for in the first place. 

I could buddy-up that Salsa dry bag of the front of the OR handlebar roll, and maybe I don't need the Elkhorn, or....? Still trying to work that all out. But I test rode this set up and it would be okay. So, I am encouraged. I just need to do some decision making on the finer bits and she's ready. 

Stay tuned.....

GTDRI Stories: Fat Fargo

I ran the same header for 2015 as I had for '14.

  "The GTDRI Stories" is a series telling the history, untold tales, and showing the sights from the run of Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitationals. This series will run on Sundays. Thanks for reading!

While I had cemented the idea of running the same course as the previous year for the tenth GTDRI, I waffled on the bike choice for the better part of three months. However, a certain development in the 27.5" wheeled marketplace sort of set off a choice that I did not see coming for the bike that I ended up using more than any other for gravel in 2015. 

Then there was the injury. Not the truck hitting me either! No, this was a multiple hit injury that I sustained over the course of two years, but was really amplified in the Winter of 2014-15. 

The "Fat Fargo" at the DK200 (Image by A Andonopoulous)

First- The injury was caused by multiple crashes while mountain biking on my left shoulder. It seemed that if I lost it on the mountain bike, I went down on my left side. That got a bit annoying, but then I biffed it hard on my Fargo, dumping myself on my left side on concrete. I fell so hard I thought I broke something. Finally, to cap it all off I slipped on some ice in Winter and body slammed myself - you guessed it  - on my left side and that was the straw that broke the camel's back, as it were. 

The following year, 2015, I was relegated to using a handlebar with a lot of sweep/flare like a Midge Bar or the Cowchipper, which came out in the Summer of 2015. The Luxy Bar was another one I could tolerate well. However; it was not without a dull, aching pain that I've had to deal with off and on ever since those days. 

The bike choice was also dictated by WTB's introduction of the "mid-fat" tire, the Trailmaster 27.5 X 2.8" tire. That tire was sent to me to test and I mounted them on some wheels I built with Velocity Blunt 35's and Chris King hubs. Those wheels got passed around to various bikes because the idea WTB had was that you'd slap these into a 29"er and have really fat, voluminous tires to ride. This eventually led to my using the wheels on my Fargo Gen 2 bike which then became known as "Fat Fargo". This pre-dated Salsa Cycles' introduction of their own "plus-sized" wheels in a Fargo by at least a year or more. 

The first outing for the "Fat Fargo" was the 2015 DK200 where it ended up being an ideal choice with which to deal with a wet, muddy 200 mile course. I made it 158 miles that day before I missed the last checkpoint by two minutes. 

Me (in red) bombing a hill at Odin's (Image by W. Kilburg)

The next outing was at Odin's Revenge, where once again, the bike seemed like the obvious choice and it did me really well until I bonked spectacularly later into the event. 

While I had been originally wanting to use the Tamland Two, this Fargo had lower gearing, a better, more comfortable seated position, and those ginormous tires which made mincemeat of mud, grit, and dusty. loose patches of dirt. 

I was also contemplating using the Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross also, but I am glad I didn't as that bike was a troublesome mess on loose, higher speed downhills and all my events were rife with things like that which I attended in 2015. 

So, it was neither the BMC or the Tamland. It was the Fat Fargo. I have to say that 2015 was one of my best riding years ever, despite the injury, and much of that was due to this bike. But I sold it in 2016. Why?

Like many people that sell good things, I needed the money more than I needed that bike sitting around. Also, the wheels ended up on my Fisher/Trek Sawyer single speed, so the Fat Fargo ceased to exist anyway. I could have built new wheels, but like I said, I needed money more than I needed that bike, so it went away. 

But that Fat Fargo had quite a run. DK200, Odin's, the GTDRI. All crazy rides that were almost perfect, but only the GTDRI that year was really a success in terms of getting a complete ride in. And even then, I technically sagged the last 5 or six miles. But whatever.... 

Anyway, this was the year of the "Fat Fargo" and along with the shoulder injury, the wheels I had to test really made 2015 that year. 

Next: The Tenth GTDRI

GTDRI Stories: Fat Fargo

I ran the same header for 2015 as I had for '14.

  "The GTDRI Stories" is a series telling the history, untold tales, and showing the sights from the run of Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitationals. This series will run on Sundays. Thanks for reading!

While I had cemented the idea of running the same course as the previous year for the tenth GTDRI, I waffled on the bike choice for the better part of three months. However, a certain development in the 27.5" wheeled marketplace sort of set off a choice that I did not see coming for the bike that I ended up using more than any other for gravel in 2015. 

Then there was the injury. Not the truck hitting me either! No, this was a multiple hit injury that I sustained over the course of two years, but was really amplified in the Winter of 2014-15. 

The "Fat Fargo" at the DK200 (Image by A Andonopoulous)

First- The injury was caused by multiple crashes while mountain biking on my left shoulder. It seemed that if I lost it on the mountain bike, I went down on my left side. That got a bit annoying, but then I biffed it hard on my Fargo, dumping myself on my left side on concrete. I fell so hard I thought I broke something. Finally, to cap it all off I slipped on some ice in Winter and body slammed myself - you guessed it  - on my left side and that was the straw that broke the camel's back, as it were. 

The following year, 2015, I was relegated to using a handlebar with a lot of sweep/flare like a Midge Bar or the Cowchipper, which came out in the Summer of 2015. The Luxy Bar was another one I could tolerate well. However; it was not without a dull, aching pain that I've had to deal with off and on ever since those days. 

The bike choice was also dictated by WTB's introduction of the "mid-fat" tire, the Trailmaster 27.5 X 2.8" tire. That tire was sent to me to test and I mounted them on some wheels I built with Velocity Blunt 35's and Chris King hubs. Those wheels got passed around to various bikes because the idea WTB had was that you'd slap these into a 29"er and have really fat, voluminous tires to ride. This eventually led to my using the wheels on my Fargo Gen 2 bike which then became known as "Fat Fargo". This pre-dated Salsa Cycles' introduction of their own "plus-sized" wheels in a Fargo by at least a year or more. 

The first outing for the "Fat Fargo" was the 2015 DK200 where it ended up being an ideal choice with which to deal with a wet, muddy 200 mile course. I made it 158 miles that day before I missed the last checkpoint by two minutes. 

Me (in red) bombing a hill at Odin's (Image by W. Kilburg)

The next outing was at Odin's Revenge, where once again, the bike seemed like the obvious choice and it did me really well until I bonked spectacularly later into the event. 

While I had been originally wanting to use the Tamland Two, this Fargo had lower gearing, a better, more comfortable seated position, and those ginormous tires which made mincemeat of mud, grit, and dusty. loose patches of dirt. 

I was also contemplating using the Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross also, but I am glad I didn't as that bike was a troublesome mess on loose, higher speed downhills and all my events were rife with things like that which I attended in 2015. 

So, it was neither the BMC or the Tamland. It was the Fat Fargo. I have to say that 2015 was one of my best riding years ever, despite the injury, and much of that was due to this bike. But I sold it in 2016. Why?

Like many people that sell good things, I needed the money more than I needed that bike sitting around. Also, the wheels ended up on my Fisher/Trek Sawyer single speed, so the Fat Fargo ceased to exist anyway. I could have built new wheels, but like I said, I needed money more than I needed that bike, so it went away. 

But that Fat Fargo had quite a run. DK200, Odin's, the GTDRI. All crazy rides that were almost perfect, but only the GTDRI that year was really a success in terms of getting a complete ride in. And even then, I technically sagged the last 5 or six miles. But whatever.... 

Anyway, this was the year of the "Fat Fargo" and along with the shoulder injury, the wheels I had to test really made 2015 that year. 

Next: The Tenth GTDRI

Will Portable Electronic Pumps Change How We Repair Tires?

Are pumps like these outdated now?

Times change. The way we used to do things changes with the times. This is something I have come to know over the course of my lifetime. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not so much.

I was reminded of this when I was considering my presentation I will be making to some hopeful RAGBRAI riders coming up soon. I am to give a talk on flat repair, which in my opinion is the 'Number One' topic that most average cyclists need to know about and is the most helpful to understand for any cyclist. 

You know, as I was thinking about a "flat repair kit", it dawned on me that, as with many things, devices have crept in and started taking over what was once a manual labor job. I am speaking of the new onset of digital read-out, mini-sized electronic air compressors/pumps. 

No longer do you have to risk breaking off your Presta valve stem as you furiously pump away with a mini-pump until your sweaty face makes it appear as though you might be doing something illicit on the side of the roadway. No longer do you have to risk not getting it right with a fussy CO2 cart. (or deal with empty CO2 canisters) Nope! Now you can whip out your electronic pump, set it to your desired pressure, hit "go", and sit back and relax for maybe 90 seconds as the device does all the dirty work for you.

Are these any good? I'll be finding out soon enough.(Image courtesy of Amazon)

If you've not seen these new mini-inflators that have multiple functions, hit Amazon and be amazed. We did a review on one such device on Riding Gravel once. So, I've been aware of such devices for a while, but to see how far these have come in terms of miniaturization and features is pretty amazing. And you can score one for under $100.00. Well under. 

When a decent mini-pump goes for about the same price as these new-fangled devices, it's time to reconsider the landscape of flat repair equipment choices. Especially so when the device can not only read current air pressure, but be set to a desired pressure and stop at that setting. Add in the ability to act as a recharging brick, a light, and a car tire inflator, well, it's hard to say that a standard mini-pump is a smart choice anymore. That is "if the device works as advertised", and of course, it has to be reasonably lightweight and compact enough to consider carrying it around. 

Stay tuned because next week I'm going to start to investigate one such device.

Will Portable Electronic Pumps Change How We Repair Tires?

Are pumps like these outdated now?

Times change. The way we used to do things changes with the times. This is something I have come to know over the course of my lifetime. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not so much.

I was reminded of this when I was considering my presentation I will be making to some hopeful RAGBRAI riders coming up soon. I am to give a talk on flat repair, which in my opinion is the 'Number One' topic that most average cyclists need to know about and is the most helpful to understand for any cyclist. 

You know, as I was thinking about a "flat repair kit", it dawned on me that, as with many things, devices have crept in and started taking over what was once a manual labor job. I am speaking of the new onset of digital read-out, mini-sized electronic air compressors/pumps. 

No longer do you have to risk breaking off your Presta valve stem as you furiously pump away with a mini-pump until your sweaty face makes it appear as though you might be doing something illicit on the side of the roadway. No longer do you have to risk not getting it right with a fussy CO2 cart. (or deal with empty CO2 canisters) Nope! Now you can whip out your electronic pump, set it to your desired pressure, hit "go", and sit back and relax for maybe 90 seconds as the device does all the dirty work for you.

Are these any good? I'll be finding out soon enough.(Image courtesy of Amazon)

If you've not seen these new mini-inflators that have multiple functions, hit Amazon and be amazed. We did a review on one such device on Riding Gravel once. So, I've been aware of such devices for a while, but to see how far these have come in terms of miniaturization and features is pretty amazing. And you can score one for under $100.00. Well under. 

When a decent mini-pump goes for about the same price as these new-fangled devices, it's time to reconsider the landscape of flat repair equipment choices. Especially so when the device can not only read current air pressure, but be set to a desired pressure and stop at that setting. Add in the ability to act as a recharging brick, a light, and a car tire inflator, well, it's hard to say that a standard mini-pump is a smart choice anymore. That is "if the device works as advertised", and of course, it has to be reasonably lightweight and compact enough to consider carrying it around. 

Stay tuned because next week I'm going to start to investigate one such device.