Trans Iowa Thoughts: The Countdown: 5!

The Countdown Has Begun!: With five weekends to go, these next "Trans Iowa Thoughts" posts will become a bit more interesting. We're down to it, up against it, and down to the wire. Here we go, Trans Iowa V6 is coming up fast!

We're Approved!: Yep, that's the word I got just the other day from Grinnell Chamber of Commerce member/laison to T.I.V6, Sheryl Parmley. The city council had a meeting recently and dubbed us legit, so we're not so "under the radar" in Grinnell anyway.

Final Logistical Details: I have a meeting Wednesday with our sponsor rep and friend, Rob Versteegh concerning the "O-Down At The Barn" and some other stuff. Hopefully that will all come out in next weeks posting. Besides having all the loose ends tied up, we should be starting recon of the course again and we'll have more details for you concerning that as soon as we can.

Finally, please keep in mind that if T.I.V6 isn't going to pan out for you, please e-mail me ASAP. It makes a huge difference in our plans. Volunteers can expect an e-mail to go out yet this coming week concerning assignments. I'll also send out a mass e-mail to all on the roster to get a census for the Pre-Race Meat-Up.

T.I.V6 will be here before ya know it!

Trans Iowa Thoughts: The Countdown: 5!

The Countdown Has Begun!: With five weekends to go, these next "Trans Iowa Thoughts" posts will become a bit more interesting. We're down to it, up against it, and down to the wire. Here we go, Trans Iowa V6 is coming up fast!

We're Approved!: Yep, that's the word I got just the other day from Grinnell Chamber of Commerce member/laison to T.I.V6, Sheryl Parmley. The city council had a meeting recently and dubbed us legit, so we're not so "under the radar" in Grinnell anyway.

Final Logistical Details: I have a meeting Wednesday with our sponsor rep and friend, Rob Versteegh concerning the "O-Down At The Barn" and some other stuff. Hopefully that will all come out in next weeks posting. Besides having all the loose ends tied up, we should be starting recon of the course again and we'll have more details for you concerning that as soon as we can.

Finally, please keep in mind that if T.I.V6 isn't going to pan out for you, please e-mail me ASAP. It makes a huge difference in our plans. Volunteers can expect an e-mail to go out yet this coming week concerning assignments. I'll also send out a mass e-mail to all on the roster to get a census for the Pre-Race Meat-Up.

T.I.V6 will be here before ya know it!

Overgeared

Thursday saw another attempt at the mountain, but this time with a single speed. I'll tell ya what, light weight rigs don't make up for poor gearing choices!

In the mayhem leading up to getting ready to leave on this trip, I thought long and hard about swapping out to a mountain climbing gear for the Lynskey. Then I realized it was a 32T front ring. I had thought it was a 34T, but I hadn't ever checked until before the trip.

The 18T cog in back seemed to me to be an easy gear mated to the 32 front, but oh no! I got to the mountain and it was immediately apparent that between my toasted limbs from Tuesday's ride and the overgeared Lynskey that I wasn't going to be scaling any hardscrabble steeps here. Nope! I should have gone with that 21T. Oh well......So I took a "plan B" attitude and went in search of something less tortuous to my limited fitness and stamina levels.

I remembered that the Franklin Mountain State Park had a beginners loop, so I figured what the heck. I took the left turn downwards from the trail head and went in search of whatever the loop had to offer me. I found out that it was actually a pretty fun loop! It took off downwards, as I said, so the gravitational pull was "fried leg friendly". Besides this, it was the best "flow" trail in the whole park! Swooping turn after swooping turn. Bermed turns, and you could go as fast as you dared. The trail was basically gravel laden, but that didn't deter me too much. I did the loop three times!

I did do a little more exploration and found one of the newer trails heading up to the top of Franklin Mountain, but that would have to wait for another bike, another year, and another crack at these awesome trails in El Paso, Texas.

I'll be headed home soon to Iowa, mud, cooler weather, and familiar sights and sounds. Not a bad thing at all, but I'll be anxious for the next ride down here all the same. It's really good stuff!

Overgeared

Thursday saw another attempt at the mountain, but this time with a single speed. I'll tell ya what, light weight rigs don't make up for poor gearing choices!

In the mayhem leading up to getting ready to leave on this trip, I thought long and hard about swapping out to a mountain climbing gear for the Lynskey. Then I realized it was a 32T front ring. I had thought it was a 34T, but I hadn't ever checked until before the trip.

The 18T cog in back seemed to me to be an easy gear mated to the 32 front, but oh no! I got to the mountain and it was immediately apparent that between my toasted limbs from Tuesday's ride and the overgeared Lynskey that I wasn't going to be scaling any hardscrabble steeps here. Nope! I should have gone with that 21T. Oh well......So I took a "plan B" attitude and went in search of something less tortuous to my limited fitness and stamina levels.

I remembered that the Franklin Mountain State Park had a beginners loop, so I figured what the heck. I took the left turn downwards from the trail head and went in search of whatever the loop had to offer me. I found out that it was actually a pretty fun loop! It took off downwards, as I said, so the gravitational pull was "fried leg friendly". Besides this, it was the best "flow" trail in the whole park! Swooping turn after swooping turn. Bermed turns, and you could go as fast as you dared. The trail was basically gravel laden, but that didn't deter me too much. I did the loop three times!

I did do a little more exploration and found one of the newer trails heading up to the top of Franklin Mountain, but that would have to wait for another bike, another year, and another crack at these awesome trails in El Paso, Texas.

I'll be headed home soon to Iowa, mud, cooler weather, and familiar sights and sounds. Not a bad thing at all, but I'll be anxious for the next ride down here all the same. It's really good stuff!

Where Do You Find It?

You know, I've read some articles and blog posts about what some folks are attracted to in nature. I've heard things like, "I'm a water person", or "I'm a mountain person". I don't know what I am, but I do like the mountains.

Coming down to El Paso for me is always exciting, especially after the boredom of the high plains of Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. About the time you get off of I-40 and head south again on 54, you head up, and up, and up to the snowy mountain peaks of south central New Mexico. I always look forward to that part of the trip and always feel a bit of sadness when that part of the trip is over on the way home.

So, I wouldn't say that I am a mountain man, because I like my woods and rivers too. Lakes are great and I will always relish the days I had on the fishing boats. But I will say that mountains have their allure for me and the especially the thought of riding a mountain bike on and around a mountain is especially appealing.

So, where do you find "it"? Your special place? I won't commit to just one myself!

Where Do You Find It?

You know, I've read some articles and blog posts about what some folks are attracted to in nature. I've heard things like, "I'm a water person", or "I'm a mountain person". I don't know what I am, but I do like the mountains.

Coming down to El Paso for me is always exciting, especially after the boredom of the high plains of Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. About the time you get off of I-40 and head south again on 54, you head up, and up, and up to the snowy mountain peaks of south central New Mexico. I always look forward to that part of the trip and always feel a bit of sadness when that part of the trip is over on the way home.

So, I wouldn't say that I am a mountain man, because I like my woods and rivers too. Lakes are great and I will always relish the days I had on the fishing boats. But I will say that mountains have their allure for me and the especially the thought of riding a mountain bike on and around a mountain is especially appealing.

So, where do you find "it"? Your special place? I won't commit to just one myself!

Rocks And......Well, Rocks!

<===Cacti on the left, drop off on the right, shoot through the rocks in the middle. You'll be all right!

I was  able to break away for a test ride on a rig for Twenty Nine Inches on Tuesday. I went to Franklin Mountain State Park and started out on the Lower Sunset trail, like I have in the past. The trail is massively technical for the first few miles. Like rock crawling, crazy technical.

Some of the steeps are littered with rounded "river rock" type stones. Well, to say anything other than these trails were entirely made up of these rounded, fist sized stones on the steeps would be misleading. The difficulty lies in keeping he rear tire from spinning out on these rocks like you are on large marbles. Many a climb was truncated by a spin out of the tires resulting in a walk to the top.

Not all the rocks are rounded here though. OH NO!!! There are rocks of every size and shape, and many times they are busted off shards sticking right up out of the trail like broken teeth. Some look like stumps, some look like the bottom of pottery, some look shiny, some look black, and some are red as bricks.

Well, the plan was to try and run the entire Lower and Upper Sunset Trails which I understand is about 15 miles in length. I knew from a description of the trails that after Safety Sign #8 the trail was supposed to get less technical. I was hoping for a lot less technical, but that wasn't to be.

The trail had these "Safety Markers", which marked important points in the trail. They were not evenly spaced, and they had no correlation to mileage. This was a bit weird for my first crack at the whole loop. Still, with a lot of stopping, checking, and careful management of water, I was able to make the entire loop.

A couple of locals went flying by me, which were the first and only folks I saw on the trail today, or on any other trip here. I guess you can't expect too many folks to be out on a weekday.

These trails are tough. I was super cooked at the end. My legs are fried, but in that weirdly wonderful sort of way. Man! It was good to do some actual mountain biking!

Rocks And......Well, Rocks!

<===Cacti on the left, drop off on the right, shoot through the rocks in the middle. You'll be all right!

I was  able to break away for a test ride on a rig for Twenty Nine Inches on Tuesday. I went to Franklin Mountain State Park and started out on the Lower Sunset trail, like I have in the past. The trail is massively technical for the first few miles. Like rock crawling, crazy technical.

Some of the steeps are littered with rounded "river rock" type stones. Well, to say anything other than these trails were entirely made up of these rounded, fist sized stones on the steeps would be misleading. The difficulty lies in keeping he rear tire from spinning out on these rocks like you are on large marbles. Many a climb was truncated by a spin out of the tires resulting in a walk to the top.

Not all the rocks are rounded here though. OH NO!!! There are rocks of every size and shape, and many times they are busted off shards sticking right up out of the trail like broken teeth. Some look like stumps, some look like the bottom of pottery, some look shiny, some look black, and some are red as bricks.

Well, the plan was to try and run the entire Lower and Upper Sunset Trails which I understand is about 15 miles in length. I knew from a description of the trails that after Safety Sign #8 the trail was supposed to get less technical. I was hoping for a lot less technical, but that wasn't to be.

The trail had these "Safety Markers", which marked important points in the trail. They were not evenly spaced, and they had no correlation to mileage. This was a bit weird for my first crack at the whole loop. Still, with a lot of stopping, checking, and careful management of water, I was able to make the entire loop.

A couple of locals went flying by me, which were the first and only folks I saw on the trail today, or on any other trip here. I guess you can't expect too many folks to be out on a weekday.

These trails are tough. I was super cooked at the end. My legs are fried, but in that weirdly wonderful sort of way. Man! It was good to do some actual mountain biking!

Bike Shop Tales: Policies

I'm going to interrupt the Bike Acquisition stories for a bit that I was reminded of recently having to do with shop policies.....

Every shop has certain policies for operating that probably are as numerous as there are bicycle shops. Advantage Cycles was no different. Of course, being that it was a single store operation run by a low key, (normally low key!), guy, there wasn't much for a manual containing these policies and procedures. No- Like so many other small businesses, you learned what you needed to know when you needed to learn it, and no more.

So it was that when the time came that I was asked to allow someone to borrow some tools to work on their own bicycle right outside our doors, I found out what our policy was on that. Tom, the owner, happened to be there at the time and caught wind of the request. He wheeled around and flatly said, "No, we don't do that." Well, the fellow insisted, which was a huge mistake for him, and was a hilarious moment in the end for me.

Tom looked at the young man intently, leaning forward slightly, pointed to his forehead, and said, "Do you see Salvation Army written right here anywhere?"

The young man looked at him dumbfounded and said nothing.

Tom continued, "No, you don't. Now I'm in business to make money. If you want it fixed, we can do it, and it will cost you. If you want to borrow tools, try down at the Salvation Army!"

Needless to say, the young man didn't have us fix the bike and he walked away. A bit less happy than when he came in as well.

Tom had another variation on the theme that went something like this: "Do you see the word free written here?", said also while pointing with conviction at his forehead. Tom did this in a very animated fashion, which was rather humorous once the initial shock of hearing it the first time had worn off. I had a few times where I had to turn away to hide my smile-soon-to-be-busting-out-in-a-laugh look from the customer.

Maybe Tom could have been more diplomatic, but he couldn't have been more to the point or humorous.

Next week: Back to Bike Acquisition Syndrome.........

Bike Shop Tales: Policies

I'm going to interrupt the Bike Acquisition stories for a bit that I was reminded of recently having to do with shop policies.....

Every shop has certain policies for operating that probably are as numerous as there are bicycle shops. Advantage Cycles was no different. Of course, being that it was a single store operation run by a low key, (normally low key!), guy, there wasn't much for a manual containing these policies and procedures. No- Like so many other small businesses, you learned what you needed to know when you needed to learn it, and no more.

So it was that when the time came that I was asked to allow someone to borrow some tools to work on their own bicycle right outside our doors, I found out what our policy was on that. Tom, the owner, happened to be there at the time and caught wind of the request. He wheeled around and flatly said, "No, we don't do that." Well, the fellow insisted, which was a huge mistake for him, and was a hilarious moment in the end for me.

Tom looked at the young man intently, leaning forward slightly, pointed to his forehead, and said, "Do you see Salvation Army written right here anywhere?"

The young man looked at him dumbfounded and said nothing.

Tom continued, "No, you don't. Now I'm in business to make money. If you want it fixed, we can do it, and it will cost you. If you want to borrow tools, try down at the Salvation Army!"

Needless to say, the young man didn't have us fix the bike and he walked away. A bit less happy than when he came in as well.

Tom had another variation on the theme that went something like this: "Do you see the word free written here?", said also while pointing with conviction at his forehead. Tom did this in a very animated fashion, which was rather humorous once the initial shock of hearing it the first time had worn off. I had a few times where I had to turn away to hide my smile-soon-to-be-busting-out-in-a-laugh look from the customer.

Maybe Tom could have been more diplomatic, but he couldn't have been more to the point or humorous.

Next week: Back to Bike Acquisition Syndrome.........

Seems Like Summer!

Well, I am in weather now that seems like summer. El Paso, Texas is usually sunny, warm, and pretty decent this time of year, although it can get a bit windy. (It was pretty windy coming in today) Anyway, it is 72 degrees and sunny during the days now. Just about primo.

I don't have my pics downloaded yet, but surprisingly, I got some halfway decent shots of a Kansan sunset and some mountains just north of El Paso today. I'll share more later, but right now, I am about cooked from almost 1300 miles of driving in the last two days through rain, fog, and wind.

I'll be sporadically posting throughout the week, so I apologize for those who might find a morning post missing here or there!

Stay tuned............

Seems Like Summer!

Well, I am in weather now that seems like summer. El Paso, Texas is usually sunny, warm, and pretty decent this time of year, although it can get a bit windy. (It was pretty windy coming in today) Anyway, it is 72 degrees and sunny during the days now. Just about primo.

I don't have my pics downloaded yet, but surprisingly, I got some halfway decent shots of a Kansan sunset and some mountains just north of El Paso today. I'll share more later, but right now, I am about cooked from almost 1300 miles of driving in the last two days through rain, fog, and wind.

I'll be sporadically posting throughout the week, so I apologize for those who might find a morning post missing here or there!

Stay tuned............

Trans Iowa V6: Thoughts Part XVII

As you all know, Grinnell Iowa is where we are running the event out of this year. I can not stress enough how much better these folks have been to work with than some of our past host cities. Not since the beginning with Hawarden, in western Iowa, have we been helped so much by the members of a community.

Well, it is hard to find ways to thank these people in a tangible way. I mean, yeah......you can say thank you a lot. That's nice and all, but what can you do that shows your appreciation. Yeah....the racers can spend their ducats in town. That's always a great way to help the local economy. And really, it is probably the best way to do this. However; I found another unique way to say thanks that might just end up helping Grinnell out.

One of the bigger Trans Iowa fans and a past vet of the event, Ari, has something on his blog that I found interesting. It is a news report that tells of a contest that Grinnell is a finalist in. The "Coolest Small Town In America" contest. Well......click the link, see the You Tube video, and find out more on how to place a vote.

I (for one) think that Grinnell is pretty darn cool for doing all the leg work for Trans Iowa that they have done. If you are a fan of T.I.V6, maybe you might want to place a vote for Grinnell in the contest too, and if they won, that would be a pretty neat deal to think some guys and gals from Trans Iowa helped them out a bit.

Give it some thought.........

Trans Iowa V6: Thoughts Part XVII

As you all know, Grinnell Iowa is where we are running the event out of this year. I can not stress enough how much better these folks have been to work with than some of our past host cities. Not since the beginning with Hawarden, in western Iowa, have we been helped so much by the members of a community.

Well, it is hard to find ways to thank these people in a tangible way. I mean, yeah......you can say thank you a lot. That's nice and all, but what can you do that shows your appreciation. Yeah....the racers can spend their ducats in town. That's always a great way to help the local economy. And really, it is probably the best way to do this. However; I found another unique way to say thanks that might just end up helping Grinnell out.

One of the bigger Trans Iowa fans and a past vet of the event, Ari, has something on his blog that I found interesting. It is a news report that tells of a contest that Grinnell is a finalist in. The "Coolest Small Town In America" contest. Well......click the link, see the You Tube video, and find out more on how to place a vote.

I (for one) think that Grinnell is pretty darn cool for doing all the leg work for Trans Iowa that they have done. If you are a fan of T.I.V6, maybe you might want to place a vote for Grinnell in the contest too, and if they won, that would be a pretty neat deal to think some guys and gals from Trans Iowa helped them out a bit.

Give it some thought.........

Time For Some Southwest

Spring break is here and that means my first big trip of 2010 is nigh. I will be heading to El Paso, Texas to see relatives and for a brief but glorious part of that time, I should be hitting up Franklin Mountain State Park for a couple of mountain bike rides.

The area is part of the Chihuahuan Desert and isn't like the Sonoran desert area of Arizona. You don't get the majestic Saguaro cactus out here. What you do get are lots of spiny, spindly plant types that are armed with some razor sharp needles punctuated by the tall and easily spotted yuccas which can be seen all over the mountain. Most of the ground cover here is shrub-like though. This lends an air of vast space to where I will be riding. You can see a long ways when you are on top of the ridges.

Another feature of the area that always stands out for me are the rocks. Small rocks, medium sized rocks, and big rocks are everywhere. The trail surface is always covered in rocks. And they "clink" in a unique way due to their volcanic nature. In fact, you'd think you were running over broken pottery at times just by the sound of the rocks. It makes me laugh at times. To me it just seems unreal. Of course, I am accustomed to black earth under my tires, so this place I am going to is pretty unusual in my experience.

The park is fairly high as well. The park is next to the Intermountain Highway, which tops out at 5100ft at the pass and Franklin Mountain itself is just shy of 7200ft. So, here I am, a flatlander coming off a tough winter going to a higher elevation. Yeah..............suck! Wheeze! kaf! kaf!  I can hear it already. But, I have ridden there before, so I kind of know my way around a couple of the trails there. That helps. Still, this place is a tough ride. The rocky jeep road I always end up coming out of the park on is a killer incline. Hike a bike will be part of the days event when I am out there, that's for certain!

Finally, El Paso and the surrounding area is a place of tons of sunshine and no where to hide from it. Coupled with its low humidity levels and you are messing with a recipe for bad dehydration. I'll be packing lots of water in the Ergon BC-3 when I ride out there, you can bet on that! That and some bandages. Yeah, I once was riding out there and got a wee bit off-line. A spiny desert plant reached out and touched me sending a thorn right through my Sidi Dominators and into my pinky toe. Can you say "hot foot"? It was all I could do to stop without causing further calamity!

So, next week may be a week of light posting. I'll try to check in, but it may be at odd times. Hey! I am on vacation after all!

Time For Some Southwest

Spring break is here and that means my first big trip of 2010 is nigh. I will be heading to El Paso, Texas to see relatives and for a brief but glorious part of that time, I should be hitting up Franklin Mountain State Park for a couple of mountain bike rides.

The area is part of the Chihuahuan Desert and isn't like the Sonoran desert area of Arizona. You don't get the majestic Saguaro cactus out here. What you do get are lots of spiny, spindly plant types that are armed with some razor sharp needles punctuated by the tall and easily spotted yuccas which can be seen all over the mountain. Most of the ground cover here is shrub-like though. This lends an air of vast space to where I will be riding. You can see a long ways when you are on top of the ridges.

Another feature of the area that always stands out for me are the rocks. Small rocks, medium sized rocks, and big rocks are everywhere. The trail surface is always covered in rocks. And they "clink" in a unique way due to their volcanic nature. In fact, you'd think you were running over broken pottery at times just by the sound of the rocks. It makes me laugh at times. To me it just seems unreal. Of course, I am accustomed to black earth under my tires, so this place I am going to is pretty unusual in my experience.

The park is fairly high as well. The park is next to the Intermountain Highway, which tops out at 5100ft at the pass and Franklin Mountain itself is just shy of 7200ft. So, here I am, a flatlander coming off a tough winter going to a higher elevation. Yeah..............suck! Wheeze! kaf! kaf!  I can hear it already. But, I have ridden there before, so I kind of know my way around a couple of the trails there. That helps. Still, this place is a tough ride. The rocky jeep road I always end up coming out of the park on is a killer incline. Hike a bike will be part of the days event when I am out there, that's for certain!

Finally, El Paso and the surrounding area is a place of tons of sunshine and no where to hide from it. Coupled with its low humidity levels and you are messing with a recipe for bad dehydration. I'll be packing lots of water in the Ergon BC-3 when I ride out there, you can bet on that! That and some bandages. Yeah, I once was riding out there and got a wee bit off-line. A spiny desert plant reached out and touched me sending a thorn right through my Sidi Dominators and into my pinky toe. Can you say "hot foot"? It was all I could do to stop without causing further calamity!

So, next week may be a week of light posting. I'll try to check in, but it may be at odd times. Hey! I am on vacation after all!

Changing Seasons

Wednesday. My day off. I had much to do in preparation for my trip to Texas this coming weekend. One of the things I needed to do was to run a quickie errand for some milk to get us by for a few more days.

I chose to ride the Raleigh Rainier single speed cyclo-cross rig which I have fitted fenders to. Oddly enough, the Easton fork has eyelets and the rear drop outs on the frame did not! I found some plastic coated clamps hat got the job done though. Now with some 40mm commuter tires I have the perfect "run to the corner store" rig with my messenger bag "man purse" slung over my shuolder. The errand was a peice of cake! The morning was so foggy today that I ended up getting dripping wet from the ultra humid air though.

After getting the DT Swiss wheels set up tubeless on the Stumpjumper Carbon Expert, I decided a shake down cruise was in order. So much snow has melted in the last week that parts of a near by park were clear of snow. I decided to run over there and check out the area by taking a nice, high resistance route through soft mud, grass, and left over snow patches.

While spinning along without really paying attention, I was suddenly aware of a bird hopping along on the edge of my peripheral vision. Not being used to seeing such things of late, I looked up and low and behold! If it wasn't about 30 robins that had just arrived from the south. Well, if that isn't a sign of spring, I don't know what is! I stopped and watched them patroling the grassy field for anything to eat for a bit, and then I spun onward.

Not long afterward, I saw a large bird wheeling around above me in the sky. It was a Bald Eagle! I stopped and came to attention, and almost made myself laugh because it was as if I were in the military and had just seen the General walk by! Ha! At ease rider!

So, it was cool to see all that, the snow melting away in rivulets, and the swelling creek with water filled with chunks of ice flowing away. All signs that point to the change of seasons. Signs that point to more bicycle riding real soon.

I can't wait!

Changing Seasons

Wednesday. My day off. I had much to do in preparation for my trip to Texas this coming weekend. One of the things I needed to do was to run a quickie errand for some milk to get us by for a few more days.

I chose to ride the Raleigh Rainier single speed cyclo-cross rig which I have fitted fenders to. Oddly enough, the Easton fork has eyelets and the rear drop outs on the frame did not! I found some plastic coated clamps hat got the job done though. Now with some 40mm commuter tires I have the perfect "run to the corner store" rig with my messenger bag "man purse" slung over my shuolder. The errand was a peice of cake! The morning was so foggy today that I ended up getting dripping wet from the ultra humid air though.

After getting the DT Swiss wheels set up tubeless on the Stumpjumper Carbon Expert, I decided a shake down cruise was in order. So much snow has melted in the last week that parts of a near by park were clear of snow. I decided to run over there and check out the area by taking a nice, high resistance route through soft mud, grass, and left over snow patches.

While spinning along without really paying attention, I was suddenly aware of a bird hopping along on the edge of my peripheral vision. Not being used to seeing such things of late, I looked up and low and behold! If it wasn't about 30 robins that had just arrived from the south. Well, if that isn't a sign of spring, I don't know what is! I stopped and watched them patroling the grassy field for anything to eat for a bit, and then I spun onward.

Not long afterward, I saw a large bird wheeling around above me in the sky. It was a Bald Eagle! I stopped and came to attention, and almost made myself laugh because it was as if I were in the military and had just seen the General walk by! Ha! At ease rider!

So, it was cool to see all that, the snow melting away in rivulets, and the swelling creek with water filled with chunks of ice flowing away. All signs that point to the change of seasons. Signs that point to more bicycle riding real soon.

I can't wait!

Bike Shop Horrors: Some Assembly Required!

A bike came in recently that the customer was complaining had a training wheel that wouldn't stay on. The bicycle was brand new, from a department store.

What is that? They should have taken it back to the department store to have it fixed? Well, department stores, or as we call them, "mall warts", have no such thing as a bicycle repair man. (Maybe they have some communist scoundrels, I don't know)

But at any rate, there is always more to the story, as we shall soon see.

As the image above shows, there is nary a half an inch of axle sticking out beyond the drop out. Well, you must put in a retainer brace for the training wheel in the track end, and then the actual training wheel goes over that. By this time, you are left with about three threads showing beyond all that hardware. Not nearly enough to get any purchase with an axle nut. No wonder it stripped off!

The thing is, I could have fixed it.  A longer axle would have done the trick. But that would have cost the customer more than he paid for the entire bicycle. But wait...........there is more!

The customer got the bicycle cheaper because it was in the box. Assembly costs extra. So, being frugal, the customer did the assembly themselves.

This might be an option that makes sense for some folks, but for this poor customer, it was a bit of a mistake. Not that having a stem like this on backwards is that big of a deal...........

...........but take a look at the brakes.

Yeah. This is why no bicycle leaves our shop un-assembled. There was more going on here, but this illustrates my point well, I think.

There is a bunch of good reasons the world has bicycle repairmen.

Finally, I can not fathom why "mall warts" can get away with what they do in selling bicycles to the public. If a bicycle shop did what these places do on a regular basis, just once, that shop would be run out of town and the owner tarred and feathered. That's what gets me about this kind of stuff. That and the poor experiences folks have as a result of this sort of retail model. No wonder people think bicycles are a joke. These big box stores make sure that this perception is well instilled in the populace.

Bike Shop Horrors: Some Assembly Required!

A bike came in recently that the customer was complaining had a training wheel that wouldn't stay on. The bicycle was brand new, from a department store.

What is that? They should have taken it back to the department store to have it fixed? Well, department stores, or as we call them, "mall warts", have no such thing as a bicycle repair man. (Maybe they have some communist scoundrels, I don't know)

But at any rate, there is always more to the story, as we shall soon see.

As the image above shows, there is nary a half an inch of axle sticking out beyond the drop out. Well, you must put in a retainer brace for the training wheel in the track end, and then the actual training wheel goes over that. By this time, you are left with about three threads showing beyond all that hardware. Not nearly enough to get any purchase with an axle nut. No wonder it stripped off!

The thing is, I could have fixed it.  A longer axle would have done the trick. But that would have cost the customer more than he paid for the entire bicycle. But wait...........there is more!

The customer got the bicycle cheaper because it was in the box. Assembly costs extra. So, being frugal, the customer did the assembly themselves.

This might be an option that makes sense for some folks, but for this poor customer, it was a bit of a mistake. Not that having a stem like this on backwards is that big of a deal...........

...........but take a look at the brakes.

Yeah. This is why no bicycle leaves our shop un-assembled. There was more going on here, but this illustrates my point well, I think.

There is a bunch of good reasons the world has bicycle repairmen.

Finally, I can not fathom why "mall warts" can get away with what they do in selling bicycles to the public. If a bicycle shop did what these places do on a regular basis, just once, that shop would be run out of town and the owner tarred and feathered. That's what gets me about this kind of stuff. That and the poor experiences folks have as a result of this sort of retail model. No wonder people think bicycles are a joke. These big box stores make sure that this perception is well instilled in the populace.