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The Dave Roll Waterloo Christmas Light Ride on 29th of November

     Yes, we are starting a Waterloo Christmas ride. It is not intended to do anything other than be a reason to ride a bike a short distance and be around others. The length is a whopping 3 miles. To sum that is more miles than they have rode for the previous 10 years. That is the person I want there. If you want to bang out miles and demonstrate your cycling skills, there is a ride in Cedar Falls on the 5th of December for that.  I believe they are meeting up 6pm and leaving from Overmen Park.       When: 29 November 2023 @ 6pm      Where: Kingsley Elementary School parking lot.  On the street parking is fine, look for No Parking sides.      Route: Link Here on Strava App      Ending: Lighthouse Lounge, bring a bike lock.   Parking is extremely limited, Also it is a Cash Only Bar.      See what happens this year, and may be this grows, who knows.  I started the Cedar Falls one, and it has taken off.  I am not aware of a Waterloo one.  If one exists, my bad, not competing, just not aw
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Cameron Crusher Recap

     Well it has been a few months.  Are you shocked I still have access to this account?  Well a lot has occurred since the last post, Ella has joined the great hunt in the sky.  And that sort of drove why I was going back to New York in the fall, and also it had nothing to do with it.  It was an expected outcome with how her health and mobility was rapidly declining since Christmas.       In April I took a look at my work schedule with projects coming up and then overlaid any gravel/bike rides in New York during that window.  I logged on to Bike Reg and I came across the Keuka Lake Gravel Classic put on by Steuben Strong Independent Cycling .  I went to their website I saw the Cameron Crusher race date, October 8th.  From there I asked Morgan if she wanted to see the trees turn again.  It was decided, and registered in May.     After I registered I was riding pretty strong and then summer happened.  Not feeling to  bikey, chest issues, and moving Morgan in.  Then in July I had a pret
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A glimpse behind the podcast

       If you know you know Guitar Ted and I have been doing a lot of Podcasting in the last year.  I can hear the improvements already.  I have my issues, and I tend to over speak Mark way more than I should.  In my defense, some pauses seem to be extraordinarily long and feels like dead air.  So I interject.  Then I listen back and I hear no pause  In the moment it seems like a life time has passed. We chat over text messages about topics or subjects we are interested in or exploring.  That is how we develop our subjects for a show.  I have asked for and I really want to do a interview with a specific person that may be controversial.  But I am also ignorant to a lot of things, so maybe the time is never right for that interview, who knows?  I do enjoy some of the feed back from the shows.  The ones I love is "not enough time spent on a topic".  I enjoy those comments.  I really want to say, you sir are correct that is intentional.  If we dove into topics fully, we would be
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The Guitar Ted Production Podcast Experience

       Long time absent writer, 1st time Podcaster here.  Well I imagine by now it is clear I have been putting more effort into the podcast I co-host with Guitar Ted.  Yes, it is all him, I just provide my hot takes and sometimes I coordinate the guests or even the topic.        With Mark (G. Ted) going a bit more regular with the Guitar Ted Productions Podcast  we have found a lot out.  If you notice the audio from our first episode to today, it is vastly better.  My bad on those early episodes. I should not be allowed near the mixing board.  But I feel we are hitting a stride of good content and better sound.       Someone asked me what I hope to get out of the podcast?  I said, simply getting a chance to chat with a friend about a topic I enjoy.  So going forward I hope you view the podcast from that  lenses.  Mark does put in way more effort than me.  I just provide the roof and the sparkling water.  
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Pondering a Bikepacking Trip

        It is August, which means we are in the middle of peak riding season.  It is also the time you realized you let another summer slip by without a "real" adventure.  I am pondering a 24-36hr bike packing trip.  I am looking at riding the Root River Trail in Southern Minnesota.       Granted it will not compare to riding around the Western Rockies in British Columbia.  But why do we bike pack?  For each person that is a separate answer.  For me it is to be removed from my daily life.  It is a way for me to spend a lot of time outside and reminds me of my childhood in the country.       I am even pondering just doing a sub-24hr ride from my house and camp along the CVNT (Cedar Valley Nature Trail) at a State Park near LaPorte City.  I have in the past bandit camp along the Katy Trail when training for Trans Iowa in late fall.  When I bandit camp it is not really a big deal, just pull off on the trail to a park bench on the path in the dark.  I figure if an park official c
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Been off On Vacation and other Adventures

   Since my last post I have been off on vacation.  The Guitar Ted HoF ride occurred, and was a success.  I define success as one other person showing up.  I am not in to huge numbers and huge social media following.  I am not one to make something bigger than it is, of the best of the best.  I just  want simplicity, put a date, time, location out and see what occurs.  Mark did a great recap of the ride, and I am sure if you are reading this blog.  You probably read Mark's and you read his re-cap.       Since then, Mark and I have launched another podcast, I believe episode #96, by end of the month I hope we have #99 recorded, but that is if we have viable stuff to chat about.  That should cover Riding Gravel Radio Ranch podcast .  So far, I need to be more crisp on my responses and thoughts.  You are getting my hot takes on what Guitar Ted (Mark) brings up.  I do not see his sheets or notes prior to the show.  So I read his blog, because that should give me an idea of what he want
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Group Ride Etique

    A few years ago I was trying to resolve a new rider issue we ran across as we saw a surge in new riders.  A few of the new riders created a unsafe issue in front of the pack and one led to a pretty big wreck that resulted in a few broken bones and bikes.  So instead of harping and calling people out, I tried to resolve issues by holding a few rider clinics aimed at road group riding.  That led to me posting cliff notes of the event to Facebook.  That led to it being posted to Reddit, I never saw the thread as I am not on that social media forum.  Evidently it was well received.  So today I am going to revisit it to the best of my memory.      The following is generic advice and is not all inclusive, but is intended to get you through your first rides with a new to you group.  (SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT) 1. Show up to the ride a few minutes early, and be ready to go at the stated time.   2. Refrain from audio devices, do not ride with ear buds, speakers, or bone conduction head phones.  S
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