Country Views: A Peace Over The Land

A Little "fire" in the sky Saturday as I headed East

Saturday was going to be a ride day, mostly because I need to be getting miles in for the upcoming Gravel Worlds event in Lincoln, Nebraska. My recovery from the weekend before has been going well, but with that in mind, my idea to take a big bite of mileage had to be tempered with the realities of my physical condition. My back was a bit "barky" that morning too. So, a new idea formulated.

I have never been one to take it easy on injuries. My view has been that if you baby it, you just put off the inevitable and using your body wisely, with an eye to "keep moving", is best. I'm not advocating that anyone else should do what I do, but......it's always worked for me. So, with that in mind, a little single speed jaunt into the South of Black Hawk County was my goal. Single speed makes for some bigger efforts than the terrain might call for with a geared bike, and I wanted to put a little stress on the back, to see how it would react. Besides, I feel better on a bicycle than off one. Weird, but many times when I am hurt, that's the case.

So, I pulled out the Black Mountain Cycles "Orange Crush" rig which I converted to single speed earlier this year. Aired up the Donnelly EMP tires, and threw on some bottles of water. Ready! Off to Prairie Grove Park to park the "Truck With No Name" and get rolling on the gravel, not more than 3/4's of a mile away. It was cool, in the mid-60's, but it was supposedly going to get into the 80's, be humid, and there was little wind forecast. Sounded like a perfect August morning to ride.

Dust from a passing vehicle hangs in the air as Red Wing Blackbirds flock together for their migration South.

The air was very still. If there was a breeze, it had to be minimal. I couldn't feel it. I also could not discern any real humidity either. It was dry. That's odd for Iowa, and very odd for Iowa in August! The low humidity, under 40%, made the roads dusty. With little to no wind, the dust would hang in the air when vehicles passed. Which, thankfully, was not often at all. The only thing moving, besides me and the occasional vehicle, were the Red Wing Blackbirds which are beginning to flock together in preparation to move South for the Winter.

Yes, Winter is coming. The ditches are all hoary and devoid of flowers now. Brown weeds are commonplace as the flora have served their life and recent heat has accelerated their demise. The corn has tasseled and eared out. Fall is just around the corner.

The corn is ginormous.

This can be a time of year when peace falls across the land, and it had that morning. The sun was riding up above a cloud mass and casting a glow which is unmistakably "August" in Iowa. Things are at peace with each other, it seems. Mature, calm, evened out......it's hard to describe it. It's almost as if time is standing still for a while when Summer reaches this point.

There is just something about the light this time of year, it gives everything a certain feeling.

All I know is that I was enjoying the ride. It was very good. Well, besides the darn deep, fresh gravel. The road situation has not improved much all year. Some places- yes. Many places look as bad as they did this Spring. I'm not sure that they will ever recover this year, or maybe next! Petrie Road West of Ansborough, and Aker Road North of Quarry Road both look awful yet. I guess the County's plan is to just bury it all in about 4 inches of fresh crushed limestone, because there was miles of it out there Saturday.

Petrie Road's Level B section was especially sandy this time around.

The sand allowed for some animal tracks to be easily seen.

Speaking of Petrie Road, I decided to visit the Level B Section. It was very sandy! I had a hard time keeping Orange Crush upright as the narrow EMP tires would "pizza cutter" their way into the loose stuff and cause the bike to wash out. I tried keeping to the center ridge of the two track and that helped a lot. Much firmer ground there, but it was like riding a tightrope!

A crop duster banks into a turn over Petrie Road.

It's all down hill from here to the end of Petrie Road in the distance.

While I was on my way up to the ridge on Petrie Road, I heard a faint whistling-whine. It got louder and louder. My first thought was that it was a helicopter. They use small copters to spray crops with around here. But then I heard the motor just about the time I made out that this was a crop duster plane. It was traveling to a field just to the Northwest of me to spray. It made huge, lazy turns and dives over the field. I watched it a while. I think these people that fly these planes are the last daredevils. This plane was flying in between trees and just missing power lines. Crazy!

Fresh dump truck loads of gravel on Aker Road.

I made my way slowly down toward my turn off to gravel and my Northward trek back towards Waterloo. The gravel was pretty dense until I passed the blacktop going to Hudson, then I got about a mile or so of reprieve. But after making my right hander on Washburn Road, it was dump truck loads of gravel all the way back into town.

Well, I did say I wanted a good work out! I got what I came for, no doubt, and when I reached the truck, I was glad of it. My back had enough of that! Not too much- no. I had it in me yet to go home and do many things yet, so I didn't wreck myself out there. Goal accomplished.

It was definitely a highlight ride of the year though. It just doesn't get a whole lot better than that. No wind to speak of, comfortable temperatures. Sunshine. Great roads, even though they were full of fresh gravel. But most of all, that peace that was over the land. You cannot buy that. It is a gift. I was glad to be able to receive it Saturday morning.

Now for some more healing on the back, more training rides, and then onward to getting ready for Gravel Worlds. The last big deal of the Summer. In my mind, Fall pretty much starts after Gravel Worlds. So, that made Saturday's great ride even sweeter, that it happened yet this Summer, after so many times of missing out on getting a ride in.

Country Views: A Peace Over The Land

A Little "fire" in the sky Saturday as I headed East

Saturday was going to be a ride day, mostly because I need to be getting miles in for the upcoming Gravel Worlds event in Lincoln, Nebraska. My recovery from the weekend before has been going well, but with that in mind, my idea to take a big bite of mileage had to be tempered with the realities of my physical condition. My back was a bit "barky" that morning too. So, a new idea formulated.

I have never been one to take it easy on injuries. My view has been that if you baby it, you just put off the inevitable and using your body wisely, with an eye to "keep moving", is best. I'm not advocating that anyone else should do what I do, but......it's always worked for me. So, with that in mind, a little single speed jaunt into the South of Black Hawk County was my goal. Single speed makes for some bigger efforts than the terrain might call for with a geared bike, and I wanted to put a little stress on the back, to see how it would react. Besides, I feel better on a bicycle than off one. Weird, but many times when I am hurt, that's the case.

So, I pulled out the Black Mountain Cycles "Orange Crush" rig which I converted to single speed earlier this year. Aired up the Donnelly EMP tires, and threw on some bottles of water. Ready! Off to Prairie Grove Park to park the "Truck With No Name" and get rolling on the gravel, not more than 3/4's of a mile away. It was cool, in the mid-60's, but it was supposedly going to get into the 80's, be humid, and there was little wind forecast. Sounded like a perfect August morning to ride.

Dust from a passing vehicle hangs in the air as Red Wing Blackbirds flock together for their migration South.

The air was very still. If there was a breeze, it had to be minimal. I couldn't feel it. I also could not discern any real humidity either. It was dry. That's odd for Iowa, and very odd for Iowa in August! The low humidity, under 40%, made the roads dusty. With little to no wind, the dust would hang in the air when vehicles passed. Which, thankfully, was not often at all. The only thing moving, besides me and the occasional vehicle, were the Red Wing Blackbirds which are beginning to flock together in preparation to move South for the Winter.

Yes, Winter is coming. The ditches are all hoary and devoid of flowers now. Brown weeds are commonplace as the flora have served their life and recent heat has accelerated their demise. The corn has tasseled and eared out. Fall is just around the corner.

The corn is ginormous.

This can be a time of year when peace falls across the land, and it had that morning. The sun was riding up above a cloud mass and casting a glow which is unmistakably "August" in Iowa. Things are at peace with each other, it seems. Mature, calm, evened out......it's hard to describe it. It's almost as if time is standing still for a while when Summer reaches this point.

There is just something about the light this time of year, it gives everything a certain feeling.

All I know is that I was enjoying the ride. It was very good. Well, besides the darn deep, fresh gravel. The road situation has not improved much all year. Some places- yes. Many places look as bad as they did this Spring. I'm not sure that they will ever recover this year, or maybe next! Petrie Road West of Ansborough, and Aker Road North of Quarry Road both look awful yet. I guess the County's plan is to just bury it all in about 4 inches of fresh crushed limestone, because there was miles of it out there Saturday.

Petrie Road's Level B section was especially sandy this time around.

The sand allowed for some animal tracks to be easily seen.

Speaking of Petrie Road, I decided to visit the Level B Section. It was very sandy! I had a hard time keeping Orange Crush upright as the narrow EMP tires would "pizza cutter" their way into the loose stuff and cause the bike to wash out. I tried keeping to the center ridge of the two track and that helped a lot. Much firmer ground there, but it was like riding a tightrope!

A crop duster banks into a turn over Petrie Road.

It's all down hill from here to the end of Petrie Road in the distance.

While I was on my way up to the ridge on Petrie Road, I heard a faint whistling-whine. It got louder and louder. My first thought was that it was a helicopter. They use small copters to spray crops with around here. But then I heard the motor just about the time I made out that this was a crop duster plane. It was traveling to a field just to the Northwest of me to spray. It made huge, lazy turns and dives over the field. I watched it a while. I think these people that fly these planes are the last daredevils. This plane was flying in between trees and just missing power lines. Crazy!

Fresh dump truck loads of gravel on Aker Road.

I made my way slowly down toward my turn off to gravel and my Northward trek back towards Waterloo. The gravel was pretty dense until I passed the blacktop going to Hudson, then I got about a mile or so of reprieve. But after making my right hander on Washburn Road, it was dump truck loads of gravel all the way back into town.

Well, I did say I wanted a good work out! I got what I came for, no doubt, and when I reached the truck, I was glad of it. My back had enough of that! Not too much- no. I had it in me yet to go home and do many things yet, so I didn't wreck myself out there. Goal accomplished.

It was definitely a highlight ride of the year though. It just doesn't get a whole lot better than that. No wind to speak of, comfortable temperatures. Sunshine. Great roads, even though they were full of fresh gravel. But most of all, that peace that was over the land. You cannot buy that. It is a gift. I was glad to be able to receive it Saturday morning.

Now for some more healing on the back, more training rides, and then onward to getting ready for Gravel Worlds. The last big deal of the Summer. In my mind, Fall pretty much starts after Gravel Worlds. So, that made Saturday's great ride even sweeter, that it happened yet this Summer, after so many times of missing out on getting a ride in.

Trans Iowa Stories: Tales Of v1

The first roll out for a Trans Iowa. Image by Dave Kerkove

"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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

 Tales of the first Trans Iowa are rare. There were only 51 people in the event, first off, and since Trans Iowa kicked off in 2005, there weren't any digital, social media platforms to share anything on. It was a time when the "Analogue Era" was ending and the new "Social Media Era" was in its infancy. Any stories of heroism, tales of woe, or fascinating tidbits stayed with those individuals who were a part of those things.

And as far as Jeff and I were concerned, there were two focus points: Jeff's was competing in the event he helped to get off the ground. Mine was to facilitate the event. Taking pictures, writing reports, or sharing stories was not on our radar at all.

Of course, I did take a few images. However; I don't think I saved them! Then there was Dave Kerkove, Jeff's father, who took a roll of film, (film camera!), and shot some images up to the point of the Algona checkpoint. There were no images from there until the finish line shot. Isn't that crazy? But again- we weren't focused upon producing media for outsiders to consume. Once again, a bit of context is good to chew on at this point.

I'll say it again for emphasis: There was no Facebook, no Twitter, no Snapchat.....nothing! Digital cameras were around, but not prevalent. Cell phones typically had no camera or very, very bad ones. People weren't yet "attuned" to share every freaking moment of life. So, why would we be doing that? We wouldn't even think of it. There was no reason to, as the only outlet for it at that time would have been the MTBR.com Endurance forum, (where we did share stories and images back in the day), or on Jeff's blog. (I did not start this blog until May 11th, 2005. Well after Trans Iowa had happened.)

Jeff Kerkove (leading here) and a group of v1 riders. Image by Dave Kerkove

So, from my perspective I recall being pretty nervous that cold, clear morning in Hawarden. My task was going to be to yak at a "pre-race meeting", which I was very nervous about, to tell the truth. Here I was, just some unknown mechanic from Iowa, who was along to help the very well known Jeff Kerkove. I was speaking to the legends of the endurance cycling scene at the time- Mike Curiak, Steve "DOOM" Fassibinder, Ernesto Marenchin, and others whom Jeff persuaded to come to the event. Ira Ryan was there, a phenom of rando-ultra distance cycling on the West Coast, and an Iowa native. There were others, and I don't mean to slight anyone by omission, but my point is, I was a nobody. No one knew a thing about me with the exception of maybe having seen a guest post of mine on Jeff's blog, a post of mine on MTBR.com, or from Jeff mentioning me on his blog.

And here I was telling them what to do and not to do. It was very intimidating, but I did my best. Then I had to hop into the shop van, which we borrowed for the weekend from the bike shop both Jeff and I worked at, and I headed out ahead of the field. I remember stopping and waiting at the tops of hills to see if the leaders were catching me, then sprinting off ahead to check more roads. There was a horrifying moment when I came up at a crossing of a County paved road and saw "Road Closed" signs. What to do! I went around the sign and saw that they had crushed the pavement, but it was still passable, so I crossed and figured (hoped) the riders would come across as well.

Then there were the Level B Roads. We only had three, one mile sections of dirt that first year, all within about ten miles of each other. They were left in and we had no idea of how they might affect the event. I saw that they were too muddy to drive on, at least the first two were, but the third.... Hmm. Looked passable. I tried it. Mind you, this was in a 90's era Dodge Caravan, front wheel drive only. I got about a third of the way in when I realized I had made a very poor choice!

I had one hope. Stand on the gas and hope that I did not lose my momentum. I knew that if I did stop, I was going to be stuck in the middle of nowhere and no tow truck wasn't going to be able to help. Thankfully, I managed to steer through, but the mud was everywhere. Packed into wheel wells, all over the rocker panels, stuck all over the top of the van from flailing off the front wheels, and basically, it was trashed. Fortunately it still drove, so I forged on ahead to Algona.

(L-R) Me, Patrick Humenny, Dave Kerkove- Image taken by Linda Kerkove

Algona was a scene. It was cold, blustery with high wind gusts, and no one really knew what to expect, or what was going on for certain. One thing that I found odd were that some folks had tons of support while others were rolling in and doing everything for themselves. That was addressed for v2 with the elimination of "outside support". One thing was frightening- That was hearing about one of our riders wandering off course in a daze, angered at folks asking if he was okay. It turned out it was a person so dehydrated that they were a bit emotional and not thinking straight. Being that I had my hands full already, I couldn't go find out anything more than the bits and pieces other riders could tell me. This was one bullet dodged in the end that could have went waaaay bad. I knew then and there we needed more people running this event. 

Near the end of my time there, I felt pressured to address concerns some support people were voicing about the "unfair time cut off" announced at the onset of the event for the Algona Checkpoint. These folks wanted it abolished, or at the least, extended greatly. I ended up informing Jeff's parents that the cut off would be extended one hour. In the end, it made zero difference, but again- something to keep in mind if we ever ran this again. I was pretty stressed out at that point because I had to get to Pilot Knob State Park and mark a mile or so of single track. So, eventually I just had to leave without seeing some of the concerned folks face to face, but again- One guy running the show. Not good. Also, remember this was my first rodeo being the "RD" guy. It was pretty rough sledding.

Not many riders left Algona. We had nine finishers, but I think something like 13 left Algona. So, attrition was high and continuing on from Algona, I saw a few riders on my way out, and then I did not see anyone until well into Sunday morning. I had zero communication with Jeff, who was out of the event due to dehydration issues. I only knew he was out of the event. Other than having to call in anyone I saw at my Cresco, Iowa observation point to the Decorah Time Trials finish line volunteer, I had no reason to use my phone. So, with no DNF line, it got really weird out there in the night for me.

I cannot recall for certain, but I think I got a call from Dave Kerkove when the checkpoint closed shortly after 6:00pm that night, so that may have been one point of communication. But anyway, I was frustrated, bored to tears, and was wishing I had anyone else along to share this miserable time with. I hate to beat this point to death, but you have to keep in mind the lack of social media back then. I mean, I couldn't check a timeline, page, or anything. I think this point is now so foreign to us that we have a hard time fathoming it. So, it was boring as Hell, but most of all, the biggest issue was that I felt sleeping was out of the question, because of my charge to let the Decorah folks know when to expect a rider to finish. That was extra stress and I went through the wringer during the event's ending. The night time stretch was excruciatingly boring and difficult. It was really cold that night. I know we had a hard freeze and frost was everywhere that Sunday morning. All I had was a stocking hat and a rain jacket. Dumb!

By the time I reached my observation point just North of Cresco, Iowa, I was freezing to death and having to hop into the van, run the heater on high, and then try not to fall asleep! Back and forth like that for a few hours until at right around sunrise, a rider came through. It was Alex Dollp. Then about every hour or hour and a half, a rider would pass by till all seven had went by me. I had only seen seven because Ryan and Hannon bypassed my point in the night due to getting off course. But I didn't know that at the time.

Eventually Dave Kerkove called and said that there were likely around ten guys left and that he and Jeff were on their way to relieve me. That is the last thing I clearly remember about v1. I do vaguely recall the "award ceremonies" at Decorah, but only vaguely, and I could not tell you how I got home. Afterward, I saw that I did not even mention Trans Iowa on my blog a half a month later all the rest of the way through May. So, while it was a "big deal", it wasn't that big of a deal at the time, or so we thought.

All I know is that Trans Iowa, the first one that is, changed me fundamentally. Even without the other 13 Trans Iowas. Just doing that one really gave me confidence, inspiration, and a new viewpoint I had not had previous to it. So, thank you, first of all, to Jeff Kerkove. I owe it all to you, and without your inclusiveness, drive, and enthusiasm, I would still be "just a bike mechanic in Iowa". Then I gotta thank all those first Trans Iowans. You guys and Emily Broderson, (the lone female in T.I.v1) are to be commended, because without you, I don't become who I am today.

Next: Stories Of v2

Trans Iowa Stories: Tales Of v1

The first roll out for a Trans Iowa. Image by Dave Kerkove

"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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

 Tales of the first Trans Iowa are rare. There were only 51 people in the event, first off, and since Trans Iowa kicked off in 2005, there weren't any digital, social media platforms to share anything on. It was a time when the "Analogue Era" was ending and the new "Social Media Era" was in its infancy. Any stories of heroism, tales of woe, or fascinating tidbits stayed with those individuals who were a part of those things.

And as far as Jeff and I were concerned, there were two focus points: Jeff's was competing in the event he helped to get off the ground. Mine was to facilitate the event. Taking pictures, writing reports, or sharing stories was not on our radar at all.

Of course, I did take a few images. However; I don't think I saved them! Then there was Dave Kerkove, Jeff's father, who took a roll of film, (film camera!), and shot some images up to the point of the Algona checkpoint. There were no images from there until the finish line shot. Isn't that crazy? But again- we weren't focused upon producing media for outsiders to consume. Once again, a bit of context is good to chew on at this point.

I'll say it again for emphasis: There was no Facebook, no Twitter, no Snapchat.....nothing! Digital cameras were around, but not prevalent. Cell phones typically had no camera or very, very bad ones. People weren't yet "attuned" to share every freaking moment of life. So, why would we be doing that? We wouldn't even think of it. There was no reason to, as the only outlet for it at that time would have been the MTBR.com Endurance forum, (where we did share stories and images back in the day), or on Jeff's blog. (I did not start this blog until May 11th, 2005. Well after Trans Iowa had happened.)

Jeff Kerkove (leading here) and a group of v1 riders. Image by Dave Kerkove

So, from my perspective I recall being pretty nervous that cold, clear morning in Hawarden. My task was going to be to yak at a "pre-race meeting", which I was very nervous about, to tell the truth. Here I was, just some unknown mechanic from Iowa, who was along to help the very well known Jeff Kerkove. I was speaking to the legends of the endurance cycling scene at the time- Mike Curiak, Steve "DOOM" Fassibinder, Ernesto Marenchin, and others whom Jeff persuaded to come to the event. Ira Ryan was there, a phenom of rando-ultra distance cycling on the West Coast, and an Iowa native. There were others, and I don't mean to slight anyone by omission, but my point is, I was a nobody. No one knew a thing about me with the exception of maybe having seen a guest post of mine on Jeff's blog, a post of mine on MTBR.com, or from Jeff mentioning me on his blog.

And here I was telling them what to do and not to do. It was very intimidating, but I did my best. Then I had to hop into the shop van, which we borrowed for the weekend from the bike shop both Jeff and I worked at, and I headed out ahead of the field. I remember stopping and waiting at the tops of hills to see if the leaders were catching me, then sprinting off ahead to check more roads. There was a horrifying moment when I came up at a crossing of a County paved road and saw "Road Closed" signs. What to do! I went around the sign and saw that they had crushed the pavement, but it was still passable, so I crossed and figured (hoped) the riders would come across as well.

Then there were the Level B Roads. We only had three, one mile sections of dirt that first year, all within about ten miles of each other. They were left in and we had no idea of how they might affect the event. I saw that they were too muddy to drive on, at least the first two were, but the third.... Hmm. Looked passable. I tried it. Mind you, this was in a 90's era Dodge Caravan, front wheel drive only. I got about a third of the way in when I realized I had made a very poor choice!

I had one hope. Stand on the gas and hope that I did not lose my momentum. I knew that if I did stop, I was going to be stuck in the middle of nowhere and no tow truck wasn't going to be able to help. Thankfully, I managed to steer through, but the mud was everywhere. Packed into wheel wells, all over the rocker panels, stuck all over the top of the van from flailing off the front wheels, and basically, it was trashed. Fortunately it still drove, so I forged on ahead to Algona.

(L-R) Me, Patrick Humenny, Dave Kerkove- Image taken by Linda Kerkove

Algona was a scene. It was cold, blustery with high wind gusts, and no one really knew what to expect, or what was going on for certain. One thing that I found odd were that some folks had tons of support while others were rolling in and doing everything for themselves. That was addressed for v2 with the elimination of "outside support". One thing was frightening- That was hearing about one of our riders wandering off course in a daze, angered at folks asking if he was okay. It turned out it was a person so dehydrated that they were a bit emotional and not thinking straight. Being that I had my hands full already, I couldn't go find out anything more than the bits and pieces other riders could tell me. This was one bullet dodged in the end that could have went waaaay bad. I knew then and there we needed more people running this event. 

Near the end of my time there, I felt pressured to address concerns some support people were voicing about the "unfair time cut off" announced at the onset of the event for the Algona Checkpoint. These folks wanted it abolished, or at the least, extended greatly. I ended up informing Jeff's parents that the cut off would be extended one hour. In the end, it made zero difference, but again- something to keep in mind if we ever ran this again. I was pretty stressed out at that point because I had to get to Pilot Knob State Park and mark a mile or so of single track. So, eventually I just had to leave without seeing some of the concerned folks face to face, but again- One guy running the show. Not good. Also, remember this was my first rodeo being the "RD" guy. It was pretty rough sledding.

Not many riders left Algona. We had nine finishers, but I think something like 13 left Algona. So, attrition was high and continuing on from Algona, I saw a few riders on my way out, and then I did not see anyone until well into Sunday morning. I had zero communication with Jeff, who was out of the event due to dehydration issues. I only knew he was out of the event. Other than having to call in anyone I saw at my Cresco, Iowa observation point to the Decorah Time Trials finish line volunteer, I had no reason to use my phone. So, with no DNF line, it got really weird out there in the night for me.

I cannot recall for certain, but I think I got a call from Dave Kerkove when the checkpoint closed shortly after 6:00pm that night, so that may have been one point of communication. But anyway, I was frustrated, bored to tears, and was wishing I had anyone else along to share this miserable time with. I hate to beat this point to death, but you have to keep in mind the lack of social media back then. I mean, I couldn't check a timeline, page, or anything. I think this point is now so foreign to us that we have a hard time fathoming it. So, it was boring as Hell, but most of all, the biggest issue was that I felt sleeping was out of the question, because of my charge to let the Decorah folks know when to expect a rider to finish. That was extra stress and I went through the wringer during the event's ending. The night time stretch was excruciatingly boring and difficult. It was really cold that night. I know we had a hard freeze and frost was everywhere that Sunday morning. All I had was a stocking hat and a rain jacket. Dumb!

By the time I reached my observation point just North of Cresco, Iowa, I was freezing to death and having to hop into the van, run the heater on high, and then try not to fall asleep! Back and forth like that for a few hours until at right around sunrise, a rider came through. It was Alex Dollp. Then about every hour or hour and a half, a rider would pass by till all seven had went by me. I had only seen seven because Ryan and Hannon bypassed my point in the night due to getting off course. But I didn't know that at the time.

Eventually Dave Kerkove called and said that there were likely around ten guys left and that he and Jeff were on their way to relieve me. That is the last thing I clearly remember about v1. I do vaguely recall the "award ceremonies" at Decorah, but only vaguely, and I could not tell you how I got home. Afterward, I saw that I did not even mention Trans Iowa on my blog a half a month later all the rest of the way through May. So, while it was a "big deal", it wasn't that big of a deal at the time, or so we thought.

All I know is that Trans Iowa, the first one that is, changed me fundamentally. Even without the other 13 Trans Iowas. Just doing that one really gave me confidence, inspiration, and a new viewpoint I had not had previous to it. So, thank you, first of all, to Jeff Kerkove. I owe it all to you, and without your inclusiveness, drive, and enthusiasm, I would still be "just a bike mechanic in Iowa". Then I gotta thank all those first Trans Iowans. You guys and Emily Broderson, (the lone female in T.I.v1) are to be commended, because without you, I don't become who I am today.

Next: Stories Of v2

Minus Ten Review 2009-31

I still have the frame and fork. I should throw this back together again!

Ten years ago this week I was out riding the South Side of Camp Ingawanis, now known as Ingawanis Woodland, or simply by "Ingie" as the locals know it now. Back a decade ago you could count how many people rode out there in a month on one hand.

There was a white board you were supposed to sign in on, and back then weeks would go by before it had to be erased because there were so many names it was full. I bet that would happen in a single day on a nice weekend now. But back then, the locals didn't want anything to do with driving ten miles to get to good single track. Too much bother!

Now it is no biggie, apparently. Times change and all......

Used to be a race out there too. The first one was ten years ago, and I helped volunteer for it. I keep getting reminded of this by my son. This race is a chief memory for him and he recalls being at "that race in the woods" that we counted bikers at. Keep in mind that he was all of six years old, and barely that. I mean, what can you recall vividly from being six years old? I know I cannot remember much. (But what's new, right? Ha!)

I know it was a big deal to him as he will bring up this memory at random times. I guess it was welded into his consciousness as a "big adventure" with his Dad. I don't know, but here's a piece of advice for any Dads out there that may be reading this that have youginz- You never know what will impact your child and be of importance to them in later years. Be wise- Be good. Keep your promises. Never dismiss a memory your child has even if you think it was no big deal. 

Nuff said.

Minus Ten Review 2009-31

I still have the frame and fork. I should throw this back together again!

Ten years ago this week I was out riding the South Side of Camp Ingawanis, now known as Ingawanis Woodland, or simply by "Ingie" as the locals know it now. Back a decade ago you could count how many people rode out there in a month on one hand.

There was a white board you were supposed to sign in on, and back then weeks would go by before it had to be erased because there were so many names it was full. I bet that would happen in a single day on a nice weekend now. But back then, the locals didn't want anything to do with driving ten miles to get to good single track. Too much bother!

Now it is no biggie, apparently. Times change and all......

Used to be a race out there too. The first one was ten years ago, and I helped volunteer for it. I keep getting reminded of this by my son. This race is a chief memory for him and he recalls being at "that race in the woods" that we counted bikers at. Keep in mind that he was all of six years old, and barely that. I mean, what can you recall vividly from being six years old? I know I cannot remember much. (But what's new, right? Ha!)

I know it was a big deal to him as he will bring up this memory at random times. I guess it was welded into his consciousness as a "big adventure" with his Dad. I don't know, but here's a piece of advice for any Dads out there that may be reading this that have youginz- You never know what will impact your child and be of importance to them in later years. Be wise- Be good. Keep your promises. Never dismiss a memory your child has even if you think it was no big deal. 

Nuff said.

Friday News And Views

A Thank You:

Leading off today I wanted to say "Thank You" to all you readers for hanging in there with the GTDRI coverage. Now that the event is in the rear view mirror, I will be focusing on getting my back in shape for the Gravel Worlds event coming in a couple of weeks now.

The back- yeah.... It's coming along slowly. I can go okay from a daily living perspective and then the muscles get tired out and I'm done early for the day. No "pain", really, just fatigue and some mild dull pain in the muscles from time to time. I don't even get stiff, so it's kind of a weird deal.

Concerning the GTDRI- Actually, on Sunday when I got home I was ready to never do another one again. I was pretty discouraged by my situation. But that is passing, so.......stay tuned. My inclination now is to do the event at the same time and on the same course again as this past one, but I want to sit on it and see how I feel about things in a month or so. Time to let that GTDRI stuff go for a while. Although, I will try to straighten out the cues for anyone wanting to download the cues in the future.

Besides the recent events and Gravel Worlds, it is time to start thinking about the C.O.G. 100 again. An "official announcement" will be made by N.Y. Roll and myself yet this month concerning the event. So stay tuned for that coming soon.

Working on Wiring

The Wiring:

This week I dove into the wiring for the generator on the Ti Muk 2. I knew it was a "bird's nest" of a mess and it needed taking care of at some point. The rack I purchased and installed has the correct 50mm bolt spacing to affix a tail light powered by the generator hub, a SON 28. So, I have this seat stay mounted light and while I could move it to the rack, I think I am going to go for the new Schmidt rack mounted tail light that comes in a nice aluminum anodized case. It looks more robust than my current plastic cased light.

I also may go all in for coaxial cables, but we'll see. I think that would be an upgrade worth pursuing as it looks like a much more robust way to wire the lights and the connector is a much easier connector to unplug and plug back in again. Those fiddly spade connectors are so last century, and I cannot stand those things. That said, simple is easier to fix, and a plug end complicates things and is tougher to fix. Especially out in the middle of nowhere, so I get it, but I don't see myself having an issue that would stop me from riding.

The wiring I have is far too long, so at any rate, I will need spade connectors and careful measuring to make the wires the correct lengths. Then I plan on using some shrink tubing on connections and the wires will get tucked out of harm's way when I get everything working correctly. It'll take a bit to get everything lined up, but once this gets squared away, the Ti Muk 2 will be completely ready for action.

Rig Of Choice:

I mentioned Gravel Worlds a bit ago here. So, I am contemplating what bike to ride for this event the other day and I think I have come to a rather forgone conclusion. I need to get my Gen I Fargo up and running! That back injury and all has kind of forced me into this corner, and really, I think its best all around. 

This bike got me my only Gravel Worlds finish I've had in what? Seven tries? Six? Something like that. Anyway, it is the bike I feel is the best choice from all standpoints right now, and it won't take much to get it going either. It just needs tires and a good going over. Then it should be a no-brainer to ride it anywhere.

There may be a tiny bit of accessorizing, but beyond that, it will make my getting ready for Gravel Worlds that much easier. Easy is good. And I don't have to go back and forth about what bike to use now, which is nice. But.....I do need some new tires! Ha! Probably something in the 50mm range. I also probably have something that will work too. I just need to get around to getting around to it. Ya know? Ha!

Okay, that's all for now! Have a great weekend!

Friday News And Views

A Thank You:

Leading off today I wanted to say "Thank You" to all you readers for hanging in there with the GTDRI coverage. Now that the event is in the rear view mirror, I will be focusing on getting my back in shape for the Gravel Worlds event coming in a couple of weeks now.

The back- yeah.... It's coming along slowly. I can go okay from a daily living perspective and then the muscles get tired out and I'm done early for the day. No "pain", really, just fatigue and some mild dull pain in the muscles from time to time. I don't even get stiff, so it's kind of a weird deal.

Concerning the GTDRI- Actually, on Sunday when I got home I was ready to never do another one again. I was pretty discouraged by my situation. But that is passing, so.......stay tuned. My inclination now is to do the event at the same time and on the same course again as this past one, but I want to sit on it and see how I feel about things in a month or so. Time to let that GTDRI stuff go for a while. Although, I will try to straighten out the cues for anyone wanting to download the cues in the future.

Besides the recent events and Gravel Worlds, it is time to start thinking about the C.O.G. 100 again. An "official announcement" will be made by N.Y. Roll and myself yet this month concerning the event. So stay tuned for that coming soon.

Working on Wiring

The Wiring:

This week I dove into the wiring for the generator on the Ti Muk 2. I knew it was a "bird's nest" of a mess and it needed taking care of at some point. The rack I purchased and installed has the correct 50mm bolt spacing to affix a tail light powered by the generator hub, a SON 28. So, I have this seat stay mounted light and while I could move it to the rack, I think I am going to go for the new Schmidt rack mounted tail light that comes in a nice aluminum anodized case. It looks more robust than my current plastic cased light.

I also may go all in for coaxial cables, but we'll see. I think that would be an upgrade worth pursuing as it looks like a much more robust way to wire the lights and the connector is a much easier connector to unplug and plug back in again. Those fiddly spade connectors are so last century, and I cannot stand those things. That said, simple is easier to fix, and a plug end complicates things and is tougher to fix. Especially out in the middle of nowhere, so I get it, but I don't see myself having an issue that would stop me from riding.

The wiring I have is far too long, so at any rate, I will need spade connectors and careful measuring to make the wires the correct lengths. Then I plan on using some shrink tubing on connections and the wires will get tucked out of harm's way when I get everything working correctly. It'll take a bit to get everything lined up, but once this gets squared away, the Ti Muk 2 will be completely ready for action.

Rig Of Choice:

I mentioned Gravel Worlds a bit ago here. So, I am contemplating what bike to ride for this event the other day and I think I have come to a rather forgone conclusion. I need to get my Gen I Fargo up and running! That back injury and all has kind of forced me into this corner, and really, I think its best all around. 

This bike got me my only Gravel Worlds finish I've had in what? Seven tries? Six? Something like that. Anyway, it is the bike I feel is the best choice from all standpoints right now, and it won't take much to get it going either. It just needs tires and a good going over. Then it should be a no-brainer to ride it anywhere.

There may be a tiny bit of accessorizing, but beyond that, it will make my getting ready for Gravel Worlds that much easier. Easy is good. And I don't have to go back and forth about what bike to use now, which is nice. But.....I do need some new tires! Ha! Probably something in the 50mm range. I also probably have something that will work too. I just need to get around to getting around to it. Ya know? Ha!

Okay, that's all for now! Have a great weekend!

GTDRI '19: Gear And Final Thoughts

The BMC post-GTDRI '19

The gear rundown for the GTDRI was pretty simple and had pretty much zero defects. Starting out with the bike, which is the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD frame/fork. I won't say a whole lot more than my one year review said here other than those rough Level B Roads were traversed with no problem.

The Shimano shifters and derailleurs were spot on. the Whiskey carbon bar and seat post were perfectly smooth. I will highlight two items on the bike which I thought made the day and without them, it would have been a harsher ride.

One certainly is the Redshift Sports ShockStop stem. I've been using this for two solid years now and it has shown no signs of looseness or that the elastomeric spring is crushing/damaged/giving up. I know of several instances where having that stem meant having control versus not having it while bombing Level B roads at 30+ mph. Besides the benefits of vibration damping, that absorption of the big hits- just taking the edge off and keeping my ability to be in control- is worth the price of the stem right there.

The second thing is the Spinergy GX gravel wheels. Yes.....they look pretty. That's nice and all, but if they don't stay true, hold my tubeless tires well, or if they were heavy, they wouldn't be on my bike. I don't care how nice they look. They are stiffer than some other blingy wheels I've tried and cost less than any of them. PBO spokes are weird, yes, I understand the hesitance to getting into such a wheel from that standpoint. However; it has been my observation over the years that these spokes can withstand a fair amount of use and abuse. I'm not too worried about it, to be honest. And as I have already said, if I can pound on them as hard as I did during the GTDRI, I have full confidence in their integrity. Plus, they have a custom program now and a chance to win wheels. Check it out here.

The computer tells the story

Well, as for my thoughts on the day, it was a success overall. People along for the ride seemed really happy with the route and there was enough rain, or maybe not enough, I suppose, to make it interesting. The Level B roads I put in the route were, frankly, spectacular. Now, the having that happen, that was purely speculation on my part, because remember- I did not recon the route at all. I knew from seeing these roads, while passing by many of them during various Trans Iowa recons, that they looked interesting. That's all.

My back issue was probably responsible for my early demise, but the fall at around Mile 50 probably sped that demise up. I still am not "right" and the muscles will take time to heal. But I was happy I made it as far as I did. I wasn't sure I'd even be able to ride at all Friday evening.

I made it 70 miles and a little bit more. Probably 2+ of that was walking. Still- My average speed, according to GPS from the Lezyne, was over 11mph! I find that hard to believe. I think my GPS is trying to butter me up because I don't necessarily feel compelled to use it all that much. Anyway, the last several times I have checked into my average speed on different courses, I have been surprised by what I have done in that regard. Still, I'd like to double check that against a wireless CatEye or something. I'm still suspicious.

On the nutritional front I was pretty happy. I've been trying some new things and they have been working. I also learned that Starbucks Double Shot Latte is an eye opener. I never once had the urge to just fall asleep on the bike, as I have had happen at Gravel Worlds last year and during other long events. This isn't the being tired that I experienced this GTDRI. That was pure fatigue. This "falling asleep while riding" is something different because my body isn't tired. It's my mind just shutting down. Sugary Coca-Cola snaps me right out of that funk, but that comes with its downsides. This Starbucks thing? That may be the ticket. 

One other interesting bit was that the average temperature was just under 80°F for the ride with a high of 102°F at one point near to the end of my ride. The Sun did come out in scorching fashion right at the end there, but 102? Meh! Not buying it, but......who knows? I just know I was baking while walking those final couple of miles on gravel. Concerning data, I was rather disappointed in the cues that Plot-a-Route generated. they were completely useless unless you were well versed in how the county roads are marked and even then it was super confusing. I am going to have to apologize for that. I maybe could have gone into the cues and cleaned that up, but I'm not sure the Plot-a-Route cues are editable.

If I can get around to it, I am going to do proper cues and put them on PDF and attach a link to the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational site for future reference. This is a course I'd like to do again.

Maybe next year?

GTDRI '19: Gear And Final Thoughts

The BMC post-GTDRI '19

The gear rundown for the GTDRI was pretty simple and had pretty much zero defects. Starting out with the bike, which is the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD frame/fork. I won't say a whole lot more than my one year review said here other than those rough Level B Roads were traversed with no problem.

The Shimano shifters and derailleurs were spot on. the Whiskey carbon bar and seat post were perfectly smooth. I will highlight two items on the bike which I thought made the day and without them, it would have been a harsher ride.

One certainly is the Redshift Sports ShockStop stem. I've been using this for two solid years now and it has shown no signs of looseness or that the elastomeric spring is crushing/damaged/giving up. I know of several instances where having that stem meant having control versus not having it while bombing Level B roads at 30+ mph. Besides the benefits of vibration damping, that absorption of the big hits- just taking the edge off and keeping my ability to be in control- is worth the price of the stem right there.

The second thing is the Spinergy GX gravel wheels. Yes.....they look pretty. That's nice and all, but if they don't stay true, hold my tubeless tires well, or if they were heavy, they wouldn't be on my bike. I don't care how nice they look. They are stiffer than some other blingy wheels I've tried and cost less than any of them. PBO spokes are weird, yes, I understand the hesitance to getting into such a wheel from that standpoint. However; it has been my observation over the years that these spokes can withstand a fair amount of use and abuse. I'm not too worried about it, to be honest. And as I have already said, if I can pound on them as hard as I did during the GTDRI, I have full confidence in their integrity. Plus, they have a custom program now and a chance to win wheels. Check it out here.

The computer tells the story

Well, as for my thoughts on the day, it was a success overall. People along for the ride seemed really happy with the route and there was enough rain, or maybe not enough, I suppose, to make it interesting. The Level B roads I put in the route were, frankly, spectacular. Now, the having that happen, that was purely speculation on my part, because remember- I did not recon the route at all. I knew from seeing these roads, while passing by many of them during various Trans Iowa recons, that they looked interesting. That's all.

My back issue was probably responsible for my early demise, but the fall at around Mile 50 probably sped that demise up. I still am not "right" and the muscles will take time to heal. But I was happy I made it as far as I did. I wasn't sure I'd even be able to ride at all Friday evening.

I made it 70 miles and a little bit more. Probably 2+ of that was walking. Still- My average speed, according to GPS from the Lezyne, was over 11mph! I find that hard to believe. I think my GPS is trying to butter me up because I don't necessarily feel compelled to use it all that much. Anyway, the last several times I have checked into my average speed on different courses, I have been surprised by what I have done in that regard. Still, I'd like to double check that against a wireless CatEye or something. I'm still suspicious.

On the nutritional front I was pretty happy. I've been trying some new things and they have been working. I also learned that Starbucks Double Shot Latte is an eye opener. I never once had the urge to just fall asleep on the bike, as I have had happen at Gravel Worlds last year and during other long events. This isn't the being tired that I experienced this GTDRI. That was pure fatigue. This "falling asleep while riding" is something different because my body isn't tired. It's my mind just shutting down. Sugary Coca-Cola snaps me right out of that funk, but that comes with its downsides. This Starbucks thing? That may be the ticket. 

One other interesting bit was that the average temperature was just under 80°F for the ride with a high of 102°F at one point near to the end of my ride. The Sun did come out in scorching fashion right at the end there, but 102? Meh! Not buying it, but......who knows? I just know I was baking while walking those final couple of miles on gravel. Concerning data, I was rather disappointed in the cues that Plot-a-Route generated. they were completely useless unless you were well versed in how the county roads are marked and even then it was super confusing. I am going to have to apologize for that. I maybe could have gone into the cues and cleaned that up, but I'm not sure the Plot-a-Route cues are editable.

If I can get around to it, I am going to do proper cues and put them on PDF and attach a link to the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational site for future reference. This is a course I'd like to do again.

Maybe next year?

GTDRI '19: Thunder Roads Part 3

The "second stop", such as it was, along County F-17, was a welcomed respite from riding in tough terrain. Jon had been correct, the Level B roads past his "first stop" were the toughest and most technical on the day. Now the Level B's would be less, and the hills would kick in.

There is something about the area around Brooklyn, Iowa that makes riding tougher than around other villages. Well.....that something is hills. Steep, short, and never ending, or seemingly so. One after another. I often used this area in Trans Iowa to great effect. I knew full well what was coming.

I tried every trick I knew. Mental, physical, but there was just no getting around the fact that whatever I had done to myself by helping my neighbor, and exacerbated when I fell earlier, was making riding up hills painful and very, very slow. It may have helped if I had deeper gearing. I could have spun more, which is what I needed to be able to do. Pushing hard was not a recipe for success for myself at this point. It was brutal.

I got about two and a half miles from the last stop and I was cooked. The hills were what I have described. I needed to rest a bit. Then back on for a couple of really, really excruciatingly slow miles. Now here is where something happened that gives you faith in Mankind and hope for the future. Two of my riding companions weren't going to let me flounder alone.

It was amazing to me to see how much work the County was putting into a dirt road. Fresh grading, ditch work, and a low water crossing.

Now I want to mention two important points here. First and foremost- This shepherding of me by these two fine fellows in no way indicts the others on the ride. Their ride was tempered by the fact that the three of us were moving so slowly, and much to their credit, they were waiting on us up the road at two different points. That's by design. It is a "No-Drop" ride, and they were doing their best to balance that with getting the ride done.

Secondly, I actually didn't want anyone waiting on me. That was unwise, of course. The two guys waiting alongside of me knew this. Oh.....they gave me space. But had they truly left me behind, I would have crawled into the nearest ditch and taken a nap. I felt very tired  from trying so hard to pedal. So, it was probably a good thing that these two guys kept an eye out for me after all.

The group was waiting on myself and the two riders shepherding me on the other side of that bull dozer. 

One of the two guys that were keeping an eye out for me while I was struggling.

Well, after the big climb out of the valley where the Level B was being worked on came some big rollers on gravel for a few miles and then the town of Brooklyn. I had hoped to roll into this town knowing it would provide a chance to stretch out on the grass and get some rest for my back. But other plans were made on the road.

I was reduced to walking. I couldn't pedal anymore unless it was down hill. One of the two guys alongside me suggested that they could ride back to Grinnell and fetch their vehicle and come back to Brooklyn to get me, so I agreed, and I soldiered onward to that village. Once there, I was surprised to find the group still lounging around. I figured they would have taken off by the time I arrived.

Arrangements were altered and I ended up waiting for a different ride, but eventually I got back to Grinnell, and I stopped in to Peace Tree to find Doug, Rob, Michaela, and Jon, who was with me, there to have a brew with. After a bit of small talk, Jon announced he was ready to go home, and I was too. We had not seen hide nor hair of anyone else yet and were marveling that they were still out there. Rob, Doug, and Michaela were setting out to find supper, so we left them and I headed over to my vehicle courtesy of Jon's truck. Along the way we saw the guys had rolled in, but after one strong beer, I wasn't up for another and still have the wits and alertness to drive home.

So, that was that. The 14th Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational was over. I'll have some thoughts on gear and some final musings tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

GTDRI '19: Thunder Roads Part 3

The "second stop", such as it was, along County F-17, was a welcomed respite from riding in tough terrain. Jon had been correct, the Level B roads past his "first stop" were the toughest and most technical on the day. Now the Level B's would be less, and the hills would kick in.

There is something about the area around Brooklyn, Iowa that makes riding tougher than around other villages. Well.....that something is hills. Steep, short, and never ending, or seemingly so. One after another. I often used this area in Trans Iowa to great effect. I knew full well what was coming.

I tried every trick I knew. Mental, physical, but there was just no getting around the fact that whatever I had done to myself by helping my neighbor, and exacerbated when I fell earlier, was making riding up hills painful and very, very slow. It may have helped if I had deeper gearing. I could have spun more, which is what I needed to be able to do. Pushing hard was not a recipe for success for myself at this point. It was brutal.

I got about two and a half miles from the last stop and I was cooked. The hills were what I have described. I needed to rest a bit. Then back on for a couple of really, really excruciatingly slow miles. Now here is where something happened that gives you faith in Mankind and hope for the future. Two of my riding companions weren't going to let me flounder alone.

It was amazing to me to see how much work the County was putting into a dirt road. Fresh grading, ditch work, and a low water crossing.

Now I want to mention two important points here. First and foremost- This shepherding of me by these two fine fellows in no way indicts the others on the ride. Their ride was tempered by the fact that the three of us were moving so slowly, and much to their credit, they were waiting on us up the road at two different points. That's by design. It is a "No-Drop" ride, and they were doing their best to balance that with getting the ride done.

Secondly, I actually didn't want anyone waiting on me. That was unwise, of course. The two guys waiting alongside of me knew this. Oh.....they gave me space. But had they truly left me behind, I would have crawled into the nearest ditch and taken a nap. I felt very tired  from trying so hard to pedal. So, it was probably a good thing that these two guys kept an eye out for me after all.

The group was waiting on myself and the two riders shepherding me on the other side of that bull dozer. 

One of the two guys that were keeping an eye out for me while I was struggling.

Well, after the big climb out of the valley where the Level B was being worked on came some big rollers on gravel for a few miles and then the town of Brooklyn. I had hoped to roll into this town knowing it would provide a chance to stretch out on the grass and get some rest for my back. But other plans were made on the road.

I was reduced to walking. I couldn't pedal anymore unless it was down hill. One of the two guys alongside me suggested that they could ride back to Grinnell and fetch their vehicle and come back to Brooklyn to get me, so I agreed, and I soldiered onward to that village. Once there, I was surprised to find the group still lounging around. I figured they would have taken off by the time I arrived.

Arrangements were altered and I ended up waiting for a different ride, but eventually I got back to Grinnell, and I stopped in to Peace Tree to find Doug, Rob, Michaela, and Jon, who was with me, there to have a brew with. After a bit of small talk, Jon announced he was ready to go home, and I was too. We had not seen hide nor hair of anyone else yet and were marveling that they were still out there. Rob, Doug, and Michaela were setting out to find supper, so we left them and I headed over to my vehicle courtesy of Jon's truck. Along the way we saw the guys had rolled in, but after one strong beer, I wasn't up for another and still have the wits and alertness to drive home.

So, that was that. The 14th Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational was over. I'll have some thoughts on gear and some final musings tomorrow. Thanks for reading!