Solstice 100 Report: Part 1

No turning back this time. I didn't forget anything!

The third year for the Solstice 100 was this past weekend and I made it there. No forgetting of shoes, or anything of that sort this time. (In fact, I got something recently that was a huge help in that area. Stay tuned...) At any rate, the plan was executed and it began with leaving work Friday at noon to make the 300 mile drive to Lincoln, Nebraska.

Things started out on the moist side as it was raining lightly when I left town. However, within about 50 miles in it stopped and the rest of the way I had a mahoosive tailwind and partly cloudy skies. Since I didn't get underway until 1:00pm, I had to hoof it straight through to make sure I arrived at the Cycleworks shop on "O" and 27th Street in Lincoln in time to pick up my race packet and get checked in. No thanks to the gridlock in Omaha. That was stop and go traffic all through that city. But I made it with time to spare, and MG, who I was to be staying with, was already there.

Later on we hooked up with the race promoters and a few of the volunteers and went out to a local Mexican restaurant for something to eat. It was good that I did, because I hadn't eaten since breakfast! (No stops on the way out, so.....) Then MG and I caught up on things until way too late and I finally got a few winks on his basement couch until the cats his family has started in on their pre-morning hi jinx. Well, it was okay, since we had to get up at 5:30am anyway.

There was a chance for a morning shower in the forecast, and so as MG was starting the drive to Malcom, Nebraska, I mentioned that it sure looked like we were going to get grazed by a thunderstorm complex moving in from the Southwest. MG peeled back to the house and we grabbed rain jackets, then we hightailed it outta town to Malcom.

MG and others were chatting with eventual Solstice 100 winner, Ashton Lambie (Bent over here) at the start.

Rain at the start line forced people to take shelter wherever they could find it. This is the Malcom General Store porch.

We arrived and started getting ready to go. It hadn't started raining yet, but the skies were threatening to unleash the rain at any minute. We rolled up on Ashton Lambie, who made a stir when he won a track racing World Championship recently, and we all chatted him up a bit as he slipped into his skinsuit. He, of course, went on to win handily later in the 100. But before that happened, it started into raining, and the event director, Joe Billesbach, announced that the event would start a half an hour later, to allow any potential lightning to clear the area. This ended up being extended for another half an hour, so MG and I went back to his vehicle and chilled out for a spell.

Waiting out the rain and lightening in MG's rig. 

Eventually, as 8:00am rolled around, the radar was clearing and we headed over to the starting area to get the event rolling. Kevin Fox gave a blessing over the racers, and then at 8:00am, Joe rolled out in front in some vehicle or another and we were off! I haven't been in an event since the beginning of April, so I was excited and ready for some riding. Well......in spirit. I knew going in I had a woefully low amount of miles for the year so far due to weather, circumstances, and whatnot. So, the goal was to finish, and short of that, just to have a good time. Pretty lofty goals for someone going into a very hilly century whose longest ride up to that point maybe was 40 miles. But, whatever. Ya gotta start somewhere.

Headed out of Malcom on rain soaked pavement.

It was cool, wet, and humid, but the rain soaked roads were firm and the skies looked hopeful. 

Well, I was underway. I held to a pace that was within what I considered to be fairly easy, but above a 10mph average, and just let everything else play out around me. I tried to stay calm, and not chase down riders passing me, or ones I was coming up on. There were hills. One after another, and Nebraska hills are longer and just as steep as the nasty steeps we have in Iowa. That meant getting into a rhythm when climbing and blasting out some high speed descents. I decided to pedal as much as possible during the opening miles, staying within "the plan", which worked well. I actually passed a lot of riders to start out with.

The hills are longer, but no less steep than where I am from.

The first checkpoint was about 24 miles in, and I was cruising along with no issues. I hadn't eaten any breakfast, and honestly, I typically ride better when I don't eat in the morning. I tried nibbling on some things I had brought along, which was okay, and I was keeping tabs on water, figuring about a bottle an hour, which was working well. I used Elete hydration additive, which keeps me from cramping well. So far, so good. I didn't even get the nasty "sleepies' which I have gotten in the past which makes me want to just nod off while riding. Dangerous! I had that happen last year at Gravel Worlds.

Anyway, I shifted early and often, spun as much as I could, and was doing nicely as I approached Garland, Nebraska and the first checkpoint of the day. The Black Mountain Cycles MCD worked perfectly, and it was super comfortable. The roads were firm and smooth anyway, and rolling along the first portion of the day couldn't have been better.

Check In Tomorrow For Part 2

Solstice 100 Report: Part 1

No turning back this time. I didn't forget anything!

The third year for the Solstice 100 was this past weekend and I made it there. No forgetting of shoes, or anything of that sort this time. (In fact, I got something recently that was a huge help in that area. Stay tuned...) At any rate, the plan was executed and it began with leaving work Friday at noon to make the 300 mile drive to Lincoln, Nebraska.

Things started out on the moist side as it was raining lightly when I left town. However, within about 50 miles in it stopped and the rest of the way I had a mahoosive tailwind and partly cloudy skies. Since I didn't get underway until 1:00pm, I had to hoof it straight through to make sure I arrived at the Cycleworks shop on "O" and 27th Street in Lincoln in time to pick up my race packet and get checked in. No thanks to the gridlock in Omaha. That was stop and go traffic all through that city. But I made it with time to spare, and MG, who I was to be staying with, was already there.

Later on we hooked up with the race promoters and a few of the volunteers and went out to a local Mexican restaurant for something to eat. It was good that I did, because I hadn't eaten since breakfast! (No stops on the way out, so.....) Then MG and I caught up on things until way too late and I finally got a few winks on his basement couch until the cats his family has started in on their pre-morning hi jinx. Well, it was okay, since we had to get up at 5:30am anyway.

There was a chance for a morning shower in the forecast, and so as MG was starting the drive to Malcom, Nebraska, I mentioned that it sure looked like we were going to get grazed by a thunderstorm complex moving in from the Southwest. MG peeled back to the house and we grabbed rain jackets, then we hightailed it outta town to Malcom.

MG and others were chatting with eventual Solstice 100 winner, Ashton Lambie (Bent over here) at the start.

Rain at the start line forced people to take shelter wherever they could find it. This is the Malcom General Store porch.

We arrived and started getting ready to go. It hadn't started raining yet, but the skies were threatening to unleash the rain at any minute. We rolled up on Ashton Lambie, who made a stir when he won a track racing World Championship recently, and we all chatted him up a bit as he slipped into his skinsuit. He, of course, went on to win handily later in the 100. But before that happened, it started into raining, and the event director, Joe Billesbach, announced that the event would start a half an hour later, to allow any potential lightning to clear the area. This ended up being extended for another half an hour, so MG and I went back to his vehicle and chilled out for a spell.

Waiting out the rain and lightening in MG's rig. 

Eventually, as 8:00am rolled around, the radar was clearing and we headed over to the starting area to get the event rolling. Kevin Fox gave a blessing over the racers, and then at 8:00am, Joe rolled out in front in some vehicle or another and we were off! I haven't been in an event since the beginning of April, so I was excited and ready for some riding. Well......in spirit. I knew going in I had a woefully low amount of miles for the year so far due to weather, circumstances, and whatnot. So, the goal was to finish, and short of that, just to have a good time. Pretty lofty goals for someone going into a very hilly century whose longest ride up to that point maybe was 40 miles. But, whatever. Ya gotta start somewhere.

Headed out of Malcom on rain soaked pavement.

It was cool, wet, and humid, but the rain soaked roads were firm and the skies looked hopeful. 

Well, I was underway. I held to a pace that was within what I considered to be fairly easy, but above a 10mph average, and just let everything else play out around me. I tried to stay calm, and not chase down riders passing me, or ones I was coming up on. There were hills. One after another, and Nebraska hills are longer and just as steep as the nasty steeps we have in Iowa. That meant getting into a rhythm when climbing and blasting out some high speed descents. I decided to pedal as much as possible during the opening miles, staying within "the plan", which worked well. I actually passed a lot of riders to start out with.

The hills are longer, but no less steep than where I am from.

The first checkpoint was about 24 miles in, and I was cruising along with no issues. I hadn't eaten any breakfast, and honestly, I typically ride better when I don't eat in the morning. I tried nibbling on some things I had brought along, which was okay, and I was keeping tabs on water, figuring about a bottle an hour, which was working well. I used Elete hydration additive, which keeps me from cramping well. So far, so good. I didn't even get the nasty "sleepies' which I have gotten in the past which makes me want to just nod off while riding. Dangerous! I had that happen last year at Gravel Worlds.

Anyway, I shifted early and often, spun as much as I could, and was doing nicely as I approached Garland, Nebraska and the first checkpoint of the day. The Black Mountain Cycles MCD worked perfectly, and it was super comfortable. The roads were firm and smooth anyway, and rolling along the first portion of the day couldn't have been better.

Check In Tomorrow For Part 2

Trans Iowa Stories: The Influences Of Mike Curiak

Mike Curiak, (seated) had a huge influence over what made Trans Iowa what it was. Here he is at T.I.V1

Another big influence on Trans Iowa came from a man who ran a few ultra-endurance events in the Rocky Mountains. You may recall a couple weeks ago where I told of the influence that Richard "Deke" Gosen had. Deke set the tone for the "spirit" of the event.  Mike Curiak had perhaps the greatest influence upon the event in the sense of the rules and the way we implemented the event. So, maybe more a nuts and bolts kind of influence, but it was very important.

Early into our planning for the first Trans Iowa, Jeff Kerkove contacted Mike and asked him for advice on what to do and how to do it. Mike was free with his advice and was really a very important resource for us. In fact, I'm pretty sure Jeff just copied and pasted one of Trans Iowa's rules straight from what Mike allowed us to see of his rules. (I wrote a bit on this before which you can see here.)

Jeff shared with me what Mike was giving us to go on. I recall a few salient points:

• Make sure you do not charge anything for the event.
• Make sure you have the start in the dark.
• Make sure you make it VERY CLEAR that riders are on their own- YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU.

Of those things only the last was willingly adopted by Jeff. He reasoned that we should have insurance for this crazy deal and that the entry fee just cover that. I basically was on the fence about that, but in the end, I agreed. He also wasn't quite so game on the night start, although he wasn't totally against it. I thought it was a great idea. In the end, facilitating the riders coming in kind of dictated a start after Sun up. Of course, eventually all these ideas were adopted into the event. By the second Trans Iowa we were starting at 4:00am and by Trans Iowa v3 we weren't charging money anymore for entry.

Mike had very specific reasons for those three items. One I won't get in to. We all understand the responsibility clause. But not charging for an event? This was a new one on me. However; Mike made a very good point. If we charged an entry fee, people would have expectations of us. If we didn't charge, we could place those expectations back upon the riders. Plus, we weren't going to be seen as "providing any service", since we weren't getting paid. Mike felt this put us on a different legal ground.

Mike also felt that by starting at night you forced riders to use the required lighting, and they couldn't "cheat", or be stupid, and not bring lights. We ended up starting at night so the time cutoff for the event could be earlier Sunday. But yeah....we didn't need to inspect anyone's bikes for lights either.

Speaking of cut off times, I don't remember discussing this as a feature based upon Mike's influences, although it is true that the Great Divide Race had cut off times for half way and for the finish. That is exactly what we did at T.I.v1. I do remember thinking with Jeff that we didn't want to have his parents, (the CP volunteers) or us waiting around till who knows when to have riders finish. I believe T.I.v1 had a published cut off for the end of the event at something like 4:00pm Sunday. The check point cut off was not decided upon until late into the planning stages and was announced at the start of T.I.v1, which caused all sorts of grumbling. But at any rate, it very well could have been that Jeff got the idea for the cut offs as being legitimate based upon what Mike had told him, or it could purely have been a coincidence.

Mike also shared with us how he did cue sheets. It was pretty interesting from the standpoint that his need for being clear on a direction necessitated more information than we really needed to give. Of course, he was dealing with wilderness, we were dealing with well marked gravel roads. But that said, he had an influence on those early cues.

I know this doesn't make for much of a very interesting "story", but Mike was like that. Very direct and to the point. This was about setting up the framework for an ultra-endurance event, and since we were doing this via e-mails, the chances for personal interaction with Mike weren't there. None the less, I feel this is a very important part of the story to tell, since everything about Trans Iowa afterward was framed by the influences of Mike Curiak's helpful advice and tips.

Next: Jeff Kerkove And Guitar Ted- Part 3

Trans Iowa Stories: The Influences Of Mike Curiak

Mike Curiak, (seated) had a huge influence over what made Trans Iowa what it was. Here he is at T.I.V1

Another big influence on Trans Iowa came from a man who ran a few ultra-endurance events in the Rocky Mountains. You may recall a couple weeks ago where I told of the influence that Richard "Deke" Gosen had. Deke set the tone for the "spirit" of the event.  Mike Curiak had perhaps the greatest influence upon the event in the sense of the rules and the way we implemented the event. So, maybe more a nuts and bolts kind of influence, but it was very important.

Early into our planning for the first Trans Iowa, Jeff Kerkove contacted Mike and asked him for advice on what to do and how to do it. Mike was free with his advice and was really a very important resource for us. In fact, I'm pretty sure Jeff just copied and pasted one of Trans Iowa's rules straight from what Mike allowed us to see of his rules. (I wrote a bit on this before which you can see here.)

Jeff shared with me what Mike was giving us to go on. I recall a few salient points:

• Make sure you do not charge anything for the event.
• Make sure you have the start in the dark.
• Make sure you make it VERY CLEAR that riders are on their own- YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU.

Of those things only the last was willingly adopted by Jeff. He reasoned that we should have insurance for this crazy deal and that the entry fee just cover that. I basically was on the fence about that, but in the end, I agreed. He also wasn't quite so game on the night start, although he wasn't totally against it. I thought it was a great idea. In the end, facilitating the riders coming in kind of dictated a start after Sun up. Of course, eventually all these ideas were adopted into the event. By the second Trans Iowa we were starting at 4:00am and by Trans Iowa v3 we weren't charging money anymore for entry.

Mike had very specific reasons for those three items. One I won't get in to. We all understand the responsibility clause. But not charging for an event? This was a new one on me. However; Mike made a very good point. If we charged an entry fee, people would have expectations of us. If we didn't charge, we could place those expectations back upon the riders. Plus, we weren't going to be seen as "providing any service", since we weren't getting paid. Mike felt this put us on a different legal ground.

Mike also felt that by starting at night you forced riders to use the required lighting, and they couldn't "cheat", or be stupid, and not bring lights. We ended up starting at night so the time cutoff for the event could be earlier Sunday. But yeah....we didn't need to inspect anyone's bikes for lights either.

Speaking of cut off times, I don't remember discussing this as a feature based upon Mike's influences, although it is true that the Great Divide Race had cut off times for half way and for the finish. That is exactly what we did at T.I.v1. I do remember thinking with Jeff that we didn't want to have his parents, (the CP volunteers) or us waiting around till who knows when to have riders finish. I believe T.I.v1 had a published cut off for the end of the event at something like 4:00pm Sunday. The check point cut off was not decided upon until late into the planning stages and was announced at the start of T.I.v1, which caused all sorts of grumbling. But at any rate, it very well could have been that Jeff got the idea for the cut offs as being legitimate based upon what Mike had told him, or it could purely have been a coincidence.

Mike also shared with us how he did cue sheets. It was pretty interesting from the standpoint that his need for being clear on a direction necessitated more information than we really needed to give. Of course, he was dealing with wilderness, we were dealing with well marked gravel roads. But that said, he had an influence on those early cues.

I know this doesn't make for much of a very interesting "story", but Mike was like that. Very direct and to the point. This was about setting up the framework for an ultra-endurance event, and since we were doing this via e-mails, the chances for personal interaction with Mike weren't there. None the less, I feel this is a very important part of the story to tell, since everything about Trans Iowa afterward was framed by the influences of Mike Curiak's helpful advice and tips.

Next: Jeff Kerkove And Guitar Ted- Part 3

Minus Ten Review 2009-25

The Badger Dorothy. Not many of these around, and it is a sad tale.

Ten years ago on the blog it was Summer in full swing. Green was everywhere, and so were the skeeters. Hmm....2019 seems about the same, ya know?

But there was this one thing I had going on back then that I didn't say a whole lot about at the time. Probably still won't. It has to do with this baby blue beauty pictured here. It's a Badger Dorothy. One of six ever built.

And I got to ride two of the six. The first one I tested for the old "Twenty Nine Inches" site was a hard tail with verticle drop outs. That was a magical handling bike. Man! That thing could slice and dice Mid-West single track like nothing else. Then that had to go back, and well, that was that, or so I thought, until I got a strange e-mail one day in 2009.

The current owner of the rig wanted to sell it, and supposedly, the only person he could sell it to was me. Stipulation of the original owner of the Dorothy brand. apparently, and so, I was quite puzzled by this. Of course, remembering the previous ride of the Dorothy, I did want the bike. It was set up as a single speed and had Paragon sliding drop outs, a blinged up spec, and one bad thing- It had a dent about the size of a half dollar on the underside of the downtube. I maybe posted about this bike a few times, then I dropped it. The story was just too volatile and personal at the time.

Well, the price was negotiated and I ended up getting it. I rode it maybe three times, but the ding in the downtube weighed upon my mind, and I ended up stripping it, using the parts on other bikes, and hanging the rare bird from a peg in the Lab. "Someday", I thought, "I'll get that fixed."

Well, "someday" still hasn't come. I need to get that taken care of, but yeah. It's a pretty bike. I love sky/Robin's Egg, powder blue colors and the combination of that and the sparkly panels in deep blue. To die for. Plus, no one makes anything like this anymore. This is a hand made, fillet brazed frame and it does ride really sweetly. I should get it back together again, but..... Too many projects!

Minus Ten Review 2009-25

The Badger Dorothy. Not many of these around, and it is a sad tale.

Ten years ago on the blog it was Summer in full swing. Green was everywhere, and so were the skeeters. Hmm....2019 seems about the same, ya know?

But there was this one thing I had going on back then that I didn't say a whole lot about at the time. Probably still won't. It has to do with this baby blue beauty pictured here. It's a Badger Dorothy. One of six ever built.

And I got to ride two of the six. The first one I tested for the old "Twenty Nine Inches" site was a hard tail with verticle drop outs. That was a magical handling bike. Man! That thing could slice and dice Mid-West single track like nothing else. Then that had to go back, and well, that was that, or so I thought, until I got a strange e-mail one day in 2009.

The current owner of the rig wanted to sell it, and supposedly, the only person he could sell it to was me. Stipulation of the original owner of the Dorothy brand. apparently, and so, I was quite puzzled by this. Of course, remembering the previous ride of the Dorothy, I did want the bike. It was set up as a single speed and had Paragon sliding drop outs, a blinged up spec, and one bad thing- It had a dent about the size of a half dollar on the underside of the downtube. I maybe posted about this bike a few times, then I dropped it. The story was just too volatile and personal at the time.

Well, the price was negotiated and I ended up getting it. I rode it maybe three times, but the ding in the downtube weighed upon my mind, and I ended up stripping it, using the parts on other bikes, and hanging the rare bird from a peg in the Lab. "Someday", I thought, "I'll get that fixed."

Well, "someday" still hasn't come. I need to get that taken care of, but yeah. It's a pretty bike. I love sky/Robin's Egg, powder blue colors and the combination of that and the sparkly panels in deep blue. To die for. Plus, no one makes anything like this anymore. This is a hand made, fillet brazed frame and it does ride really sweetly. I should get it back together again, but..... Too many projects!

Friday News And Views

Let's look at these flowers from my yard and try to forget about the rain.

Trails Close Due To Flood Damage As More Rain Hits The Area:

Wednesday it was learned that a major connector trail from down town Cedar Falls to the George Wyth State Park had been closed due to flood damage and also from damage incurred when a person drove a car down that part of the trail.

This is on top of the closure of the River Loop Trail in Waterloo for repair of a sewage line that ruptured and is sending raw sewage into the Cedar River.

As if that weren't bad enough, now we are supposed to have possibly severe weather and up to two inches of rain through Sunday. What do you suppose our water logged ground and swollen rivers will do with that? Yeah..... Hopefully it isn't as bad as they say it might be.

Then there is the chances for bad weather as I try to get to Nebraska. I'll have to be on guard for any severe weather and gauge my chances carefully before trying to drive through any potential storms. Saturday looks better down that way than Friday, but I have to get there safely first. If I manage to miss the bad weather, things should be okay, but I imagine the roads will be wet to start out with for the event.

Stay tuned.......

The Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX. The Kingpin rear end is pretty interesting.

Cannondale Introduces The Topstone Carbon With Kingpin Rear "Suspension". 

Secrets..... For about as long as I've been writing this blog I have had some secret or another I have had to keep under my hat. The Topstone Carbon bike is one of those secrets. Yesterday it was finally announced, so now I can talk about it openly.

I've known much about this bike for about a month, and I saw actual images of one a few weeks ago. In fact, MG, who broke the story on RidingGravel.com yesterday, has one. Of course, if you think about it, we all pretty much knew Cannondale would eventually come out with a carbon version of their Topstone aluminum bike, but the Kingpin rear end was not foreseen.

As far as the bike goes, I am sure there is something to it. It makes sense, and I think the idea is sound, but as with anything that moves on a bike, it eventually will become a problem. How this Kingpin deal wears and acts after a couple of thousand miles is what I am interested in.

I'm a little dismayed at the lack of tire clearances, (40mm tops for 700c) , but I feel this is more of a Domane competitor than it is a gravel bike. The whole geometry package is basically a Synapse, so that kind of tells the story there. Cannondale isn't concerned about working on a solution for the front end of the bike to mitigate vibrations because they are hedging their bets against a fall off in the gravel scene. If that happens, well, with Synapse geometry and a slick 32mm road tire this is right in the Domane/Roubaix bike wheelhouse. Not that this is a bad thing, but I think Cannondale isn't really making a gravel bike in the vein of a Warbird, for example, either.

Next thing ya know they will make brake actuation electronic.

 In The "Answers To Questions Unasked" File: 

I know you've been wondering when these brake manufacturers were going to get rid of those unsightly and snaggy brake lines. They are just always in the way, right? (Said no one ever) Well, Magura is your huckleberry as they have just announced a hidden master cylinder/hydraulic hose/handle bar set up which only leaves the lever sticking out now.

This is radical stuff. It's cool that they can do this, but do we really need it? Sometimes I like to turn the reality of new designs on their head and look at it 180° differently. So, in the case of these levers, what if we all had this sort of set up, and had it for years. Then suddenly we get an introduction of a product with exposed brake lines. What would be "better" about that than the internal, hidden brake stuff? Then I like to take the answers for that and compare to what the marketing says about the "new" way. Magura says the new set up is more crash resistant, (real world data? I just don't see this myself), and the design is "cleaner and more integrated". Soooooo.......it's about looks? 

The way we've been doing things allows for quick and easy stem swaps, handle bar changes, and ease of installation. Brake systems can be moved from bike to bike easier, and replaced without much fuss.

You tell me which way is better. If you want to explore this concept more, the Magura page on this "innovation" is here.

That's it for this week. Have a great Solstice and get out and ride if you can. The days get shorter from here!

Friday News And Views

Let's look at these flowers from my yard and try to forget about the rain.

Trails Close Due To Flood Damage As More Rain Hits The Area:

Wednesday it was learned that a major connector trail from down town Cedar Falls to the George Wyth State Park had been closed due to flood damage and also from damage incurred when a person drove a car down that part of the trail.

This is on top of the closure of the River Loop Trail in Waterloo for repair of a sewage line that ruptured and is sending raw sewage into the Cedar River.

As if that weren't bad enough, now we are supposed to have possibly severe weather and up to two inches of rain through Sunday. What do you suppose our water logged ground and swollen rivers will do with that? Yeah..... Hopefully it isn't as bad as they say it might be.

Then there is the chances for bad weather as I try to get to Nebraska. I'll have to be on guard for any severe weather and gauge my chances carefully before trying to drive through any potential storms. Saturday looks better down that way than Friday, but I have to get there safely first. If I manage to miss the bad weather, things should be okay, but I imagine the roads will be wet to start out with for the event.

Stay tuned.......

The Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX. The Kingpin rear end is pretty interesting.

Cannondale Introduces The Topstone Carbon With Kingpin Rear "Suspension". 

Secrets..... For about as long as I've been writing this blog I have had some secret or another I have had to keep under my hat. The Topstone Carbon bike is one of those secrets. Yesterday it was finally announced, so now I can talk about it openly.

I've known much about this bike for about a month, and I saw actual images of one a few weeks ago. In fact, MG, who broke the story on RidingGravel.com yesterday, has one. Of course, if you think about it, we all pretty much knew Cannondale would eventually come out with a carbon version of their Topstone aluminum bike, but the Kingpin rear end was not foreseen.

As far as the bike goes, I am sure there is something to it. It makes sense, and I think the idea is sound, but as with anything that moves on a bike, it eventually will become a problem. How this Kingpin deal wears and acts after a couple of thousand miles is what I am interested in.

I'm a little dismayed at the lack of tire clearances, (40mm tops for 700c) , but I feel this is more of a Domane competitor than it is a gravel bike. The whole geometry package is basically a Synapse, so that kind of tells the story there. Cannondale isn't concerned about working on a solution for the front end of the bike to mitigate vibrations because they are hedging their bets against a fall off in the gravel scene. If that happens, well, with Synapse geometry and a slick 32mm road tire this is right in the Domane/Roubaix bike wheelhouse. Not that this is a bad thing, but I think Cannondale isn't really making a gravel bike in the vein of a Warbird, for example, either.

Next thing ya know they will make brake actuation electronic.

 In The "Answers To Questions Unasked" File: 

I know you've been wondering when these brake manufacturers were going to get rid of those unsightly and snaggy brake lines. They are just always in the way, right? (Said no one ever) Well, Magura is your huckleberry as they have just announced a hidden master cylinder/hydraulic hose/handle bar set up which only leaves the lever sticking out now.

This is radical stuff. It's cool that they can do this, but do we really need it? Sometimes I like to turn the reality of new designs on their head and look at it 180° differently. So, in the case of these levers, what if we all had this sort of set up, and had it for years. Then suddenly we get an introduction of a product with exposed brake lines. What would be "better" about that than the internal, hidden brake stuff? Then I like to take the answers for that and compare to what the marketing says about the "new" way. Magura says the new set up is more crash resistant, (real world data? I just don't see this myself), and the design is "cleaner and more integrated". Soooooo.......it's about looks? 

The way we've been doing things allows for quick and easy stem swaps, handle bar changes, and ease of installation. Brake systems can be moved from bike to bike easier, and replaced without much fuss.

You tell me which way is better. If you want to explore this concept more, the Magura page on this "innovation" is here.

That's it for this week. Have a great Solstice and get out and ride if you can. The days get shorter from here!

Country Views: Something Green- Something Strange

This is not a Level B Maintenance road- It's Airline Highway, which is usually gravel.

Heading out into a mostly cloudy, cool-ish day, I found the wind was out of the Northeast. Well, it was hard to say, really. More East than North, I guess. There were puddles of standing water everywhere, and many places were found where the gravel was wet enough that it caked up on tires and plastered the down tube of the bike.

Ruts were everywhere. The roads looked really torn up. It was a handful at times just trying to find the good line. In some places I actually had to slow down and weave my way through the messed up road way. I kept looking at the darkening skies, thinking that a cold, East driven rain could break out at any point.

The above two paragraphs don't sound like anything I should be writing in mid-June, do they? No, they sound more like a Trans Iowa race report, or some blogpost I put up in March. But no- that's actually what it was like Wednesday, June 19th, 2019. It was weird, what with the crops all emerging and things looking like Summer in the fields, but the roads said, "It's still Spring!".

Of course, the rains we have had of late have kept the roads saturated, the late Spring/early Summer planting has conspired along with that to keep roads torn up, and lack of heat and humidity here have kept things loose and sand-like. Now the dirt is working its way through the old limestone and many roads look like minimum maintenance roads, not at all like a gravel road should look like.

These pretty ditch flowers at least made it look like Summer.

The corn is barely canopying here. Most fields are not canopied yet. Growth is way behind normal.

With that aforementioned Northeasterly breeze I decided to head North up Sage Road and while I had grand plans, I figured wearing myself out a few days before I was to ride a century wasn't a good idea. Just a good ride to open up the legs, and so I kept it chill. The softer roads and headwind going out were bad enough as it was.

Barns for Jason

Long stretches of torn up, slightly wet, muddy dirt roads were the replacement for the typical gravel in many spots.

I rode the Noble Bikes GX5 carbon gravel bike with that Force 1X stuff. This was a far better experience than the first go-round with Force 1X. I think this drive train is okay, but it still is slower, has bigger gaps between gears, and that SRAM shifting is for the birds. I'm still not convinced that my set up is sub-par, or that 1X is the way to go. But to each their own. This system hasn't let me down, and it does work okay. So.......there's that. 

Coming back I thought it looked a lot like I might get wet. I didn't. 

 

Schenk Road is a good one for barns and smaller farms.

I headed back via Schenk Road, which is the road I would take a gravel noob on for their first gravel ride. It is relatively flat, has tons of character, and lots of things to look at. The Northern stretch of it was heinous though. Really badly torn up and mostly dirt. Then it metamorphosed into the nicest plain ol' gravel road you could ask for. It was a great respite from the absolute mess of roadways I had been on.

Barns for Jason- Part 2

My last few miles were east and boy! Was that fun. The roads were very surprising as I had been up this way a couple of weeks ago and it wasn't anything like the way it was Wednesday. Then as I rode the last mile into town, I saw it. A grain truck as big as a dump truck. These heavy, dually equipped trucks and semi-tractor trailers are really what is tearing up the roads.

Anyway, it was a great ride leading up to the Solstice 100 Saturday. I'm looking forward to hooking up with MG and getting some Nebraska gravel under my wheels again.

Country Views: Something Green- Something Strange

This is not a Level B Maintenance road- It's Airline Highway, which is usually gravel.

Heading out into a mostly cloudy, cool-ish day, I found the wind was out of the Northeast. Well, it was hard to say, really. More East than North, I guess. There were puddles of standing water everywhere, and many places were found where the gravel was wet enough that it caked up on tires and plastered the down tube of the bike.

Ruts were everywhere. The roads looked really torn up. It was a handful at times just trying to find the good line. In some places I actually had to slow down and weave my way through the messed up road way. I kept looking at the darkening skies, thinking that a cold, East driven rain could break out at any point.

The above two paragraphs don't sound like anything I should be writing in mid-June, do they? No, they sound more like a Trans Iowa race report, or some blogpost I put up in March. But no- that's actually what it was like Wednesday, June 19th, 2019. It was weird, what with the crops all emerging and things looking like Summer in the fields, but the roads said, "It's still Spring!".

Of course, the rains we have had of late have kept the roads saturated, the late Spring/early Summer planting has conspired along with that to keep roads torn up, and lack of heat and humidity here have kept things loose and sand-like. Now the dirt is working its way through the old limestone and many roads look like minimum maintenance roads, not at all like a gravel road should look like.

These pretty ditch flowers at least made it look like Summer.

The corn is barely canopying here. Most fields are not canopied yet. Growth is way behind normal.

With that aforementioned Northeasterly breeze I decided to head North up Sage Road and while I had grand plans, I figured wearing myself out a few days before I was to ride a century wasn't a good idea. Just a good ride to open up the legs, and so I kept it chill. The softer roads and headwind going out were bad enough as it was.

Barns for Jason

Long stretches of torn up, slightly wet, muddy dirt roads were the replacement for the typical gravel in many spots.

I rode the Noble Bikes GX5 carbon gravel bike with that Force 1X stuff. This was a far better experience than the first go-round with Force 1X. I think this drive train is okay, but it still is slower, has bigger gaps between gears, and that SRAM shifting is for the birds. I'm still not convinced that my set up is sub-par, or that 1X is the way to go. But to each their own. This system hasn't let me down, and it does work okay. So.......there's that. 

Coming back I thought it looked a lot like I might get wet. I didn't. 

 

Schenk Road is a good one for barns and smaller farms.

I headed back via Schenk Road, which is the road I would take a gravel noob on for their first gravel ride. It is relatively flat, has tons of character, and lots of things to look at. The Northern stretch of it was heinous though. Really badly torn up and mostly dirt. Then it metamorphosed into the nicest plain ol' gravel road you could ask for. It was a great respite from the absolute mess of roadways I had been on.

Barns for Jason- Part 2

My last few miles were east and boy! Was that fun. The roads were very surprising as I had been up this way a couple of weeks ago and it wasn't anything like the way it was Wednesday. Then as I rode the last mile into town, I saw it. A grain truck as big as a dump truck. These heavy, dually equipped trucks and semi-tractor trailers are really what is tearing up the roads.

Anyway, it was a great ride leading up to the Solstice 100 Saturday. I'm looking forward to hooking up with MG and getting some Nebraska gravel under my wheels again.

Drop Bar Terms Defined

In today's post I want to help to clear up some misconceptions and to help readers understand the bits of flared drop bars that help determine their shape and usefulness. I've touched on all of these things in past posts, but I realized after reviewing the Easton EA70 AX flared drop bar for RidingGravel.com that I hadn't ever put all the definitions into one, easy to digest post. So, hopefully this will be clear and concise enough to help those interested in off road drop bars for MTB and gravel get what they need to clear up any misunderstandings and to learn the lingo of the flared drop bar.

I'll have some images to help with the descriptions, and afterward I will share some bars that, in my opinion, get it right in certain areas and others that got it all wrong. Some of the bars I will not be in favor of are going to be some of your personal favorite bars ever. That's okay. We have choices and that is a good thing, because what I like isn't going to play well in Peoria all the time, if you know what I mean. So, please don't get offended if I don't praise your personal favorite bars. One- because you aren't going to change my mind, and: Two- I won't change your mind about your favorite. Again, it is about choices. You can agree or not, but hopefully, in the end, you will gain some understanding. That's the main goal.

NOTE: Drop Bar Terms I will define will be in ALL CAPS. This is done because they all relate to each other and one is not independent of the others. 

Okay, with that, let's get on with this.

 The term, "FLARE" refers to the outward bend of the DROP section. See the difference in the vertical plane between the arrows.

FLARE: This is the term that lends its name to this type of bar, and as such, is the main element that differentiates a FLARED Drop Bar from a traditional road drop. The term defines the amount by which the bottom of the DROP section is flared outward from the "TOP SECTION". This is usually given in degrees of FLARE. So, a 25° FLARE (as seen above) has more "outward bend" to the DROP than a bar with 12° FLARE, as in a Salsa Cycles Cowbell. A traditional road drop bar would have 0° of FLARE and the EXTENSIONS would be directly under the end of the "TOP SECTION" of that sort of drop bar.

FLARE is important because it allows for clearance of the rider's wrists and forearms when in the DROP sections while negotiating rough terrain.

The arrows on the lower drop bar nearly line up, so very little SWEEP here in comparison to a Woodchipper, above.

SWEEP: This is a different feature of a flared drop bar that is not always present. Some flared drops have it, some do not. What is it? The SWEEP defines how the EXTENSIONS point back at the rider when the rider is in the saddle. A bar with no SWEEP will have extensions that point directly back, parallel to the stem. Bars with SWEEP will look bent outward at the ends, like a Salsa Cycles Woodchipper Bar. Notice in the image above how the Woodchipper, (Top) has EXTENSIONS which point off at a severe angle while the SPANK Flare 25 Drop Bar has almost no SWEEP. Most flared drop bars have some amount of SWEEP, but few are as radically swept as a Woodchipper Bar.

Orange = DROP, Red = RAMPS, Green = REACH, and Purple = EXTENSIONS

Note- for the next several terms, please refer to the image of the Origin 8 Gary Sweep Bar above.

REACH: The REACH of a flared drop bar (GREEN arrows above) is the part of the bar that "reaches" forward of the TOP SECTION of the handle bar. It is usually described in millimeters of REACH measured from the center of the TOP SECTION to the outside of the forward bend of the DROP.

DROP: This is the part of the bar described by the distance the DROP comes down from the TOP SECTION to the EXTENSIONS (Orange Arrows). This is usually measured in millimeters from center of the TOP SECTION to the center of the EXTENSIONS.

RAMPS: This is the part of the DROP that reaches from the TOP SECTION to where the levers mount. (RED arrows) Usually the RAMPS are sloped somewhat, being a part of the radius and REACH of the DROP section. This is a critical part of a flared drop bar as it will determine brake/shift lever placement, hoods position, and ultimately is one of the most important features of any drop bar. Curiously, a RAMPS slope is almost never given in spec charts. When it is, it is usually described in degrees from a level point from the TOP SECTION.

EXTENSIONS: This is the part of the bar extends back toward the rider. (Purple arrows) Extensions are important since they describe how many hand positions there are on the EXTENSIONS and "in the DROPS". The ends of the EXTENSIONS on flared drop bars generally are where one would mount bar end shifters also, if so desired. EXTENTIONS are almost never given a measurement in spec charts.

The SPANK Flare 25 Vibrocore™ Drop Bar has an unusual 31.8mm diameter for the entire TOP SECTION.

TOP SECTION: This is the part of the bar that the stem attaches to and extends outward on each side to where the DROP/RAMPS start. This is usually where the bar gets its width measurement. So, a 42cm bar would describe the TOP SECTION between the centerline of the DROPS. This generally does not include the extra width created by FLARE or SWEEP.

UPDATED: 6/4/24: Thanks to Don "shiggy" Person for the suggestions to add "BACKSWEEP" and "HOOKS" to the glossary. 

The BACKSWEEP is how far the TOPS bend backward from the stem.

BACKSWEEP: Many carbon drop bars now feature BACKSWEEP which is a bend back toward the rider from the stem on each side sloping towards the RAMPS and results in an angled TOPS section as you look down on the handlebar. This is done for better ergonomics. 

The HOOKS position is just above the EXTENSIONS and is part of the DROPS. 

HOOKS: When the rider describes their hand position as being "in the hooks" what they mean is that the hands are in the forward position, just on top of or ahead of the EXTENSIONS and in behind the DROP sections. This critical position is used most often during sprints and braking.

Okay, that's it for terms that describe the parts of a flared drop bar. Now I'm going to give you a run down of bars that I feel are seminal, great flared drop bars and some that I feel are so poorly designed they are abysmal. I will also point out a couple that are near misses, or ones that have a particular feature which is awesome.

They Got It Right: My personal opinion, of course, but the bars which are spot on are few. Probably the two best out there, and two of the most popular of all time, are Salsa Cycles' Cowchipper and Cowbell bars. The Cowbell was the first to really nail a very subtle FLARE to a constantly varying radius to the DROP and give the flared drop bar crowd a bar that could be a road racing bike bar, but better. The Cowchipper is basically a Cowbell, but with "more". More FLARE and more SWEEP than a Cowbell with a really comfy DROP section. Both bars feature really good REACH, DROP, and RAMP sections. Super easy to set up, super comfy, and really, nothing to dislike here.

The only other bars that I think rival the Salsa ones are the Whiskey No. 7 & No. 9, 12 and 24 bars, and the seminal On One Midge Bar. The Midge is an oldy but a goody. The only nit I have is that bar comes in one width and the EXTENSIONS are short. I think it may be one of the only bars offered with a full 31.8mm TOP SECTION as well.

Nearly There: The Ritchey VentureMax is another cool bar with good FLARE, SWEEP, and an ergo bend in the EXTENSIONS which may or may not agree with you. Other bars, too many to list, have decent FLARE, DROP sections, and constantly varying radius to the DROP which make them very similar, one to another. The EASTON EA70 AX bars I reviewed represent the current crop of bars which are like this. Some of the Origin 8 Gary variants are also pretty cool.

They Missed The Boat: The best SWEEP, if you like a LOT of SWEEP, is on the Woodchipper bar from Salsa Cycles, but due to the weird bend in the DROP section, the severe RAMP section, and the odd radius to the DROP, it misses so badly, in my opinion, that it becomes a bar that is very difficult to set up without making some part of the bar nearly, or completely, unusable. I know......there are rabid fans of this bar, but I think it is a clunker. Another bar which really was a head scratcher for me was the SOMA Gator Bar, a bar with such a massive DROP it made the EXTENSIONS nearly unreachable without setting it up so that the TOP SECTION was sky high. Added to that, the radius of the DROP was so shallow that it, as with the Woodchipper, made set up a nightmare. Finally, there was a bar sold under various brand names, but is probably best known as the Velo Orange Daija Cycleworks Far Bar. It's intriguing, but with its severe FLARE and angular DROP section, I found it to be a near miss.

The "Unicorn" of flared drop bars- The out of production Ragely Luxy Bar.

So Brilliantly Weird, It Was Great: And of course, you know I have to say something about that unicorn of flared drop bars, the "Luxy Bar". Out of production for years, this is the bar Salsa Cycles should have made when they made the Woodchipper. (See my comparison between the two bars HERE) The radius to the DROP section is perfect, the sweep is there in spades, the RAMP section was spot on, the REACH was minimal, but not so severely short that it compromised lever set up. Only the extreme flare on the Luxy Bar was a flaw, if there was one. But, again, in my opinion, the Luxy Bar solved all the issues I had with the Woodchipper and did it with the brilliant feature of a full 31.8mm TOP SECTION. Now the SPANK Flare 25 has this feature as well, which is pretty cool.

So, there you have it, Guitar Ted's take on what makes a flared drop bar and some examples of good, bad, and ugly ones. Again- remember- these are MY OPINIONS. Yours are likely quite different. I get it. But like I said, it is a good thing there are so many choices now, so we can even have this difference of opinion. It wasn't so long ago that we had the Midge Bar and that was it. Perspective people......perspective. 

I hope you enjoyed that. Let me know if there are any questions, or things you'd like me to discuss further. As always- thank you for reading! 

Drop Bar Terms Defined

In today's post I want to help to clear up some misconceptions and to help readers understand the bits of flared drop bars that help determine their shape and usefulness. I've touched on all of these things in past posts, but I realized after reviewing the Easton EA70 AX flared drop bar for RidingGravel.com that I hadn't ever put all the definitions into one, easy to digest post. So, hopefully this will be clear and concise enough to help those interested in off road drop bars for MTB and gravel get what they need to clear up any misunderstandings and to learn the lingo of the flared drop bar.

I'll have some images to help with the descriptions, and afterward I will share some bars that, in my opinion, get it right in certain areas and others that got it all wrong. Some of the bars I will not be in favor of are going to be some of your personal favorite bars ever. That's okay. We have choices and that is a good thing, because what I like isn't going to play well in Peoria all the time, if you know what I mean. So, please don't get offended if I don't praise your personal favorite bars. One- because you aren't going to change my mind, and: Two- I won't change your mind about your favorite. Again, it is about choices. You can agree or not, but hopefully, in the end, you will gain some understanding. That's the main goal.

NOTE: Drop Bar Terms I will define will be in ALL CAPS. This is done because they all relate to each other and one is not independent of the others. 

Okay, with that, let's get on with this.

 The term, "FLARE" refers to the outward bend of the DROP section. See the difference in the vertical plane between the arrows.

FLARE: This is the term that lends its name to this type of bar, and as such, is the main element that differentiates a FLARED Drop Bar from a traditional road drop. The term defines the amount by which the bottom of the DROP section is flared outward from the "TOP SECTION". This is usually given in degrees of FLARE. So, a 25° FLARE (as seen above) has more "outward bend" to the DROP than a bar with 12° FLARE, as in a Salsa Cycles Cowbell. A traditional road drop bar would have 0° of FLARE and the EXTENSIONS would be directly under the end of the "TOP SECTION" of that sort of drop bar.

FLARE is important because it allows for clearance of the rider's wrists and forearms when in the DROP sections while negotiating rough terrain.

The arrows on the lower drop bar nearly line up, so very little SWEEP here in comparison to a Woodchipper, above.

SWEEP: This is a different feature of a flared drop bar that is not always present. Some flared drops have it, some do not. What is it? The SWEEP defines how the EXTENSIONS point back at the rider when the rider is in the saddle. A bar with no SWEEP will have extensions that point directly back, parallel to the stem. Bars with SWEEP will look bent outward at the ends, like a Salsa Cycles Woodchipper Bar. Notice in the image above how the Woodchipper, (Top) has EXTENSIONS which point off at a severe angle while the SPANK Flare 25 Drop Bar has almost no SWEEP. Most flared drop bars have some amount of SWEEP, but few are as radically swept as a Woodchipper Bar.

Orange = DROP, Red = RAMPS, Green = REACH, and Purple = EXTENSIONS

Note- for the next several terms, please refer to the image of the Origin 8 Gary Sweep Bar above.

REACH: The REACH of a flared drop bar (GREEN arrows above) is the part of the bar that "reaches" forward of the TOP SECTION of the handle bar. It is usually described in millimeters of REACH measured from the center of the TOP SECTION to the outside of the forward bend of the DROP.

DROP: This is the part of the bar described by the distance the DROP comes down from the TOP SECTION to the EXTENSIONS (Orange Arrows). This is usually measured in millimeters from center of the TOP SECTION to the center of the EXTENSIONS.

RAMPS: This is the part of the DROP that reaches from the TOP SECTION to where the levers mount. (RED arrows) Usually the RAMPS are sloped somewhat, being a part of the radius and REACH of the DROP section. This is a critical part of a flared drop bar as it will determine brake/shift lever placement, hoods position, and ultimately is one of the most important features of any drop bar. Curiously, a RAMPS slope is almost never given in spec charts. When it is, it is usually described in degrees from a level point from the TOP SECTION.

EXTENSIONS: This is the part of the bar extends back toward the rider. (Purple arrows) Extensions are important since they describe how many hand positions there are on the EXTENSIONS and "in the DROPS". The ends of the EXTENSIONS on flared drop bars generally are where one would mount bar end shifters also, if so desired. EXTENTIONS are almost never given a measurement in spec charts.

The SPANK Flare 25 Vibrocore™ Drop Bar has an unusual 31.8mm diameter for the entire TOP SECTION.

TOP SECTION: This is the part of the bar that the stem attaches to and extends outward on each side to where the DROP/RAMPS start. This is usually where the bar gets its width measurement. So, a 42cm bar would describe the TOP SECTION between the centerline of the DROPS. This generally does not include the extra width created by FLARE or SWEEP.

Okay, that's it for terms that describe the parts of a flared drop bar. Now I'm going to give you a run down of bars that I feel are seminal, great flared drop bars and some that I feel are so poorly designed they are abysmal. I will also point out a couple that are near misses, or ones that have a particular feature which is awesome.

They Got It Right: My personal opinion, of course, but the bars which are spot on are few. Probably the two best out there, and two of the most popular of all time, are Salsa Cycles' Cowchipper and Cowbell bars. The Cowbell was the first to really nail a very subtle FLARE to a constantly varying radius to the DROP and give the flared drop bar crowd a bar that could be a road racing bike bar, but better. The Cowchipper is basically a Cowbell, but with "more". More FLARE and more SWEEP than a Cowbell with a really comfy DROP section. Both bars feature really good REACH, DROP, and RAMP sections. Super easy to set up, super comfy, and really, nothing to dislike here.

The only other bars that I think rival the Salsa ones are the Whiskey No. 7 & No. 9, 12 and 24 bars, and the seminal On One Midge Bar. The Midge is an oldy but a goody. The only nit I have is that bar comes in one width and the EXTENSIONS are short. I think it may be one of the only bars offered with a full 31.8mm TOP SECTION as well.

Nearly There: The Ritchey VentureMax is another cool bar with good FLARE, SWEEP, and an ergo bend in the EXTENSIONS which may or may not agree with you. Other bars, too many to list, have decent FLARE, DROP sections, and constantly varying radius to the DROP which make them very similar, one to another. The EASTON EA70 AX bars I reviewed represent the current crop of bars which are like this. Some of the Origin 8 Gary variants are also pretty cool.

They Missed The Boat: The best SWEEP, if you like a LOT of SWEEP, is on the Woodchipper bar from Salsa Cycles, but due to the weird bend in the DROP section, the severe RAMP section, and the odd radius to the DROP, it misses so badly, in my opinion, that it becomes a bar that is very difficult to set up without making some part of the bar nearly, or completely, unusable. I know......there are rabid fans of this bar, but I think it is a clunker. Another bar which really was a head scratcher for me was the SOMA Gator Bar, a bar with such a massive DROP it made the EXTENSIONS nearly unreachable without setting it up so that the TOP SECTION was sky high. Added to that, the radius of the DROP was so shallow that it, as with the Woodchipper, made set up a nightmare. Finally, there was a bar sold under various brand names, but is probably best known as the Velo Orange Daija Cycleworks Far Bar. It's intriguing, but with its severe FLARE and angular DROP section, I found it to be a near miss.

The "Unicorn" of flared drop bars- The out of production Ragely Luxy Bar.

So Brilliantly Weird, It Was Great: And of course, you know I have to say something about that unicorn of flared drop bars, the "Luxy Bar". Out of production for years, this is the bar Salsa Cycles should have made when they made the Woodchipper. (See my comparison between the two bars HERE) The radius to the DROP section is perfect, the sweep is there in spades, the RAMP section was spot on, the REACH was minimal, but not so severely short that it compromised lever set up. Only the extreme flare on the Luxy Bar was a flaw, if there was one. But, again, in my opinion, the Luxy Bar solved all the issues I had with the Woodchipper and did it with the brilliant feature of a full 31.8mm TOP SECTION. Now the SPANK Flare 25 has this feature as well, which is pretty cool.

So, there you have it, Guitar Ted's take on what makes a flared drop bar and some examples of good, bad, and ugly ones. Again- remember- these are MY OPINIONS. Yours are likely quite different. I get it. But like I said, it is a good thing there are so many choices now, so we can even have this difference of opinion. It wasn't so long ago that we had the Midge Bar and that was it. Perspective people......perspective. 

I hope you enjoyed that. Let me know if there are any questions, or things you'd like me to discuss further. As always- thank you for reading!