T.I.V6 Post Cards And Sacrificial Offerings

Okay folks! I am going to try and share a bunch of this T.I. Post card madness with you all. It's a long post! So settle in and enjoy! You can click on any image to make it bigger.

<====Soooo......I'm a doctor now? Good take on the "Vitamin G" theme. It actually has gravel inside!









<====I got one of these last year too. Something so stupid about this that it is brilliant!

Still makes me laugh!













<====Another Florida themed card.

Funny- you never see the reverse- You know, when they are getting blown away by a hurricane and we are enjoying wonderful late summer weather. Ha!









<====I like New Belgium. I like their beer. I like that they like bikes.

I also like this post card. "Redefining Folly" Perfect for Trans Iowa, eh?











<====MG, I don't know where you got this, but it is hilarious! Thanks Brother!



I'm left wondering what went wrong with models 1 through 24.








<====Been here once as a child. Funny how it looks so great on a post card!













<====You're welcome!
















<===Things are still a bit fuzzy concerning T.I.V6, but they are quickly coming into focus!
















<===I guess this artist is famous in the Twin Cities newspapers.

I just think it is pretty cool.














<====A few guys went down early in T.I.V5 due to mechanicals.

I'd stay out of their way if I were on T.I.V6!











I'll be sharing more in the future. One thing is for sure. You guys have been super creative and super generous this year. It is greatly appreciated. I am humbled- Thanks!

T.I.V6 Post Cards And Sacrificial Offerings

Okay folks! I am going to try and share a bunch of this T.I. Post card madness with you all. It's a long post! So settle in and enjoy! You can click on any image to make it bigger.

<====Soooo......I'm a doctor now? Good take on the "Vitamin G" theme. It actually has gravel inside!









<====I got one of these last year too. Something so stupid about this that it is brilliant!

Still makes me laugh!













<====Another Florida themed card.

Funny- you never see the reverse- You know, when they are getting blown away by a hurricane and we are enjoying wonderful late summer weather. Ha!









<====I like New Belgium. I like their beer. I like that they like bikes.

I also like this post card. "Redefining Folly" Perfect for Trans Iowa, eh?











<====MG, I don't know where you got this, but it is hilarious! Thanks Brother!



I'm left wondering what went wrong with models 1 through 24.








<====Been here once as a child. Funny how it looks so great on a post card!













<====You're welcome!
















<===Things are still a bit fuzzy concerning T.I.V6, but they are quickly coming into focus!
















<===I guess this artist is famous in the Twin Cities newspapers.

I just think it is pretty cool.














<====A few guys went down early in T.I.V5 due to mechanicals.

I'd stay out of their way if I were on T.I.V6!











I'll be sharing more in the future. One thing is for sure. You guys have been super creative and super generous this year. It is greatly appreciated. I am humbled- Thanks!

Bike Shop Tales: Learning To Wrench

Last week I left off with the Klein Attitude purchase. Now it was time to learn how to take care of them....

After I dropped the big coinage on the Attitudes, I figured I'd better learn how to take care of the things. Lucky for me, Advantage Cycles had a mechanics 101 class in the evenings. I signed up and I was super stoked to find out all I could to get up to speed on maintenance.

I knew a few rudimentary things from back in my childhood. I was blessed by having been in the great tornado of 1968 in Charles City, Iowa. It was after that carnage that as a child, you could find a bike out in the weeds around the edges of town on any given day. They were like apples fallen from a tree. It was pretty amazing. We would take these things, disassemble them, reassemble them, modify them, and pretty much destroy them. Hey! They were free and a dime a dozen. At least for a few years afterwards.

That got me by with my old bike, but there was so much I didn't know about the new stuff. I wanted to find out what I could do to keep these Kleins going for a long time. It helped that they both were set up with Grease Guard stuff from SunTour, and Klein Attitudes had very forward thinking bearing set ups in the head set and bottom bracket. In fact, the Kleins were totally useless as a bicycle to learn on for the class, so I ended up doing maintenance on shop cast offs for the class. Old bikes that had what we were talking about- Serviceable bottom brackets, head sets, and quill stems.

So it was during these classes that I met a car mechanic by the name of Vance McCaw. He often came to the class still dressed in his work duds. Little did I know that years later, I would end up in the same outfit. But that's a long ways down the road yet. Vance's and my paths would cross again a few times, I just didn't know how or when.

All I knew was after the class was over, I was really interested in finding out even more. I gobbled up all the bicycle info I could get my hands on. I was "bitten by the bug", I suppose you could say. That said, I was also still very much a custom design jeweler, salesman, and gemologist. I wasn't planning on being a bicycle guy anytime in my life beyond being a rider. But even the best laid plans can go astray, and mine did one early November day.

Next Week: Big Changes

Bike Shop Tales: Learning To Wrench

Last week I left off with the Klein Attitude purchase. Now it was time to learn how to take care of them....

After I dropped the big coinage on the Attitudes, I figured I'd better learn how to take care of the things. Lucky for me, Advantage Cycles had a mechanics 101 class in the evenings. I signed up and I was super stoked to find out all I could to get up to speed on maintenance.

I knew a few rudimentary things from back in my childhood. I was blessed by having been in the great tornado of 1968 in Charles City, Iowa. It was after that carnage that as a child, you could find a bike out in the weeds around the edges of town on any given day. They were like apples fallen from a tree. It was pretty amazing. We would take these things, disassemble them, reassemble them, modify them, and pretty much destroy them. Hey! They were free and a dime a dozen. At least for a few years afterwards.

That got me by with my old bike, but there was so much I didn't know about the new stuff. I wanted to find out what I could do to keep these Kleins going for a long time. It helped that they both were set up with Grease Guard stuff from SunTour, and Klein Attitudes had very forward thinking bearing set ups in the head set and bottom bracket. In fact, the Kleins were totally useless as a bicycle to learn on for the class, so I ended up doing maintenance on shop cast offs for the class. Old bikes that had what we were talking about- Serviceable bottom brackets, head sets, and quill stems.

So it was during these classes that I met a car mechanic by the name of Vance McCaw. He often came to the class still dressed in his work duds. Little did I know that years later, I would end up in the same outfit. But that's a long ways down the road yet. Vance's and my paths would cross again a few times, I just didn't know how or when.

All I knew was after the class was over, I was really interested in finding out even more. I gobbled up all the bicycle info I could get my hands on. I was "bitten by the bug", I suppose you could say. That said, I was also still very much a custom design jeweler, salesman, and gemologist. I wasn't planning on being a bicycle guy anytime in my life beyond being a rider. But even the best laid plans can go astray, and mine did one early November day.

Next Week: Big Changes

In Full View

<===The Gun Kote El Mariachi

I put up a teaser shot last week of the head set and stem, but here is the whole enchilada. The El Mariachi started out as a Superior Blue model with a matching blue CroMoto stem. I sent both in to be Gun Koted by Ben's Cycle in Milwaukee.

I gotta say, the finish is awesome! I am very impressed with the way it came out. Long term use will show how well this will stay on the frame, but I am feeling good about it now. The threaded portions didn't get taped off and I didn't need to chase any threads at all. Pretty cool! That and the pre-treatment basically coats the steel tubing inside and out, so I have rust protection that should last for years. Finally, the panel and graphic is Gun Kote, so it should hold up really well, just like the rest of the frame covering.


<===Hideous blue chain will be replaced by a purple one.

Everything you see here weighs just a shade over 23lbs too. I was pretty stoked by that fact. Especially when you look at some of the parts, which could lose some grammage pretty easily. Not that I am too concerned with that, but it is possible to get this really light- for me- and not be stupid light.



And the bike rides really well. especially with the fork and Cane Creek ThudBuster seat post. Man! Talk about smoooooth! Well......as smooth as a rigid bike gets. The rig flys, and I could probably go faster, but my front cog is a 32 here, not my usual 34T. I'll have to rectify that over the winter, but it is fine for now.

Bottom line: I am really glad I got this particular frame redone. This ol' El Mariachi is so sweet. Salsa Cycles just nailed this frame when it was in production. There aren't too many things I'd change about it, and what I would are very minor details. I'm thinking I'll have this one around for a long, long time to come.

In Full View

<===The Gun Kote El Mariachi

I put up a teaser shot last week of the head set and stem, but here is the whole enchilada. The El Mariachi started out as a Superior Blue model with a matching blue CroMoto stem. I sent both in to be Gun Koted by Ben's Cycle in Milwaukee.

I gotta say, the finish is awesome! I am very impressed with the way it came out. Long term use will show how well this will stay on the frame, but I am feeling good about it now. The threaded portions didn't get taped off and I didn't need to chase any threads at all. Pretty cool! That and the pre-treatment basically coats the steel tubing inside and out, so I have rust protection that should last for years. Finally, the panel and graphic is Gun Kote, so it should hold up really well, just like the rest of the frame covering.


<===Hideous blue chain will be replaced by a purple one.

Everything you see here weighs just a shade over 23lbs too. I was pretty stoked by that fact. Especially when you look at some of the parts, which could lose some grammage pretty easily. Not that I am too concerned with that, but it is possible to get this really light- for me- and not be stupid light.



And the bike rides really well. especially with the fork and Cane Creek ThudBuster seat post. Man! Talk about smoooooth! Well......as smooth as a rigid bike gets. The rig flys, and I could probably go faster, but my front cog is a 32 here, not my usual 34T. I'll have to rectify that over the winter, but it is fine for now.

Bottom line: I am really glad I got this particular frame redone. This ol' El Mariachi is so sweet. Salsa Cycles just nailed this frame when it was in production. There aren't too many things I'd change about it, and what I would are very minor details. I'm thinking I'll have this one around for a long, long time to come.

Post Card Madness Begins!

<===Carlos da Jackal is in!!

Well, as you all probably know by now, Trans Iowa V6 registration is live. I kinda figured I would see a card or two dropped off right away the first day. It seemed inevitable since this is the third time around registration has been handled like we are doing it now. Folks catch on.

I also figured that I would get some cool, creative entries, but even one I got Friday threw me for a loop.

Carlos da Jackal stopped by and dropped off his entry. He was an "original" T.I. vet from the first one we did. I was pleasantly surprised by his entry, and he did a nice job on his handmade card. Pretty cool, and these days, fairly typical of what I get for a T.I. entry post card.



<===This will take a while to get to! I'm still workin' on T.I.V3 whiskey!!

But the honor of "first in" for T.I.V6 went to local "fat guy" Jeremy Fry. (I'd keep an eye on this critter!) He dropped off a nice whiskey with his card. By the way, take a look at the writin' he wrote. That barely passes muster. Compare yours before you send it in. If it doesn't pass "The Fry Test", you better have your entry printed at Kinkos, okay?


Then there was the one that threw me for a loop. My boss orders stuff and has it delivered to the shop often. Office supplies, car parts, and other weird items you wouldn't think of getting in at a bike shop. So I didn't bat an eyelash when a guy came in with a case of oil. I figured my boss was doing some maintenance on a vehicle he owns.

The bill was signed and the guy delivering it said he didn't see my bosses name on the stuff, but I still didn't think anything of it. I sat the oil and the invoice papers in his office, figuring that when he finished with the customer he was talking to he'd figure it out.

Well, not long after he comes out chuckling and said the box was for me, at which point I read the paper stapled to the invoice for the first time. It was a T.I.V6 entry from Warren Weibe!

Good thing my boss didn't need a case of oil! So, that one ranks right up there with the oddest T.I. entry yet.

But I'm betting I'll see more of the same in the coming week to ten days!

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

Post Card Madness Begins!

<===Carlos da Jackal is in!!

Well, as you all probably know by now, Trans Iowa V6 registration is live. I kinda figured I would see a card or two dropped off right away the first day. It seemed inevitable since this is the third time around registration has been handled like we are doing it now. Folks catch on.

I also figured that I would get some cool, creative entries, but even one I got Friday threw me for a loop.

Carlos da Jackal stopped by and dropped off his entry. He was an "original" T.I. vet from the first one we did. I was pleasantly surprised by his entry, and he did a nice job on his handmade card. Pretty cool, and these days, fairly typical of what I get for a T.I. entry post card.



<===This will take a while to get to! I'm still workin' on T.I.V3 whiskey!!

But the honor of "first in" for T.I.V6 went to local "fat guy" Jeremy Fry. (I'd keep an eye on this critter!) He dropped off a nice whiskey with his card. By the way, take a look at the writin' he wrote. That barely passes muster. Compare yours before you send it in. If it doesn't pass "The Fry Test", you better have your entry printed at Kinkos, okay?


Then there was the one that threw me for a loop. My boss orders stuff and has it delivered to the shop often. Office supplies, car parts, and other weird items you wouldn't think of getting in at a bike shop. So I didn't bat an eyelash when a guy came in with a case of oil. I figured my boss was doing some maintenance on a vehicle he owns.

The bill was signed and the guy delivering it said he didn't see my bosses name on the stuff, but I still didn't think anything of it. I sat the oil and the invoice papers in his office, figuring that when he finished with the customer he was talking to he'd figure it out.

Well, not long after he comes out chuckling and said the box was for me, at which point I read the paper stapled to the invoice for the first time. It was a T.I.V6 entry from Warren Weibe!

Good thing my boss didn't need a case of oil! So, that one ranks right up there with the oddest T.I. entry yet.

But I'm betting I'll see more of the same in the coming week to ten days!

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

It's Your Lucky Day!

So- You Wanna A Peice Of This?: Or- Trans Iowa Registration Announcement:

It is time! If you have a hankerin' for a heapin' helpin' of Iowa limestone goodness, here's how you get some. Pay attention! The specifics are important if you want to get your name on the roster.

Veterans First! For anyone that wants to toe the line at T.I.V6 that has been in a previous Trans Iowa, you get first dibs on a roster spot. You can start sending your post cards today and Veterans Of Trans Iowa Past (VOTIP's) can be assured they will have the first rights until November 21st!! No new entrants will be accepted at this time. This is to honor those who have supported Trans Iowa with blood, sweat, and tears in the past. You new folks have to wait until after the 21st.

Leftover Spots: Whatever doesn't get scooped up from the 75 available spots after the 21st is open game for all who want to get a post card in. In the past, it hasn't taken very long to fill in the empty roster spots available, but I will entertain all comers until November 30th if spots still remain. Once I reach 75 entrants though, the Roster is filled. However, I will fill in a Waiting List with overflow post cards received up until November 30th.

T.I.V5 Volunteers: If you were a volunteer on T.I.V5 and want in, you have automatic guranteed entry, but you still need to send in a post card.

Now for the pertinent details........................

Post Cards: Post cards must be received with legible writing (judged by me) and include the following information:

• Name
• Class (Choose one: Open Men's, Open Women's, or Single Speed/Fixed)
• e-mail address (make sure it is valid and working!)
• Phone # (preferably the one you will be reachable at during the event)
• Past Trans Iowa events you have raced in (if applicable)
• How many support people will be with you. (This is for pre-race planning)

Again, there is no "official post card", but you must have the information listed above in legible form. I reserve the right to refuse unreadable entries or entries missing information I asked for above.

Send post cards here:

Europa Cycle and Ski

c/o Guitar Ted

4302 University Avenue

Cedar Falls, IA 50613

Fine Details: Once Post cards start coming in, I will post the names on the Trans Iowa Roster found on the T.I.V6 site every evening. Again- NO ONE BUT VOTIP's CAN ENTER FROM 11/13 to 11/21. If you are a first timer, I will disqualify your entry if I receive it before 11/21.

Available roster spots could feasibly be taken by all veterans. It "could happen", and if it does, so be it. I am okay with that, but I doubt we'll see that happen.

Available spots are taken by a first received/first posted on the roster basis. It is basically determined by the U.S.P.S. driver and how he/she arranges the mail for the day. In other words- totally random and unbiased. Other ways of receiving entries are slotted in by me as they are received. (Examples: Over night letters, pizza delivery, carrier pigeon, etc...)

Waiting List: If you do not get the spot on the roster, you will get on the Waiting List. Once Registration closes on 11/30, I will e-mail everyone on the Waiting List with their spots number. This number corresponds to your position in line. Last year we got through over a dozen names on the Waiting List before the list was terminated on January 31st. If when you receive my e-mail in early December and you want to opt off the list, just respond in kind, and I'll move folks in line behind you up. If you want to stay on and take a chance to get in, do nothing. When I get word from any Roster spot holders that they are cancelling out, I will e-mail the first in line with the opportunity to take the vacated spot.

Okay, that should do it, but if you have specific questions or concerns, e-mail me here.

Good Luck!!

It's Your Lucky Day!

So- You Wanna A Peice Of This?: Or- Trans Iowa Registration Announcement:

It is time! If you have a hankerin' for a heapin' helpin' of Iowa limestone goodness, here's how you get some. Pay attention! The specifics are important if you want to get your name on the roster.

Veterans First! For anyone that wants to toe the line at T.I.V6 that has been in a previous Trans Iowa, you get first dibs on a roster spot. You can start sending your post cards today and Veterans Of Trans Iowa Past (VOTIP's) can be assured they will have the first rights until November 21st!! No new entrants will be accepted at this time. This is to honor those who have supported Trans Iowa with blood, sweat, and tears in the past. You new folks have to wait until after the 21st.

Leftover Spots: Whatever doesn't get scooped up from the 75 available spots after the 21st is open game for all who want to get a post card in. In the past, it hasn't taken very long to fill in the empty roster spots available, but I will entertain all comers until November 30th if spots still remain. Once I reach 75 entrants though, the Roster is filled. However, I will fill in a Waiting List with overflow post cards received up until November 30th.

T.I.V5 Volunteers: If you were a volunteer on T.I.V5 and want in, you have automatic guranteed entry, but you still need to send in a post card.

Now for the pertinent details........................

Post Cards: Post cards must be received with legible writing (judged by me) and include the following information:

• Name
• Class (Choose one: Open Men's, Open Women's, or Single Speed/Fixed)
• e-mail address (make sure it is valid and working!)
• Phone # (preferably the one you will be reachable at during the event)
• Past Trans Iowa events you have raced in (if applicable)
• How many support people will be with you. (This is for pre-race planning)

Again, there is no "official post card", but you must have the information listed above in legible form. I reserve the right to refuse unreadable entries or entries missing information I asked for above.

Send post cards here:

Europa Cycle and Ski

c/o Guitar Ted

4302 University Avenue

Cedar Falls, IA 50613

Fine Details: Once Post cards start coming in, I will post the names on the Trans Iowa Roster found on the T.I.V6 site every evening. Again- NO ONE BUT VOTIP's CAN ENTER FROM 11/13 to 11/21. If you are a first timer, I will disqualify your entry if I receive it before 11/21.

Available roster spots could feasibly be taken by all veterans. It "could happen", and if it does, so be it. I am okay with that, but I doubt we'll see that happen.

Available spots are taken by a first received/first posted on the roster basis. It is basically determined by the U.S.P.S. driver and how he/she arranges the mail for the day. In other words- totally random and unbiased. Other ways of receiving entries are slotted in by me as they are received. (Examples: Over night letters, pizza delivery, carrier pigeon, etc...)

Waiting List: If you do not get the spot on the roster, you will get on the Waiting List. Once Registration closes on 11/30, I will e-mail everyone on the Waiting List with their spots number. This number corresponds to your position in line. Last year we got through over a dozen names on the Waiting List before the list was terminated on January 31st. If when you receive my e-mail in early December and you want to opt off the list, just respond in kind, and I'll move folks in line behind you up. If you want to stay on and take a chance to get in, do nothing. When I get word from any Roster spot holders that they are cancelling out, I will e-mail the first in line with the opportunity to take the vacated spot.

Okay, that should do it, but if you have specific questions or concerns, e-mail me here.

Good Luck!!

Trans Iowa V6: Meeting Report

<===Looking westward on the T.I.V6 course.

Well, Wednesday was the big meeting day and a lot of things for T.I.V6 got dialed, filed, or were put on the table for further discussion.

In attendance were "Super Rep" Rob Versteegh, d.p., and myself. We also did a bit of chatting with Craig Cooper of Bikes To You , and Sheryl Parmley of the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce. I am pretty stoked by the level of excitement and interest taken by the folks in Grinnell. Here's a rundown of some things that are solid for T.I.V6.



<===Rural traffic jam....

- The Start Line: The starting line for T.I.V6 will be right outside the front door of Bikes To You. Same 4am start time as always. Rumor has it there may be coffee available at the start. Don't hold me to that coffee thing, but it is being put on the table for now.

-Finish Line: In a total break from past T.I. tradition, the finish line will be announced ahead of time. I can't give an exact address as of now, but here is the deal: We'll be finishing inside a barn! That's right folks- Trans Iowa V6 ends in a barn. Not only that, but plans are currently in the works to host support people throughout the night Saturday/Sunday where you will be able to get race info, food, enjoy a campfire, and hang out as Trans Iowa finishers come in off the road. It'll be a regular "Hoe Down at The Barn" sort of gig. Even if the route gets truncated, or no one makes the cut offs, this still should be a pretty good time.

-Motel Deal: I can't announce specifics as yet, but Sheryl Parmley of the Chamber of Commerce already has some deals worked out for us to work on here. I will announce specifics on the T.I.V6 motel discount- hopefully along with the Registration announcement.



<===A lonely stretch of T.I.V6 gravel....

-Sponsor News: Rob Versteegh is stepping up in a big way for T.I.V6 and along with that we can announce that Oakley will be a featured sponsor of T.I.V6. Stay tuned for details, but we want to let ya'all know that Oakley is going to be helping us out with prizing and more.

Also, Bikes To You will be our bike shop sponsor. If you all need anything last minute when you hit town for T.I.V6, Bikes To You is the shop where you'll be able to score your bits and pieces to help make your T.I.V6 a smooth one. Not only that, but "Coop", the shop's owner, is really supporting T.I.V6 with logistical help and hook ups to make our Friday pre-race meet up a good deal. Coop also said he'll be able to get your rig assembled if you ship it to him at the shop, so for folks that may be flying in, you should check him out for that service.

Okay, there is more- a lot more! That will have to wait for further discussion, fine tuning, and approval, but rest assured, this Trans Iowa is going to be FUN!! (And not just for the racers either!)

I did get in some recon as well. Looking good! I nixed a few things and connected a few dots, so things went really well today. Stay tuned for further updates............

Trans Iowa V6: Meeting Report

<===Looking westward on the T.I.V6 course.

Well, Wednesday was the big meeting day and a lot of things for T.I.V6 got dialed, filed, or were put on the table for further discussion.

In attendance were "Super Rep" Rob Versteegh, d.p., and myself. We also did a bit of chatting with Craig Cooper of Bikes To You , and Sheryl Parmley of the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce. I am pretty stoked by the level of excitement and interest taken by the folks in Grinnell. Here's a rundown of some things that are solid for T.I.V6.



<===Rural traffic jam....

- The Start Line: The starting line for T.I.V6 will be right outside the front door of Bikes To You. Same 4am start time as always. Rumor has it there may be coffee available at the start. Don't hold me to that coffee thing, but it is being put on the table for now.

-Finish Line: In a total break from past T.I. tradition, the finish line will be announced ahead of time. I can't give an exact address as of now, but here is the deal: We'll be finishing inside a barn! That's right folks- Trans Iowa V6 ends in a barn. Not only that, but plans are currently in the works to host support people throughout the night Saturday/Sunday where you will be able to get race info, food, enjoy a campfire, and hang out as Trans Iowa finishers come in off the road. It'll be a regular "Hoe Down at The Barn" sort of gig. Even if the route gets truncated, or no one makes the cut offs, this still should be a pretty good time.

-Motel Deal: I can't announce specifics as yet, but Sheryl Parmley of the Chamber of Commerce already has some deals worked out for us to work on here. I will announce specifics on the T.I.V6 motel discount- hopefully along with the Registration announcement.



<===A lonely stretch of T.I.V6 gravel....

-Sponsor News: Rob Versteegh is stepping up in a big way for T.I.V6 and along with that we can announce that Oakley will be a featured sponsor of T.I.V6. Stay tuned for details, but we want to let ya'all know that Oakley is going to be helping us out with prizing and more.

Also, Bikes To You will be our bike shop sponsor. If you all need anything last minute when you hit town for T.I.V6, Bikes To You is the shop where you'll be able to score your bits and pieces to help make your T.I.V6 a smooth one. Not only that, but "Coop", the shop's owner, is really supporting T.I.V6 with logistical help and hook ups to make our Friday pre-race meet up a good deal. Coop also said he'll be able to get your rig assembled if you ship it to him at the shop, so for folks that may be flying in, you should check him out for that service.

Okay, there is more- a lot more! That will have to wait for further discussion, fine tuning, and approval, but rest assured, this Trans Iowa is going to be FUN!! (And not just for the racers either!)

I did get in some recon as well. Looking good! I nixed a few things and connected a few dots, so things went really well today. Stay tuned for further updates............

Big Meeting Day

<===This is where the purple King head set resides.

I'll be on the road today to Grinnell for a big meeting that I hope will clear a few things up in regards to Trans Iowa V6.

If all goes as planned, the announcement of Registration will soon follow. Then it's off to the races as far as recon goes. In fact, a little of that may happen tomorrow as well.

I probably will throw the Gun Kote El Mariachi in the "Truck Without A Name" and hopefully get some riding in on a secret surprise part of the T.I.V6 route. That way I'll kill two birds with one stone. Recon and ride a new rig. Well......not new really. Just different than it was. It's good to have the El Mariachi back and now it is a single speed. Good stuff for sure!



<===My ol' Buddy hit the glossy pages!

Take a looky here local freaks! That's Mr. 24 in Mountain Flyer Magazine. He got the lead photo on their story about the Breck Epic. Pretty cool there Jeff!

It was fun following all the travels of Jeff and the rest of Team Ergon Topeak all year. It makes it more interesting when you know a few of the people personally and have met a few of the others. Anyway, I'll be checking them out in 2010. Oh yeah.....and I'm a big fan of the grips and packs too. Check that stuff out here.

So, that's it for today. Look here tomorrow for a report on the "big meeting".

Big Meeting Day

<===This is where the purple King head set resides.

I'll be on the road today to Grinnell for a big meeting that I hope will clear a few things up in regards to Trans Iowa V6.

If all goes as planned, the announcement of Registration will soon follow. Then it's off to the races as far as recon goes. In fact, a little of that may happen tomorrow as well.

I probably will throw the Gun Kote El Mariachi in the "Truck Without A Name" and hopefully get some riding in on a secret surprise part of the T.I.V6 route. That way I'll kill two birds with one stone. Recon and ride a new rig. Well......not new really. Just different than it was. It's good to have the El Mariachi back and now it is a single speed. Good stuff for sure!



<===My ol' Buddy hit the glossy pages!

Take a looky here local freaks! That's Mr. 24 in Mountain Flyer Magazine. He got the lead photo on their story about the Breck Epic. Pretty cool there Jeff!

It was fun following all the travels of Jeff and the rest of Team Ergon Topeak all year. It makes it more interesting when you know a few of the people personally and have met a few of the others. Anyway, I'll be checking them out in 2010. Oh yeah.....and I'm a big fan of the grips and packs too. Check that stuff out here.

So, that's it for today. Look here tomorrow for a report on the "big meeting".

Bike Shop Tales: An Introduction

Welcome to "Bike Shop Tales". This is the new series I will be writing up for awhile about my experiences as a bicycle mechanic, but won't necessarily be limited to that. In this post I want to outline what you can expect, and give you a bit of back round.


First off, this series will be mentioning real people and real events. I am running off of a 16 plus year old memory on some of this stuff, so I may not get things the way "you" remember them, assuming some of you reading this were party to these events. (Please feel free to comment in the comment section if you find motivation to correct me, or e-mail me from my link at the right).


I promise to reflect things as close to the truth as I am able. Some of the things I write may rankle a few folks, but hey- I am not going to write anything I am not ready to stand behind. So take that for what it is worth.


Okay, so enough of that. Here is the generalized back round of these tales. A context- if you will- of my life in the late 80's/early 90's. I wasn't always involved in the cycling business, and this is where I came from.


I had always been a fan of riding a bike, but found that most of the time, they wouldn't hold up to where I wanted to go. Basically, I wanted to go where I wanted to go, and usually it wasn't paved. Most of my college years were spent off the bike because of this. So when I found out more about mountain bikes in the late 80's, I thought they might just be the adventure vehicle I was searching for.


I bought a Mongoose Sycamore from Bombay Bike Shop in Cedar Falls, Iowa in 1989. That thing was awesome! I could ride it "anywhere", or so I thought, and I did. Flooded trails? Not a problem. Mud-pshaaw! Snow? That's just more fun. Well, all that "fun" was taking a great toll on that old Sycamore. It wasn't a great bike, in terms of the grand scheme of things, so its components weren't up to my abuse. Well.......probably no bike was really!


So it was that I became friendly with another bike shop in town. Bombay had closed up shop, and a co-worker of mine at the jewelry store I worked at suggested I check out Advantage Cycles, so I did. The proprietor, Tom, was a great guy. Easy to talk to, excited about my passion for mountain biking, and had sensible prices for service. I found myself stopping by at fairly regular intervals, since the Sycamore was often pretty "sick". Tom was checking out my bike one day, and after wheeling it back out to me, he carefully and tactfully explained that it was obvious my passion for cycling exceeded the ability for the ol' Sycamore to deliver. It was time for a new rig.


Well, I worked at a jewelry store as a salesman/designer at a place where we did custom jewelry and design. I suppose that was part of why I thought I needed something unique, something different. Tom loaded me up with all the catalogs: Mantis, Klein, Alpinestars, and about every off the wall, cool mountain bike company of the early 90's. I saved, scratched, and ate baked potatoes for three months, (really!) to save up the money to get the ball rolling. And not only that, but my first wife was going to get the same thing, so I was throwing down cash for two ultra cool rigs.


In the end, I ordered two Klein Attitudes. They would be the first Klein mountain bikes in the area. Very different, and with Klein's wild "Linear Fade" paint jobs, very unique looking. When the frames came in, Tom displayed them in the front window of the shop. I was pretty proud of that. I used to stop in about three times a week just to hang out and pour over catalogs deciding what to hang on these aluminum wonder bikes. That was a lot of fun, but I couldn't wait to get riding this bike, and learn how to take care of it.


Next week: Learning how to wrench.........

Bike Shop Tales: An Introduction

Welcome to "Bike Shop Tales". This is the new series I will be writing up for awhile about my experiences as a bicycle mechanic, but won't necessarily be limited to that. In this post I want to outline what you can expect, and give you a bit of back round.


First off, this series will be mentioning real people and real events. I am running off of a 16 plus year old memory on some of this stuff, so I may not get things the way "you" remember them, assuming some of you reading this were party to these events. (Please feel free to comment in the comment section if you find motivation to correct me, or e-mail me from my link at the right).


I promise to reflect things as close to the truth as I am able. Some of the things I write may rankle a few folks, but hey- I am not going to write anything I am not ready to stand behind. So take that for what it is worth.


Okay, so enough of that. Here is the generalized back round of these tales. A context- if you will- of my life in the late 80's/early 90's. I wasn't always involved in the cycling business, and this is where I came from.


I had always been a fan of riding a bike, but found that most of the time, they wouldn't hold up to where I wanted to go. Basically, I wanted to go where I wanted to go, and usually it wasn't paved. Most of my college years were spent off the bike because of this. So when I found out more about mountain bikes in the late 80's, I thought they might just be the adventure vehicle I was searching for.


I bought a Mongoose Sycamore from Bombay Bike Shop in Cedar Falls, Iowa in 1989. That thing was awesome! I could ride it "anywhere", or so I thought, and I did. Flooded trails? Not a problem. Mud-pshaaw! Snow? That's just more fun. Well, all that "fun" was taking a great toll on that old Sycamore. It wasn't a great bike, in terms of the grand scheme of things, so its components weren't up to my abuse. Well.......probably no bike was really!


So it was that I became friendly with another bike shop in town. Bombay had closed up shop, and a co-worker of mine at the jewelry store I worked at suggested I check out Advantage Cycles, so I did. The proprietor, Tom, was a great guy. Easy to talk to, excited about my passion for mountain biking, and had sensible prices for service. I found myself stopping by at fairly regular intervals, since the Sycamore was often pretty "sick". Tom was checking out my bike one day, and after wheeling it back out to me, he carefully and tactfully explained that it was obvious my passion for cycling exceeded the ability for the ol' Sycamore to deliver. It was time for a new rig.


Well, I worked at a jewelry store as a salesman/designer at a place where we did custom jewelry and design. I suppose that was part of why I thought I needed something unique, something different. Tom loaded me up with all the catalogs: Mantis, Klein, Alpinestars, and about every off the wall, cool mountain bike company of the early 90's. I saved, scratched, and ate baked potatoes for three months, (really!) to save up the money to get the ball rolling. And not only that, but my first wife was going to get the same thing, so I was throwing down cash for two ultra cool rigs.


In the end, I ordered two Klein Attitudes. They would be the first Klein mountain bikes in the area. Very different, and with Klein's wild "Linear Fade" paint jobs, very unique looking. When the frames came in, Tom displayed them in the front window of the shop. I was pretty proud of that. I used to stop in about three times a week just to hang out and pour over catalogs deciding what to hang on these aluminum wonder bikes. That was a lot of fun, but I couldn't wait to get riding this bike, and learn how to take care of it.


Next week: Learning how to wrench.........

Weekend Report

<===I'll shoot my deer with a camera, thank you!

Wow! If you didn't drop the rake, leave the dishes unwashed, or forget about washing the car and get outside, you were daft! It was a beautiful last chance to get out and enjoy shirt sleeve weather in 2009. (I'm betting)

I got out Saturday and rode at the camp- for a short bit! My chain sucked on the Big Mama and then not 50 yards down the trail it snapped in two. Not good for prospects of forward motion by two wheels. And I without a chain tool! Bad me! I should know better. I should have been riding a single speed!! Ha! So, now a full drive train replacement will be in order. It's time, and this was a sign.



<===Wait just a gol durn minute!

The fork for then Gun Kote El Mariachi came in last week. A 100mm through axle Manitou Minute 29"er fork. This will determine the wheel set now, which will be a Bontrager Rhythm wheel set I have had in reserve for months now. That means I'll most likely set it up with some Bontrager tires, or Specialized 2Bliss, which works well on the TLR rim strip too.
This Minute has the Absolute Plus damper and lock out, which could be upgraded to the MILO remote lock out if I wanted it. The fork, with an uncut steer tube weighs a paltry 4.2lbs. It'll be less than that once I cut it down a bit.



<===A bear of a tire.

The WTB, Niner Bikes distributed, Kodiak 2.5" tire showed up here too. I've gotten them mounted and ridden a bit too.

What do I think? Well, you'll have to wait for the Twenty Nine Inches reports, but I will say that it is a very different tire from the WTB Dissent that I also am testing here. Actually, they hardly share anything at all in common! Wire beads and Inner Peace sidewall protection, and that's about it from what I can tell so far. Stay tuned!


<===Some long overdue "love" for the Fargo.

I got a Chris King bottom bracket a while ago now. I finally installed it in the Fargo the other day. I think the green goes good with the stock paint, but really, the King BB is smarter than that!

I can maintain this one by injecting grease from time to time ala the King grease tool, which I have to get yet. Hopefully the Fargo will be fine for some time to come, but I need to order that tool anyway for customers at the shop that will be wanting a fresh shot of grease in theirs soon.


<===The frame isn't tiny, the wheels are big!

I saw a thread on mtbr.com that showed this prototype 29"er DH rig from Intense Cycles.

This is serious folks. Intense doesn't fool around with DH. They helped define the genre', and if they are fiddling with wagon wheels for DH, they have an inkling that it might just work.

This would be revolutionary if it proves out. DH has long been thought of as an area of mountain biking that 29 inch wheels were just ridiculous for. They would never be used in that application other than by experimenters and dreamers. The debates will rage now, but if racers start showing up on these, and more importantly- winning on them- then the last barrier to big wheels will have fallen. Will it happen?

Well, it doesn't really matter in the end, but what will happen is that many new ideas will be birthed from the experiment that will benefit long travel and any full suspension 29"er bike. Rim technologies, tire technologies, and of course- fork and damper technologies all stand to be altered by these DH experimenters. It'll be interesting to watch, at the very least.

Weekend Report

<===I'll shoot my deer with a camera, thank you!

Wow! If you didn't drop the rake, leave the dishes unwashed, or forget about washing the car and get outside, you were daft! It was a beautiful last chance to get out and enjoy shirt sleeve weather in 2009. (I'm betting)

I got out Saturday and rode at the camp- for a short bit! My chain sucked on the Big Mama and then not 50 yards down the trail it snapped in two. Not good for prospects of forward motion by two wheels. And I without a chain tool! Bad me! I should know better. I should have been riding a single speed!! Ha! So, now a full drive train replacement will be in order. It's time, and this was a sign.



<===Wait just a gol durn minute!

The fork for then Gun Kote El Mariachi came in last week. A 100mm through axle Manitou Minute 29"er fork. This will determine the wheel set now, which will be a Bontrager Rhythm wheel set I have had in reserve for months now. That means I'll most likely set it up with some Bontrager tires, or Specialized 2Bliss, which works well on the TLR rim strip too.
This Minute has the Absolute Plus damper and lock out, which could be upgraded to the MILO remote lock out if I wanted it. The fork, with an uncut steer tube weighs a paltry 4.2lbs. It'll be less than that once I cut it down a bit.



<===A bear of a tire.

The WTB, Niner Bikes distributed, Kodiak 2.5" tire showed up here too. I've gotten them mounted and ridden a bit too.

What do I think? Well, you'll have to wait for the Twenty Nine Inches reports, but I will say that it is a very different tire from the WTB Dissent that I also am testing here. Actually, they hardly share anything at all in common! Wire beads and Inner Peace sidewall protection, and that's about it from what I can tell so far. Stay tuned!


<===Some long overdue "love" for the Fargo.

I got a Chris King bottom bracket a while ago now. I finally installed it in the Fargo the other day. I think the green goes good with the stock paint, but really, the King BB is smarter than that!

I can maintain this one by injecting grease from time to time ala the King grease tool, which I have to get yet. Hopefully the Fargo will be fine for some time to come, but I need to order that tool anyway for customers at the shop that will be wanting a fresh shot of grease in theirs soon.


<===The frame isn't tiny, the wheels are big!

I saw a thread on mtbr.com that showed this prototype 29"er DH rig from Intense Cycles.

This is serious folks. Intense doesn't fool around with DH. They helped define the genre', and if they are fiddling with wagon wheels for DH, they have an inkling that it might just work.

This would be revolutionary if it proves out. DH has long been thought of as an area of mountain biking that 29 inch wheels were just ridiculous for. They would never be used in that application other than by experimenters and dreamers. The debates will rage now, but if racers start showing up on these, and more importantly- winning on them- then the last barrier to big wheels will have fallen. Will it happen?

Well, it doesn't really matter in the end, but what will happen is that many new ideas will be birthed from the experiment that will benefit long travel and any full suspension 29"er bike. Rim technologies, tire technologies, and of course- fork and damper technologies all stand to be altered by these DH experimenters. It'll be interesting to watch, at the very least.

Trans Iowa V6: Thoughts Part IV

Meeting Time: This Wednesday there is a meeting taking place that should help define a few key points in regards to T.I.V6. There may even be some recon as well. If all goes well, and there is no reason to believe it won't, a lot of dominoes will start to fall real quick in regards to how the rest of recon will go, and the key parts of the event should be well defined.

Registration: One of the immediate outcomes of this upcoming meeting will be the announcement of Registration. I suppose you could say this is an announcement that there will be an announcement! At any rate, look closely for that directly after the Wednesday meeting.

You can expect that I will be letting in past participants first. This means you took the starting line at a T.I. before. Then after about a week or so, the registration will be opened to anyone else interested that gets a post card in for one of the remaining spots. A daily tally will be kept so that those of you waiting to know what is going on can keep track. Again, we'll be letting in 75 people, and a "Waiting List" of any overflow will be kept to fill in any roster spots that become available through attrition. I'll do this swapping in from the "Waiting List" until 1-31-10. After that point, no fill ins will be taken on, and the roster will be allowed to contract if folks drop out after that point.

Registration will be by post card only. You can get your post card in by whatever means you want. In the past I have received overnight express packages, pizzas with cards attached, beer with cards attached, cards slipped under the Europa Cycle and Ski's front door, drop offs by courier, and of course, by regular mail. You can bring your post card by donkey or carrier pigeon, but it has to be a post card. Also, there is no "official post card". You can make your own up, or have someone else do it for you. You can buy "el cheapo" post cards at the Post Office, or use fancy-schmancy ones from far flung travel destinations. Again, it doesn't matter, but the more fun, the better.

Finally, I will be asking for specific information on that post card. Every item of info I ask for must be on the card, and it must be legible by me! Important point folks! If I can not read yer writin', you are not gettin' in. I won't warn you, or let you know. You have one chance to get it right. Don't blow it! Write legibly or lose! I will announce what the specific information I want is at the time of the Official Registration Announcement.

Volunteers: We'll be relying on volunteer help to put on T.I.V6. If you can swing it on the weekend of 4/23-24-25/10, then we would love to hear from you. You can volunteer for all or part of any of these days. Here's a breakdown of what we usually have a need for:

• Pre-Race Meeting help. This might include stuffing bags for racers, hauling stuff into and out of the pre-race meet-up site, and facilitating the handing out of race packets/bags.
• Start Line Help: This requires an early riser, as you'll need to be "on point" by 3:30am in the morning of the 24th! If this suits you, we will need some corner marshalls to safely get folks out of Grinnell. Plus, you'll get to witness the spectacle of riders streaming down the road with blinkies blazing. It's pretty cool!
• Checkpoint Help: This is the big need. We will have three checkpoints in far flung places in rural Iowa. The first checkpoint will require the most help, and will take the least amount of time. It happens in the morning of the 24th around 6am and should be over and done with by 8-8:30 am. We'll likely need about 5-6 folks to handle a constant barrage of folks in a hurry. The other two checkpoints can easily be managed by two or three patient folks. You may be "on point" for 6-8 hours depending upon where in the loop the checkpoint occurs. The second checkpoint usually goes from about 12:00-2:00pm until 6:00-8:00pm. The third checkpoint can go from 7:00pm till 2:00am depending. At any rate, you can see that it might be a long, lonely wait between riders.
• The Finish Line: We would like to have two folks minimum to man the finishline and again, it can be an early morning for this job. We will likely see some folks attempt a sub-24hr Trans Iowa, which means you might be called upon to be there around 3:30am! The Finishline festivities will last till around 2pm in the afternoon or so.

If you would like to find out more about volunteering for Trans Iowa, or anything else from today's post, leave a comment, or e-mail me.

Trans Iowa V6: Thoughts Part IV

Meeting Time: This Wednesday there is a meeting taking place that should help define a few key points in regards to T.I.V6. There may even be some recon as well. If all goes well, and there is no reason to believe it won't, a lot of dominoes will start to fall real quick in regards to how the rest of recon will go, and the key parts of the event should be well defined.

Registration: One of the immediate outcomes of this upcoming meeting will be the announcement of Registration. I suppose you could say this is an announcement that there will be an announcement! At any rate, look closely for that directly after the Wednesday meeting.

You can expect that I will be letting in past participants first. This means you took the starting line at a T.I. before. Then after about a week or so, the registration will be opened to anyone else interested that gets a post card in for one of the remaining spots. A daily tally will be kept so that those of you waiting to know what is going on can keep track. Again, we'll be letting in 75 people, and a "Waiting List" of any overflow will be kept to fill in any roster spots that become available through attrition. I'll do this swapping in from the "Waiting List" until 1-31-10. After that point, no fill ins will be taken on, and the roster will be allowed to contract if folks drop out after that point.

Registration will be by post card only. You can get your post card in by whatever means you want. In the past I have received overnight express packages, pizzas with cards attached, beer with cards attached, cards slipped under the Europa Cycle and Ski's front door, drop offs by courier, and of course, by regular mail. You can bring your post card by donkey or carrier pigeon, but it has to be a post card. Also, there is no "official post card". You can make your own up, or have someone else do it for you. You can buy "el cheapo" post cards at the Post Office, or use fancy-schmancy ones from far flung travel destinations. Again, it doesn't matter, but the more fun, the better.

Finally, I will be asking for specific information on that post card. Every item of info I ask for must be on the card, and it must be legible by me! Important point folks! If I can not read yer writin', you are not gettin' in. I won't warn you, or let you know. You have one chance to get it right. Don't blow it! Write legibly or lose! I will announce what the specific information I want is at the time of the Official Registration Announcement.

Volunteers: We'll be relying on volunteer help to put on T.I.V6. If you can swing it on the weekend of 4/23-24-25/10, then we would love to hear from you. You can volunteer for all or part of any of these days. Here's a breakdown of what we usually have a need for:

• Pre-Race Meeting help. This might include stuffing bags for racers, hauling stuff into and out of the pre-race meet-up site, and facilitating the handing out of race packets/bags.
• Start Line Help: This requires an early riser, as you'll need to be "on point" by 3:30am in the morning of the 24th! If this suits you, we will need some corner marshalls to safely get folks out of Grinnell. Plus, you'll get to witness the spectacle of riders streaming down the road with blinkies blazing. It's pretty cool!
• Checkpoint Help: This is the big need. We will have three checkpoints in far flung places in rural Iowa. The first checkpoint will require the most help, and will take the least amount of time. It happens in the morning of the 24th around 6am and should be over and done with by 8-8:30 am. We'll likely need about 5-6 folks to handle a constant barrage of folks in a hurry. The other two checkpoints can easily be managed by two or three patient folks. You may be "on point" for 6-8 hours depending upon where in the loop the checkpoint occurs. The second checkpoint usually goes from about 12:00-2:00pm until 6:00-8:00pm. The third checkpoint can go from 7:00pm till 2:00am depending. At any rate, you can see that it might be a long, lonely wait between riders.
• The Finish Line: We would like to have two folks minimum to man the finishline and again, it can be an early morning for this job. We will likely see some folks attempt a sub-24hr Trans Iowa, which means you might be called upon to be there around 3:30am! The Finishline festivities will last till around 2pm in the afternoon or so.

If you would like to find out more about volunteering for Trans Iowa, or anything else from today's post, leave a comment, or e-mail me.