Trans Iowa Stories: Help Unlooked For

A section of Level B reconned by David in 2009 for T.I.v6 which led to CP#3

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

The end of Trans Iowa v6 was one of those deals where things were so stressful, crazy, then relieving and almost fun, that I cannot do it justice with words. It was singularly unique, and those few that were involved in it experienced something really special. The experience for me was so twisted and such a roller coaster of emotions that I was kind of on cruise mode by the end of it all. It was just that overwhelming for me on a personal level.

Things obviously got started off with my high expectations and then were slammed into a valley of darkness with the early morning severe weather worries. Then dealing with a pushy, surly spectator/support person added to my stress levels going into an afternoon of tense driving on roads that, frankly, were barely passable in David's Honda Element 4X4. Follow that with the stress of the fight to reroute the course so as to take out Level B Roads which would make getting to Checkpoint #3 on time impossible, and it was a recipe for emotional shutdown.

First of all, I do not mean to make light of anyone else's experiences out there. Obviously, stress levels were high for many T.I.v6 participants. Take Matt Wills, for instance, who commented on my blog afterward on one of the T.I.v6 recap posts: "soaking wet in a ditch, hiding from the lightning about 15miles from CP2." These are the kinds of things that keep event directors up at night, in case you ever wondered what putting on an event was like. I remember reading that and it was like a punch to the gut. I responded," @mw: Sorry you got caught out. We didn't see that lightning, but we were north of you at that point." To which Matt responded,"oh it's nothing to be sorry for or anything i regret. i wonder if i would have been with someone that i could have motivated myself thru the part of the course i was stuck in the lightning on.

TI is a monster and i'm ok that it's not always possible to complete for me or anyone."

That last line! Pulled me right back, but I have to say that Trans Iowa attracted some of the best, most stand up characters I've had the privilege of knowing. People like that and more are why the gravel scene grew to what it is now. The scene is standing on the backs of all these great folks. Because I'm telling you, if more of the riders were like the surly spectator I had to deal with, I would have quit doing the T.I. thing long before I did.  

I visited the never-used CP#3 location for T.I.v6 last Summer

Back to the story at hand- The post checkpoint #2 part of the event was marked by David and I being stressed out and in a huge hurry to find re-routes that worked, and then mark them with flags, before any riders showed up. This was, in the end, a fools errand, but at the time we were busting our butts trying to work as hard as we could.

That's an important point, because we had a LOT of rerouting ahead of us plus the fact that we knew that checkpoint #3 was impossible to reach due to three sections of some of the gnarliest Level B Roads in Tama County. They are hard to pass when conditions are perfect, as I found out last Summer, but given the unholy nature of the gravel roads we were driving on, we knew there was absolutely no passage on those steep rollers of pure clay morass.

To be honest, I'm not even sure we had contemplated fully what getting to CP#3 would entail, but in the end, it didn't matter. I recall when we were headed North and crossed I-80 on a gravel overpass, that shortly after that it started raining so hard that we could no longer see to drive! Now about this time it was getting pretty dark as well, as the Sun was low in the horizon and shrouded from view by the thick cloud cover. It basically was night time. I knew David was stressing hard, the vibe was so thick with it, and I turned and asked him if he really wanted to continue to drive through this madness. His answer came without hesitation. No. He was done.

So, I called the event with David's blessings right then and there. Checkpoint #2 had already closed, so there was no "catching" anyone there. We decided to backtrack the course once the squall we had been stopped by moved on. We headed back the way we came slowly and methodically. Suddenly I got a text from Joe Meiser asking what the status of the event was. He and John Gorilla were holed up at an ice cream shop/cafe' called the "EV Malt Shoppe" in North English, the next town out from CP#2. This would have been approximately 25 miles down from CP#2 on the T.I.v6 course. I found out that it took 2.5 hours for Gorilla and Meiser to cover that distance.

By the way, I didn't even get a chance to answer his text before he called me to repeat the same question. Meiser knew by the math that T.I.v6 was officially over. No one was going to make CP#3 on time. He wanted to know where the impromptu finish line might be, and his call was to get that info ASAP so he and Gorilla could guarantee a 1-2 finish, if I was going to do what I did in T.I.v4. Gorilla would have known this, since he won that truncated event.

The phone conversation was comical. We were both being extremely cagey with each other so as not to show our hand. In the end, I asked that he and Gorilla look out for the remaining six riders we knew about coming through there. We were ending the event right at that place they were holed up in. Meanwhile, the rain was pounding and David and I were carefully driving back to North English, now on pavement wherever possible since we knew that we weren't going to see any riders now.

What happened then at the EV Malt Shoppe is something I'll never forget. The goodness of people. Empathy. Caring. Love for fellow humans. These are the deals that give one hope, a reason to carry on. It's when we are at our very best. No politics, no grandstanding, just goodness. Pure goodness.

Matt Braun, (L) and David Pals with an unidentified rider cleaning up in the background at the EV Malt Shoppe in North English, Iowa. 

When we arrived, David and I, at the EV Malt Shoppe, Meiser and Gorilla got up and motioned that we probably had better set up operations at the convenience store down the street because the Malt Shoppe was closing at 8:00pm, which was minutes away. The owner of the shop, who had overheard this conversation, then came up and interrupted. He was having none of that. He and his employees were willing to stay as long as it took to get the six riders in and accounted for. Not only that, but his waitress and cook stayed on and opened the kitchen back up. Hot chocolates and french fries soon hit the tables and wet, cold riders we were pulling in off the course were warming their hands on the hot cups and gratefully gulping down the grub.

Not only that, but my CP#3 volunteers, and some T.I. support folks all swept in to the Malt Shoppe and we ended up with more than enough folks and vehicles to get all home safely. The owner of the shop even allowed the muddy riders to hose themselves and their bikes off with a garden hose out the side door of the place.

Clockwise from the left: Jay Petervary, Traci Petervary, Matt Braun, Charles Parsons, Joe Meiser (seated).

By 9:45 pm all was wrapped up. It was over. We dodged another bullet, but now we had to get back to Grinnell and to the Barn to see who would show up at our now, unneeded finish line. Ironically, it would take until Trans Iowa v9 before anyone would actually finish at The Barn, and then we only got to do that for T.I. v9 and v10 before weather and other life changes caused The Barn to fall off the radar of T.I. history.

I'll never forget seeing that barn from the hill on the west side overlooking the valley where it sat. I walked in a driving, cold, sideways rain with David to join the few hardy folks that actually showed up at The Barn to hear the tales of the day. It seemed like a big failure to me at that time, Trans Iowa v6. All this grand planning and sponsorship, and all the hoopla surrounding our first time in Grinnell. All washed away by a wicked storm. I felt really low walking up to that barn, like I didn't belong in this game.

Then we came out of the weather, the lights were bright, people hailed us, we were congratulated. Riders were cleaned up and in high spirits. We asked if we could make anything better, and all we got were compliments on how we were already doing things. One suggestion, by John Gorilla, was to make accommodation for folks who had actually finished the thing to get in again. Otherwise we heard no complaining at all.

I've said it before, but the reason I kept doing Trans Iowa was because of the people involved, and that night sealed the deal for another running of Trans Iowa again. But sometimes people let you down, it is true, and sometimes I let others down, which is very true as well. Sometimes you dodge a bullet, sometimes you get hit and wounded. All of this would come into play for the next Trans Iowa, which in my view is the most pivotal Trans Iowa event of all fourteen.

Next: It's The People

Trans Iowa Stories: Help Unlooked For

A section of Level B reconned by David in 2009 for T.I.v6 which led to CP#3

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject by going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

The end of Trans Iowa v6 was one of those deals where things were so stressful, crazy, then relieving and almost fun, that I cannot do it justice with words. It was singularly unique, and those few that were involved in it experienced something really special. The experience for me was so twisted and such a roller coaster of emotions that I was kind of on cruise mode by the end of it all. It was just that overwhelming for me on a personal level.

Things obviously got started off with my high expectations and then were slammed into a valley of darkness with the early morning severe weather worries. Then dealing with a pushy, surly spectator/support person added to my stress levels going into an afternoon of tense driving on roads that, frankly, were barely passable in David's Honda Element 4X4. Follow that with the stress of the fight to reroute the course so as to take out Level B Roads which would make getting to Checkpoint #3 on time impossible, and it was a recipe for emotional shutdown.

First of all, I do not mean to make light of anyone else's experiences out there. Obviously, stress levels were high for many T.I.v6 participants. Take Matt Wills, for instance, who commented on my blog afterward on one of the T.I.v6 recap posts: "soaking wet in a ditch, hiding from the lightning about 15miles from CP2." These are the kinds of things that keep event directors up at night, in case you ever wondered what putting on an event was like. I remember reading that and it was like a punch to the gut. I responded," @mw: Sorry you got caught out. We didn't see that lightning, but we were north of you at that point." To which Matt responded,"oh it's nothing to be sorry for or anything i regret. i wonder if i would have been with someone that i could have motivated myself thru the part of the course i was stuck in the lightning on.

TI is a monster and i'm ok that it's not always possible to complete for me or anyone."

That last line! Pulled me right back, but I have to say that Trans Iowa attracted some of the best, most stand up characters I've had the privilege of knowing. People like that and more are why the gravel scene grew to what it is now. The scene is standing on the backs of all these great folks. Because I'm telling you, if more of the riders were like the surly spectator I had to deal with, I would have quit doing the T.I. thing long before I did.  

I visited the never-used CP#3 location for T.I.v6 last Summer

Back to the story at hand- The post checkpoint #2 part of the event was marked by David and I being stressed out and in a huge hurry to find re-routes that worked, and then mark them with flags, before any riders showed up. This was, in the end, a fools errand, but at the time we were busting our butts trying to work as hard as we could.

That's an important point, because we had a LOT of rerouting ahead of us plus the fact that we knew that checkpoint #3 was impossible to reach due to three sections of some of the gnarliest Level B Roads in Tama County. They are hard to pass when conditions are perfect, as I found out last Summer, but given the unholy nature of the gravel roads we were driving on, we knew there was absolutely no passage on those steep rollers of pure clay morass.

To be honest, I'm not even sure we had contemplated fully what getting to CP#3 would entail, but in the end, it didn't matter. I recall when we were headed North and crossed I-80 on a gravel overpass, that shortly after that it started raining so hard that we could no longer see to drive! Now about this time it was getting pretty dark as well, as the Sun was low in the horizon and shrouded from view by the thick cloud cover. It basically was night time. I knew David was stressing hard, the vibe was so thick with it, and I turned and asked him if he really wanted to continue to drive through this madness. His answer came without hesitation. No. He was done.

So, I called the event with David's blessings right then and there. Checkpoint #2 had already closed, so there was no "catching" anyone there. We decided to backtrack the course once the squall we had been stopped by moved on. We headed back the way we came slowly and methodically. Suddenly I got a text from Joe Meiser asking what the status of the event was. He and John Gorilla were holed up at an ice cream shop/cafe' called the "EV Malt Shoppe" in North English, the next town out from CP#2. This would have been approximately 25 miles down from CP#2 on the T.I.v6 course. I found out that it took 2.5 hours for Gorilla and Meiser to cover that distance.

By the way, I didn't even get a chance to answer his text before he called me to repeat the same question. Meiser knew by the math that T.I.v6 was officially over. No one was going to make CP#3 on time. He wanted to know where the impromptu finish line might be, and his call was to get that info ASAP so he and Gorilla could guarantee a 1-2 finish, if I was going to do what I did in T.I.v4. Gorilla would have known this, since he won that truncated event.

The phone conversation was comical. We were both being extremely cagey with each other so as not to show our hand. In the end, I asked that he and Gorilla look out for the remaining six riders we knew about coming through there. We were ending the event right at that place they were holed up in. Meanwhile, the rain was pounding and David and I were carefully driving back to North English, now on pavement wherever possible since we knew that we weren't going to see any riders now.

What happened then at the EV Malt Shoppe is something I'll never forget. The goodness of people. Empathy. Caring. Love for fellow humans. These are the deals that give one hope, a reason to carry on. It's when we are at our very best. No politics, no grandstanding, just goodness. Pure goodness.

Matt Braun, (L) and David Pals with an unidentified rider cleaning up in the background at the EV Malt Shoppe in North English, Iowa. 

When we arrived, David and I, at the EV Malt Shoppe, Meiser and Gorilla got up and motioned that we probably had better set up operations at the convenience store down the street because the Malt Shoppe was closing at 8:00pm, which was minutes away. The owner of the shop, who had overheard this conversation, then came up and interrupted. He was having none of that. He and his employees were willing to stay as long as it took to get the six riders in and accounted for. Not only that, but his waitress and cook stayed on and opened the kitchen back up. Hot chocolates and french fries soon hit the tables and wet, cold riders we were pulling in off the course were warming their hands on the hot cups and gratefully gulping down the grub.

Not only that, but my CP#3 volunteers, and some T.I. support folks all swept in to the Malt Shoppe and we ended up with more than enough folks and vehicles to get all home safely. The owner of the shop even allowed the muddy riders to hose themselves and their bikes off with a garden hose out the side door of the place.

Clockwise from the left: Jay Petervary, Traci Petervary, Matt Braun, Charles Parsons, Joe Meiser (seated).

By 9:45 pm all was wrapped up. It was over. We dodged another bullet, but now we had to get back to Grinnell and to the Barn to see who would show up at our now, unneeded finish line. Ironically, it would take until Trans Iowa v9 before anyone would actually finish at The Barn, and then we only got to do that for T.I. v9 and v10 before weather and other life changes caused The Barn to fall off the radar of T.I. history.

I'll never forget seeing that barn from the hill on the west side overlooking the valley where it sat. I walked in a driving, cold, sideways rain with David to join the few hardy folks that actually showed up at The Barn to hear the tales of the day. It seemed like a big failure to me at that time, Trans Iowa v6. All this grand planning and sponsorship, and all the hoopla surrounding our first time in Grinnell. All washed away by a wicked storm. I felt really low walking up to that barn, like I didn't belong in this game.

Then we came out of the weather, the lights were bright, people hailed us, we were congratulated. Riders were cleaned up and in high spirits. We asked if we could make anything better, and all we got were compliments on how we were already doing things. One suggestion, by John Gorilla, was to make accommodation for folks who had actually finished the thing to get in again. Otherwise we heard no complaining at all.

I've said it before, but the reason I kept doing Trans Iowa was because of the people involved, and that night sealed the deal for another running of Trans Iowa again. But sometimes people let you down, it is true, and sometimes I let others down, which is very true as well. Sometimes you dodge a bullet, sometimes you get hit and wounded. All of this would come into play for the next Trans Iowa, which in my view is the most pivotal Trans Iowa event of all fourteen.

Next: It's The People

Is The Un-Dark Component Era Returning?

Zipp now offers Service course level parts in silver ano.

Silver anodized parts used to be "normal". Back when I first got into working at bicycle shops, only mountain bikes used black on components and that was frowned upon as being "uncouth" by many roadies and even by some mountain bikers themselves. Heck, silver and black were often seen as "boring" while, you know "ultraviolet stems, cranks and every other bit.....well THAT was where it was at!

Then the 90's came to a close and silver stuff was relegated to road bikes, while black overtook the look of mountain bikes. By the mid-00's, even road bikes with silver bits were rare. It was black anodization or nothing. At least it seemed that way. There were a few islands in the darkness though.

There were companies like Velo Orange and Rivendell Bicycle Works holding down the old guard silver components parts, amongst some other smaller brands. But for the most part, no- you were getting blackened everything! No silver for you! But then things started to turn. Slowly, but surely, silver started popping up. Ritchey Design brought out a line of "Classic" bits, which I jumped on to outfit my Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross" rig. Later Salsa Cycles announced that the Cowbell and Cowchipper were available in silver. And now we see roadie stalwarts Zipp offering silver bits. It makes me wonder, "Are we turning a page and going back to silver anodized componentry?"

The ol' Orange Crush rig with silver anodized Ritchey stem, seatpost, and a rare silver non-series Shimano crankset. 

Of course, wheels have been available in silver for a while, mostly thanks to Velocity USA who do a polished silver look or silver ano on their rims, and they offer silver hubs as well. Some other companies are doing silver hubs, but there are not many rim choices, really. But, it's getting to the point again where a guy or gal can switch for some bright-work instead of the same ol' boring dark matter all over their bicycles.

All this mining of silver ano makes me wonder if we aren't on the cusp of a change. I hope that we are going to see silver make a big comeback. And if we are, can we have that pearly, glowing anodization they used to put on old Campy parts, Sugino cranks, and first generation XTR? Because THAT was silver ano done right!

A guy can wish........

Is The Un-Dark Component Era Returning?

Zipp now offers Service course level parts in silver ano.

Silver anodized parts used to be "normal". Back when I first got into working at bicycle shops, only mountain bikes used black on components and that was frowned upon as being "uncouth" by many roadies and even by some mountain bikers themselves. Heck, silver and black were often seen as "boring" while, you know "ultraviolet stems, cranks and every other bit.....well THAT was where it was at!

Then the 90's came to a close and silver stuff was relegated to road bikes, while black overtook the look of mountain bikes. By the mid-00's, even road bikes with silver bits were rare. It was black anodization or nothing. At least it seemed that way. There were a few islands in the darkness though.

There were companies like Velo Orange and Rivendell Bicycle Works holding down the old guard silver components parts, amongst some other smaller brands. But for the most part, no- you were getting blackened everything! No silver for you! But then things started to turn. Slowly, but surely, silver started popping up. Ritchey Design brought out a line of "Classic" bits, which I jumped on to outfit my Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross" rig. Later Salsa Cycles announced that the Cowbell and Cowchipper were available in silver. And now we see roadie stalwarts Zipp offering silver bits. It makes me wonder, "Are we turning a page and going back to silver anodized componentry?"

The ol' Orange Crush rig with silver anodized Ritchey stem, seatpost, and a rare silver non-series Shimano crankset. 

Of course, wheels have been available in silver for a while, mostly thanks to Velocity USA who do a polished silver look or silver ano on their rims, and they offer silver hubs as well. Some other companies are doing silver hubs, but there are not many rim choices, really. But, it's getting to the point again where a guy or gal can switch for some bright-work instead of the same ol' boring dark matter all over their bicycles.

All this mining of silver ano makes me wonder if we aren't on the cusp of a change. I hope that we are going to see silver make a big comeback. And if we are, can we have that pearly, glowing anodization they used to put on old Campy parts, Sugino cranks, and first generation XTR? Because THAT was silver ano done right!

A guy can wish........

Friday News And Views

The full announcement made Tuesday of this week.

Viruses and Gravel Don't Mix: 

As you all know by now, everything is cancelled that is fun. That or postponed. I don't care if I don't hear "cancelled" or "postponed" again for.......years! I'm getting pretty worn out by it all now, as I am sure many of you out there are as well.

However; there are always consequences. That's one thing we haven't looked at much yet. One of the MAJOR consequences of all these postponements and potential postponements is that the month of October, for whatever reason, is getting all the rescheduled dates I am seeing. Iowa Wind And Rock, is one of the major ones doing that here. But many other events nationwide that should be happening now, or in April, are looking to October now. Why October?

I'm going to take a stab and say that insurance is one reason why. Many policies for events let you slide a date, but only for so long. October may be as late as some can push their events back to. School starting and other concerns may also play a part here, and of course, weather plays a factor here as well. But I know from our C.O.G. 100 rescheduling choices that October is really an attractive choice, but my concern is that all these Spring events are going to essentially cannibalize the already scheduled Fall events. You know, there are only so many things a person can do, and since Spring is, for all intents and purposes, going to be devoid of events, and maybe even the beginning of Summer, (who knows?) everyone is looking to Fall to push their event to and hold it, despite what is already going to be happening anyway.

The big domino yet to fall is the Dirty Kanza. If- and I stress IF - they decide to reschedule, and IF they choose Fall to do that, (and all bets would be pretty sure if you place them on a cooler Fall day for that location), then that event will suck away a huge number of potential riders. Not to mention college football, high school football, school, and other fall activities like cyclo cross. Ya know, I don't see it working out real well if everybody chooses a Fall date. Might be better just to write off 2020 as a complete loss and go to 2021.

But we'll see.

Industry papers are reporting that Europe factory closures are further damping HPC sales.

HPC Production Further Hurt By Factory Closures In Europe:

The COVID-19 effects roll on as not only has Chinese production taken a hit, but now it is reported that the big electric Hybrid Powered Cycles (HPC) manufacturers are being affected in Europe by factory closures. While sales were expected to increase over last year by double-digit percentages, I would assume expectations are being tempered somewhat by the closures.

This news should also affect saddles and shoes for cycling, not to mention clothing, all of which comes from Northern Italy where the pandemic has hit pretty hard. What the results will be are yet to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised to see disruptions in supply over the course of 2020 and perhaps into next year depending upon how long this lasts.

Seat post testing: Here the Noble Bikes GX5 is set up with the Specialized C-GR post.

Seat Post Testing: 

Seat posts have the potential for being a vibration absorbing component on many gravel bikes, especially with the extensions many gravel bikes require. All that bare seat post can be effective in making for a smoother ride if the post is designed correctly.

I am using a few posts now which promise to have a nice, vibration absorbing ride. The PRO Dyneema Carbon post was first. Now I've got the Specialized C-GR post cued up and I've ridden it a little bit. My impressions so far are that it is slicing hairs to compare these things. I have also been running a Whiskey carbon post along with the Ti Regulator Salsa post for some time. Really........I gotta say that they are all pretty similar. Maybe one is feeling nicer on one day and a different one feels better on another day. That's how blurry the lines are between all these posts.

I'll continue to explore the differences as the gravel roads get better and the weather warms some more. But I suspect I am going to find that there isn't a hill of beans of difference between all the carbon/titanium posts and they all will compare unfavorably to the suspension posts. There is just a huge difference in feel once you go to a full on mechanically suspended post.  Traditional passive flexing posts just don't match up here.

So, the bottom line will likely be that if you are seeking relief from vibrations and bumps in terms of gravel riding, then go suspended on the seat post. The best a passive flexing post can do is take the zing out of a hit or maybe damp a little bit of the frequency range. I'll come back with a final write up on this subject and I will also give you reasons why a suspension seat post may be a bad idea.

From last year's GTDRI

 Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2020 Cancelled:

In light of our new realities here, I am going to go ahead and cancel the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational for 2020. It is my belief that it would be irresponsible to hold such an event in light of the suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic may not be 100% wrapped up by that time.

And even if it is, which right now would be a minor miracle, I am going to clear this event off people's radar so that they can make other plans, just in case I am wrong. My belief is we won't be out of the woods yet by late July.

My suggestion is that we all do our own adventure rides and get used to being alone, or maybe with another companion. But practicing social distancing in a group is not workable. Not in my opinion. (See yesterday's post)

My intentions are to ride the course to vet it out and then, if it works out, I will use this route I have planned for a 2021 ride. We will see how that all works out. Look for posts concerning this throughout Spring and Summer.

Andy's Bike Shop Video: Earlier this week I promised you all that I would post that link to the video we did reviewing a couple of Giant Revolt gravel bikes. If you care to see that, here is that link. WARNING: They tell me I have more of a "radio face", so be prepared! Ha!

Remember CIOCC?  They are back in the UK.

Italian Speakers Will Laugh Now:

When I first got into working on bicycles, the shop I worked at had a large selection of Italian made frames for sale. There were the "common" Bianchi frames, Colnago, DeBernadi, Gios, and more I cannot remember.

Among all the Italian marques though, the most mysterious one to me was CIOCC. No one seemed to know a whole lot about about them, and then ........how the heck do you pronounce THAT name?!!

Now there were a few people that had those bikes in the area back then and we tried pronouncing the name to the best of our Mid-Western ways. We arrived on something that sounded like "chee-ohch". Well, since no one I knew spoke Italian, how were we to know back in the 90's? It wasn't like we could look it up on the innergoogles, ya know!

So, the other day I get a press release for this brand announcing their return to the UK market. The press release tells how to pronounce the name! So, apparently it is like saying "church" without much of the "r" in that word. Try it. Once you say it, I think a green light will go off and it will make sense. How we used to say that name in the 90's never sat right with me.

Anyway, the bikes! They have a gravel bike, of course, which is steel and is quite fetching, as seen here in brown. But they also do steel classic road frames, titanium road frames (gorgeous, by the way), and carbon fiber. All of Italian manufacture, and all beautiful to look at. Too bad we won't see them over here.

I apologize for the bummer FN&V this week, but it is what it is now. Hopefully better news is on the horizon. Stay safe and stay positive!

Friday News And Views

The full announcement made Tuesday of this week.

Viruses and Gravel Don't Mix: 

As you all know by now, everything is cancelled that is fun. That or postponed. I don't care if I don't hear "cancelled" or "postponed" again for.......years! I'm getting pretty worn out by it all now, as I am sure many of you out there are as well.

However; there are always consequences. That's one thing we haven't looked at much yet. One of the MAJOR consequences of all these postponements and potential postponements is that the month of October, for whatever reason, is getting all the rescheduled dates I am seeing. Iowa Wind And Rock, is one of the major ones doing that here. But many other events nationwide that should be happening now, or in April, are looking to October now. Why October?

I'm going to take a stab and say that insurance is one reason why. Many policies for events let you slide a date, but only for so long. October may be as late as some can push their events back to. School starting and other concerns may also play a part here, and of course, weather plays a factor here as well. But I know from our C.O.G. 100 rescheduling choices that October is really an attractive choice, but my concern is that all these Spring events are going to essentially cannibalize the already scheduled Fall events. You know, there are only so many things a person can do, and since Spring is, for all intents and purposes, going to be devoid of events, and maybe even the beginning of Summer, (who knows?) everyone is looking to Fall to push their event to and hold it, despite what is already going to be happening anyway.

The big domino yet to fall is the Dirty Kanza. If- and I stress IF - they decide to reschedule, and IF they choose Fall to do that, (and all bets would be pretty sure if you place them on a cooler Fall day for that location), then that event will suck away a huge number of potential riders. Not to mention college football, high school football, school, and other fall activities like cyclo cross. Ya know, I don't see it working out real well if everybody chooses a Fall date. Might be better just to write off 2020 as a complete loss and go to 2021.

But we'll see.

Industry papers are reporting that Europe factory closures are further damping HPC sales.

HPC Production Further Hurt By Factory Closures In Europe:

The COVID-19 effects roll on as not only has Chinese production taken a hit, but now it is reported that the big electric Hybrid Powered Cycles (HPC) manufacturers are being affected in Europe by factory closures. While sales were expected to increase over last year by double-digit percentages, I would assume expectations are being tempered somewhat by the closures.

This news should also affect saddles and shoes for cycling, not to mention clothing, all of which comes from Northern Italy where the pandemic has hit pretty hard. What the results will be are yet to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised to see disruptions in supply over the course of 2020 and perhaps into next year depending upon how long this lasts.

Seat post testing: Here the Noble Bikes GX5 is set up with the Specialized C-GR post.

Seat Post Testing: 

Seat posts have the potential for being a vibration absorbing component on many gravel bikes, especially with the extensions many gravel bikes require. All that bare seat post can be effective in making for a smoother ride if the post is designed correctly.

I am using a few posts now which promise to have a nice, vibration absorbing ride. The PRO Dyneema Carbon post was first. Now I've got the Specialized C-GR post cued up and I've ridden it a little bit. My impressions so far are that it is slicing hairs to compare these things. I have also been running a Whiskey carbon post along with the Ti Regulator Salsa post for some time. Really........I gotta say that they are all pretty similar. Maybe one is feeling nicer on one day and a different one feels better on another day. That's how blurry the lines are between all these posts.

I'll continue to explore the differences as the gravel roads get better and the weather warms some more. But I suspect I am going to find that there isn't a hill of beans of difference between all the carbon/titanium posts and they all will compare unfavorably to the suspension posts. There is just a huge difference in feel once you go to a full on mechanically suspended post.  Traditional passive flexing posts just don't match up here.

So, the bottom line will likely be that if you are seeking relief from vibrations and bumps in terms of gravel riding, then go suspended on the seat post. The best a passive flexing post can do is take the zing out of a hit or maybe damp a little bit of the frequency range. I'll come back with a final write up on this subject and I will also give you reasons why a suspension seat post may be a bad idea.

From last year's GTDRI

 Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2020 Cancelled:

In light of our new realities here, I am going to go ahead and cancel the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational for 2020. It is my belief that it would be irresponsible to hold such an event in light of the suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic may not be 100% wrapped up by that time.

And even if it is, which right now would be a minor miracle, I am going to clear this event off people's radar so that they can make other plans, just in case I am wrong. My belief is we won't be out of the woods yet by late July.

My suggestion is that we all do our own adventure rides and get used to being alone, or maybe with another companion. But practicing social distancing in a group is not workable. Not in my opinion. (See yesterday's post)

My intentions are to ride the course to vet it out and then, if it works out, I will use this route I have planned for a 2021 ride. We will see how that all works out. Look for posts concerning this throughout Spring and Summer.

Andy's Bike Shop Video: Earlier this week I promised you all that I would post that link to the video we did reviewing a couple of Giant Revolt gravel bikes. If you care to see that, here is that link. WARNING: They tell me I have more of a "radio face", so be prepared! Ha!

Remember CIOCC?  They are back in the UK.

Italian Speakers Will Laugh Now:

When I first got into working on bicycles, the shop I worked at had a large selection of Italian made frames for sale. There were the "common" Bianchi frames, Colnago, DeBernadi, Gios, and more I cannot remember.

Among all the Italian marques though, the most mysterious one to me was CIOCC. No one seemed to know a whole lot about about them, and then ........how the heck do you pronounce THAT name?!!

Now there were a few people that had those bikes in the area back then and we tried pronouncing the name to the best of our Mid-Western ways. We arrived on something that sounded like "chee-ohch". Well, since no one I knew spoke Italian, how were we to know back in the 90's? It wasn't like we could look it up on the innergoogles, ya know!

So, the other day I get a press release for this brand announcing their return to the UK market. The press release tells how to pronounce the name! So, apparently it is like saying "church" without much of the "r" in that word. Try it. Once you say it, I think a green light will go off and it will make sense. How we used to say that name in the 90's never sat right with me.

Anyway, the bikes! They have a gravel bike, of course, which is steel and is quite fetching, as seen here in brown. But they also do steel classic road frames, titanium road frames (gorgeous, by the way), and carbon fiber. All of Italian manufacture, and all beautiful to look at. Too bad we won't see them over here.

I apologize for the bummer FN&V this week, but it is what it is now. Hopefully better news is on the horizon. Stay safe and stay positive!

Why Putting Off Gravel Events Now Is A Good Idea

The Gent's Race has been postponed to an as yet undetermined date

Lately I have seen a little push-back in regard to the postponing/cancellation of most of the Spring gravel events. The main reasoning being used, that I have observed anyway, is that gravel riders are pretty much "practicing social distancing", so what's the big deal?

Well, that's totally wrong thinking, and it smacks of selfishness and denial. Sorry.....not sorry. Here's why......

First off, the authorities in matters regarding this pandemic all say that we must maintain a distance of six feet or more from each other. Thinking that any gravel event start, just as one example, is going to be maintained in that sort of fashion- distancing each other at a start line- is unrealistic thinking. Not to mention packet pick-up, or registration practices, which could be side-stepped, but at great effort and expense. Probably not practical at any rate. And remember, this virus lives on surfaces for long periods of time. What event can guarantee all surfaces will be sanitized with up to hundreds of participants showing up? An event like my beloved Gent's Race, with well over 150 riders, just couldn't happen under such circumstances. So that event has been postponed.

Then you have food and drink. Let's say that you have a self-supported ethos for your event. Well, how about all those chances to pick up a virus at the local convenience store? Or share what you unwittingly have with a local Grandma or Grandpa? Okay- let's say you have fully stocked aid stations. How do you insure a safe food and drink supply? That's an extra wrinkle. Could be done, but again- not every event can do this.

How would you enforce a six foot separation rule? Image by Jon Duke.

 Then there is the unreality of trying to maintain social distancing during an event. Not gonna happen folks. Simple as that. I mean, it's a race, and you aren't going to see riders maintain distances. Plus, as we are learning, wind and the fact the the virus can live in an aerosol state for several hours means that even if you might be 20 feet from a competitor, if they sneeze or cough, you still could come in contact with the virus if the wind is "just right". Not safe - so not advisable. At least not with this particular virus.

These issues get bigger and exponentially harder to control as field sizes get bigger. Is your event 20-50 people? Well, maybe you could pull it off. Try doing this with 250 people. Much, much more difficult. Now try it with 1000 people. Yeah......impossible. This alone is reason number one why events have to reschedule or cancel due to this virus. We just cannot take chances like that.

This leads me to what the events in the near future should be considering, and what the difficulties in postponing or cancelling are for the big events. In my opinion, no one knows when we will get an "all clear" on the COVID-19 virus restrictions. I've been trying to read any expert opinions that I can find, and most say that we are in for a long haul in regard to this pandemic. Estimates now are in the six month area. SIX MONTHS! You know that is now pushing on toward October? In my opinion, it doesn't make any sense to hold any gravel event if this is the case until October at the earliest. Why? Why take the risk and maybe make it so this pandemic has to last longer? That's why.

We also do not know what medical science may do to mitigate any long term concerns. If we get some sort of vaccine, and it can be administered to all the population (unlikely in a very short period of time, but still...), then maybe we "get out of jail" before October, but you have to figure, "what are the chances of that?" 

Again- no one knows. 

And what if you are a bigger event with registration already sewn up and you have $$$$'s invested which cannot be liquidated? What if your host city has a big stake in benefits from your potential event? Well, then you have a very difficult decision to make. I do not envy you, if you are event directors of such events. But.....please do the right thing sooner than later. In my view, it would be better to not have the events, lose money, and be wrong about the danger than to forge ahead and expose folks to this virus. And by the way, this goes for group rides as well.  But yeah, I get it. Guitar Ted can say whatever the hell he wants and he doesn't have any skin in the game.

Right. But you'll have to make up your own mind and remember- It won't only be you that will have to live with your consequences. It will be your community, and the communities of the participants in your event. The bigger that event is, the more influence you have. That's a BIG responsibility. Wouldn't it make more sense to make a decision based on an overabundance of caution?

Tell me I'm wrong.......

Why Putting Off Gravel Events Now Is A Good Idea

The Gent's Race has been postponed to an as yet undetermined date

Lately I have seen a little push-back in regard to the postponing/cancellation of most of the Spring gravel events. The main reasoning being used, that I have observed anyway, is that gravel riders are pretty much "practicing social distancing", so what's the big deal?

Well, that's totally wrong thinking, and it smacks of selfishness and denial. Sorry.....not sorry. Here's why......

First off, the authorities in matters regarding this pandemic all say that we must maintain a distance of six feet or more from each other. Thinking that any gravel event start, just as one example, is going to be maintained in that sort of fashion- distancing each other at a start line- is unrealistic thinking. Not to mention packet pick-up, or registration practices, which could be side-stepped, but at great effort and expense. Probably not practical at any rate. And remember, this virus lives on surfaces for long periods of time. What event can guarantee all surfaces will be sanitized with up to hundreds of participants showing up? An event like my beloved Gent's Race, with well over 150 riders, just couldn't happen under such circumstances. So that event has been postponed.

Then you have food and drink. Let's say that you have a self-supported ethos for your event. Well, how about all those chances to pick up a virus at the local convenience store? Or share what you unwittingly have with a local Grandma or Grandpa? Okay- let's say you have fully stocked aid stations. How do you insure a safe food and drink supply? That's an extra wrinkle. Could be done, but again- not every event can do this.

How would you enforce a six foot separation rule? Image by Jon Duke.

 Then there is the unreality of trying to maintain social distancing during an event. Not gonna happen folks. Simple as that. I mean, it's a race, and you aren't going to see riders maintain distances. Plus, as we are learning, wind and the fact the the virus can live in an aerosol state for several hours means that even if you might be 20 feet from a competitor, if they sneeze or cough, you still could come in contact with the virus if the wind is "just right". Not safe - so not advisable. At least not with this particular virus.

These issues get bigger and exponentially harder to control as field sizes get bigger. Is your event 20-50 people? Well, maybe you could pull it off. Try doing this with 250 people. Much, much more difficult. Now try it with 1000 people. Yeah......impossible. This alone is reason number one why events have to reschedule or cancel due to this virus. We just cannot take chances like that.

This leads me to what the events in the near future should be considering, and what the difficulties in postponing or cancelling are for the big events. In my opinion, no one knows when we will get an "all clear" on the COVID-19 virus restrictions. I've been trying to read any expert opinions that I can find, and most say that we are in for a long haul in regard to this pandemic. Estimates now are in the six month area. SIX MONTHS! You know that is now pushing on toward October? In my opinion, it doesn't make any sense to hold any gravel event if this is the case until October at the earliest. Why? Why take the risk and maybe make it so this pandemic has to last longer? That's why.

We also do not know what medical science may do to mitigate any long term concerns. If we get some sort of vaccine, and it can be administered to all the population (unlikely in a very short period of time, but still...), then maybe we "get out of jail" before October, but you have to figure, "what are the chances of that?" 

Again- no one knows. 

And what if you are a bigger event with registration already sewn up and you have $$$$'s invested which cannot be liquidated? What if your host city has a big stake in benefits from your potential event? Well, then you have a very difficult decision to make. I do not envy you, if you are event directors of such events. But.....please do the right thing sooner than later. In my view, it would be better to not have the events, lose money, and be wrong about the danger than to forge ahead and expose folks to this virus. And by the way, this goes for group rides as well.  But yeah, I get it. Guitar Ted can say whatever the hell he wants and he doesn't have any skin in the game.

Right. But you'll have to make up your own mind and remember- It won't only be you that will have to live with your consequences. It will be your community, and the communities of the participants in your event. The bigger that event is, the more influence you have. That's a BIG responsibility. Wouldn't it make more sense to make a decision based on an overabundance of caution?

Tell me I'm wrong.......

A Little Job Update

Andy Tetmeyer in one of his vids for Andy's Bike Shop with me in the background.

Okay, so I thought I'd give you all a little update on my new job. I've been getting several questions about it from some of you out there, so I figured it was high time to let you all know how I have been doing.

Andy is my new boss. He's young, obviously you can see that. I worked with Andy for a while at the old shop I was at, so we've known each other for several years now. His shop is located at 100 East Second Street in Cedar Falls Iowa. Suite 105, if you want to know. Anyway, pop on in if you are in town and say hello. I'm there most weekdays now that the biking season has kicked in and as long as we aren't asked to shut down due to "you know what".

I started in a limited way at Andy's Bike Shop in February, but now I am being brought in more regularly and I am helping out with repairs, sales, and yes- videos. In fact Andy and I just recorded one for a quick review of a couple of Giant gravel bikes which I will post a link to when that goes live.

Like I said last year, I never spoke much about the old shop on the blog because I was not really valued there and anything I said on my blog wasn't supported by the old boss. Frankly, it wasn't a very smart thing for him to distance himself from me on social media and here, but whatever. That was what it was. Andy certainly does not see me as a threat and rather, he sees opportunity to build something along with me. So, the videos and whatnot for his shop will be featuring my commentary at times.

Now, I am not going to turn this into a sales blog, or anything resembling that. This is G-Ted Productions, after all. But I won't shy away from talking about what I have going on with my life in terms of work anymore, and frankly, many of you wanted to know what was up anyway. So, I'll be talking about work related things sometimes here.

So, it's going well. The "current situation" may change if sanctions on public businesses are clamped down tighter. However; Andy has a mobile repair van, and we do not anticipate having to shut down 100%. We will be able to pick up and drop off repairs at anytime, so we are optimistic that the shop can survive this time we are in one way or another. Hopefully this passes sooner than later and we get on with normal business. But yeah..... No one knows when that might be just yet.

In the meantime I will be doing repairs, saving my pennies, and keeping close to home. All the gravel events I had planned on going to have been postponed through May so far, so whatever! Expect a lot more "Country Views" posts, I guess!

A Little Job Update

Andy Tetmeyer in one of his vids for Andy's Bike Shop with me in the background.

Okay, so I thought I'd give you all a little update on my new job. I've been getting several questions about it from some of you out there, so I figured it was high time to let you all know how I have been doing.

Andy is my new boss. He's young, obviously you can see that. I worked with Andy for a while at the old shop I was at, so we've known each other for several years now. His shop is located at 100 East Second Street in Cedar Falls Iowa. Suite 105, if you want to know. Anyway, pop on in if you are in town and say hello. I'm there most weekdays now that the biking season has kicked in and as long as we aren't asked to shut down due to "you know what".

I started in a limited way at Andy's Bike Shop in February, but now I am being brought in more regularly and I am helping out with repairs, sales, and yes- videos. In fact Andy and I just recorded one for a quick review of a couple of Giant gravel bikes which I will post a link to when that goes live.

Like I said last year, I never spoke much about the old shop on the blog because I was not really valued there and anything I said on my blog wasn't supported by the old boss. Frankly, it wasn't a very smart thing for him to distance himself from me on social media and here, but whatever. That was what it was. Andy certainly does not see me as a threat and rather, he sees opportunity to build something along with me. So, the videos and whatnot for his shop will be featuring my commentary at times.

Now, I am not going to turn this into a sales blog, or anything resembling that. This is G-Ted Productions, after all. But I won't shy away from talking about what I have going on with my life in terms of work anymore, and frankly, many of you wanted to know what was up anyway. So, I'll be talking about work related things sometimes here.

So, it's going well. The "current situation" may change if sanctions on public businesses are clamped down tighter. However; Andy has a mobile repair van, and we do not anticipate having to shut down 100%. We will be able to pick up and drop off repairs at anytime, so we are optimistic that the shop can survive this time we are in one way or another. Hopefully this passes sooner than later and we get on with normal business. But yeah..... No one knows when that might be just yet.

In the meantime I will be doing repairs, saving my pennies, and keeping close to home. All the gravel events I had planned on going to have been postponed through May so far, so whatever! Expect a lot more "Country Views" posts, I guess!

Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Smoothe Lube 1.2 Update

Guitar Ted Lube Off Update: aMTBer Products Smoothe Lube 1.2: 

Note: If you missed the introduction to this round, please go HERE and catch up with things. 

Okay, so I wanted to bring you all up to speed with the Smoothe Lube because it has been a bit of a different experience so far. Remember, this is a lube developed in SoCal, and they typically shun wet weather riding there, although admittedly, they don't say that this is an "all weather lube" either. My point in testing it in a bit of wet stuff was that, to be fair, the last round I did featured a bit of wet, messy riding, and I wanted a bit of consistency there for references sake. So, on one occasion, I rode the Smoothe Lube 1.2 in some wet, sloppy conditions for all of about 10-15 minutes. (Only as long as it took me to realize that the splash guard I was using was a miserable failure. A wet bum put an end to that test!)

So, let me also back up a bit. I have a bit of "insider" knowledge here as my friend Grannygear in SoCal uses this stuff. The maker insists upon a rather, (in my opinion) tedious and unrealistic application/break in technique for this lube. Which, frankly, would have put me off this lube straight away because none of the others I have found which work well require a tenth as much detail. Too fiddly? Then it is not for me.

Well, Grannygear put me straight and fortunately the best results are not necessarily predicated upon following the creator's arduous application/break-in procedure. I started off- as I always do- with a stripped and cleaned chain. This time it was a Shimano XT chain for 11 speed. I applied the Smoothe Lube and broke it in with about an hour and a half use before the wet ride. I found that my quiet shifting GRX was now not so quiet. Grannygear confirmed that this was the case, but further usage of the bike would result in a quieter drive train. Unfortunately, the wet ride happened.

That's when I found out that it doesn't take much "wet" to completely wash off the Smoothe Lube 1.2. As I stated, I maybe rode in the sloppy stuff for 10-15 minutes max. The next day my chain sounded as if it had been infested with mice! I had no choice at the time but to borrow some lube to quiet it down, (Muc-Off Dry, by the way) and then I had to start this test from scratch.

A close look at the chain after about 20 minutes post application #2.

I cleaned the chain again, reapplied the lube, let it set for about an hour until it looked dry and felt pretty dry, then rode it for about 20 minutes. To the left here you can see the current state of the chain and lube.

That "dark matter" you see on the inside of the inner plates will dry up and flake off, just like last time, and then I should be good to go for this 6 hour run on this lube. One thing I know- I cannot run this lube in any kind of wet weather without immediate reapplication. That's already going to put a big "ding" on this lube's final verdict. I simply do not have to tip-toe around wet, mucky stuff with the DuMonde Tech or with the Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Dry Lube. Other lubes I have tried also resist wet riding better than I have seen with Smoothe Lube 1.2.

So, I cannot recommend this lube if you think you'll be hitting wet areas or riding on a day with predicted rain, unless you plan on applying a new coat right away after the chain gets wet. Maybe that sounds a bit strict, but in this test, I am being pretty particular. The "bar has been set pretty high" and to knock off the reigning champ and the nearest competitors, any lube I try has to meet these higher standards. So, perhaps Smoothe Lube works "just fine for you", like it does for Grannygear. (It's his go-to lube, by the way), but for me and my test? Not quite there. But still, I am willing to give this a fair shake in totally dry conditions, so onward.......

I hope to get the other two lubes up and running here soon. I will be using the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD for one and the other lube will go on the old Gen I Fargo again. I have a new "control" bike to test these against. Well, not a new bike, just a different bike for the comparison to DuMonde Tech. That is still currently the best lube I know of for gravel riding here in the Mid-West.

The ol' Raleigh Tamland Two.

Current state of the chain. (See description below)

The Raleigh Tamland Two has DuMonde Tech on there and, to be honest, I have no idea how long it's been there! By the looks of things I would say that at some point during a ride I must have stopped and reapplied due to chain noise, and then kept riding. That's one thing about this lube, if you reapply on the fly it will attract a bit of build up. You can readily see that on the inner plates here and if you squint, on the cassette cogs as well. Typical "wrong application" but necessary when you totally neglect the chain and keep riding, as I must have been doing here. Anyway....

The "Touch Test" reveals that only the plates are dirty- not the rollers.

Where the chain hits the cogs it is clean. That was the result of the "Touch Test". What is that? Well, I run my index finger across the inner run of the chain for about two inches and whatever comes off I show you. As you can see here, only the plate's edges were dirty. The rollers didn't leave any residue and the chain felt slippery to the touch. It isn't noisy, and so I can keep on going here with no issues.

Again- I've no idea how long that original application has been there, but I'd bet it was 2018 sometime when I first applied it. And the Tamland was used for tire and other testing last year, so it got ridden a fair amount. In fact, it was filthy before I cleaned it up for these photos. This Riding Gravel article shows the underside of the bottom bracket before I cleaned it. So as you can see there, I am not kidding about the dirt! 

So, as we can see, DuMonde Tech can take a licking, and the long term results are astounding, really. This is the bar, as I mentioned earlier, which these contenders have to match or surpass. It won't be easy, as I've found out over the years, to beat the Champ.

So I have a LOT of riding to get to, and hopefully I can get to it, if the government doesn't take bicycling away from us here due to the current state of affairs. The Smoothe Lube will get a fresh "six hour clock" and I'll also start using the other two lubes in the test, (see the link at the top of this post if you want to learn more), and then I'll be back with some "mid-term" results sooner than later. Spring has been chilly and a bit wet so far, so I'm hoping for a bit more warmth and some Sun wouldn't hurt.

Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Smoothe Lube 1.2 Update

Guitar Ted Lube Off Update: aMTBer Products Smoothe Lube 1.2: 

Note: If you missed the introduction to this round, please go HERE and catch up with things. 

Okay, so I wanted to bring you all up to speed with the Smoothe Lube because it has been a bit of a different experience so far. Remember, this is a lube developed in SoCal, and they typically shun wet weather riding there, although admittedly, they don't say that this is an "all weather lube" either. My point in testing it in a bit of wet stuff was that, to be fair, the last round I did featured a bit of wet, messy riding, and I wanted a bit of consistency there for references sake. So, on one occasion, I rode the Smoothe Lube 1.2 in some wet, sloppy conditions for all of about 10-15 minutes. (Only as long as it took me to realize that the splash guard I was using was a miserable failure. A wet bum put an end to that test!)

So, let me also back up a bit. I have a bit of "insider" knowledge here as my friend Grannygear in SoCal uses this stuff. The maker insists upon a rather, (in my opinion) tedious and unrealistic application/break in technique for this lube. Which, frankly, would have put me off this lube straight away because none of the others I have found which work well require a tenth as much detail. Too fiddly? Then it is not for me.

Well, Grannygear put me straight and fortunately the best results are not necessarily predicated upon following the creator's arduous application/break-in procedure. I started off- as I always do- with a stripped and cleaned chain. This time it was a Shimano XT chain for 11 speed. I applied the Smoothe Lube and broke it in with about an hour and a half use before the wet ride. I found that my quiet shifting GRX was now not so quiet. Grannygear confirmed that this was the case, but further usage of the bike would result in a quieter drive train. Unfortunately, the wet ride happened.

That's when I found out that it doesn't take much "wet" to completely wash off the Smoothe Lube 1.2. As I stated, I maybe rode in the sloppy stuff for 10-15 minutes max. The next day my chain sounded as if it had been infested with mice! I had no choice at the time but to borrow some lube to quiet it down, (Muc-Off Dry, by the way) and then I had to start this test from scratch.

A close look at the chain after about 20 minutes post application #2.

I cleaned the chain again, reapplied the lube, let it set for about an hour until it looked dry and felt pretty dry, then rode it for about 20 minutes. To the left here you can see the current state of the chain and lube.

That "dark matter" you see on the inside of the inner plates will dry up and flake off, just like last time, and then I should be good to go for this 6 hour run on this lube. One thing I know- I cannot run this lube in any kind of wet weather without immediate reapplication. That's already going to put a big "ding" on this lube's final verdict. I simply do not have to tip-toe around wet, mucky stuff with the DuMonde Tech or with the Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Dry Lube. Other lubes I have tried also resist wet riding better than I have seen with Smoothe Lube 1.2.

So, I cannot recommend this lube if you think you'll be hitting wet areas or riding on a day with predicted rain, unless you plan on applying a new coat right away after the chain gets wet. Maybe that sounds a bit strict, but in this test, I am being pretty particular. The "bar has been set pretty high" and to knock off the reigning champ and the nearest competitors, any lube I try has to meet these higher standards. So, perhaps Smoothe Lube works "just fine for you", like it does for Grannygear. (It's his go-to lube, by the way), but for me and my test? Not quite there. But still, I am willing to give this a fair shake in totally dry conditions, so onward.......

I hope to get the other two lubes up and running here soon. I will be using the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD for one and the other lube will go on the old Gen I Fargo again. I have a new "control" bike to test these against. Well, not a new bike, just a different bike for the comparison to DuMonde Tech. That is still currently the best lube I know of for gravel riding here in the Mid-West.

The ol' Raleigh Tamland Two.

Current state of the chain. (See description below)

The Raleigh Tamland Two has DuMonde Tech on there and, to be honest, I have no idea how long it's been there! By the looks of things I would say that at some point during a ride I must have stopped and reapplied due to chain noise, and then kept riding. That's one thing about this lube, if you reapply on the fly it will attract a bit of build up. You can readily see that on the inner plates here and if you squint, on the cassette cogs as well. Typical "wrong application" but necessary when you totally neglect the chain and keep riding, as I must have been doing here. Anyway....

The "Touch Test" reveals that only the plates are dirty- not the rollers.

Where the chain hits the cogs it is clean. That was the result of the "Touch Test". What is that? Well, I run my index finger across the inner run of the chain for about two inches and whatever comes off I show you. As you can see here, only the plate's edges were dirty. The rollers didn't leave any residue and the chain felt slippery to the touch. It isn't noisy, and so I can keep on going here with no issues.

Again- I've no idea how long that original application has been there, but I'd bet it was 2018 sometime when I first applied it. And the Tamland was used for tire and other testing last year, so it got ridden a fair amount. In fact, it was filthy before I cleaned it up for these photos. This Riding Gravel article shows the underside of the bottom bracket before I cleaned it. So as you can see there, I am not kidding about the dirt! 

So, as we can see, DuMonde Tech can take a licking, and the long term results are astounding, really. This is the bar, as I mentioned earlier, which these contenders have to match or surpass. It won't be easy, as I've found out over the years, to beat the Champ.

So I have a LOT of riding to get to, and hopefully I can get to it, if the government doesn't take bicycling away from us here due to the current state of affairs. The Smoothe Lube will get a fresh "six hour clock" and I'll also start using the other two lubes in the test, (see the link at the top of this post if you want to learn more), and then I'll be back with some "mid-term" results sooner than later. Spring has been chilly and a bit wet so far, so I'm hoping for a bit more warmth and some Sun wouldn't hurt.