General

Review: Fenix HM65R-T V2.0 headlamp

I started my running career using a Petzl Tikka+ headlamp that got the job done, but after a year I decided to up to a Black Diamond Spot. Both of these headlamps were solid choices and they helped me through a lot of late night and early morning runs. Yet, as the calendar keeps moving […]

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General

A little north shore bikepacking adventure

Earlier this year my wife suggested a trip up to the Superior National Forest to explore some of the gravel roads and campgrounds via bike. It sounded like a great idea and so we floated it to various friends who might want to join. However, as the year progressed our friends ended up not being […]

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General

Race Report: Le Grand du Nord – 50 mile

Last weekend we headed to the far north to do our second gravel race of the season, the Le Grand du Nord 50 mile. My wife has participated in this event in the past, and I decided to give it a shot this year as it traverses some of the most beautiful landscape in the […]

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General

Race Report: Granny’s Gravel Grinder – 50 mile

In an effort to expand my experiences beyond just trail running I’ve been doing a few more bike races in recent years. I’ve enjoyed my experiences at races like Freedhem and Heck of the North, and this year I’ve got two more on the docket. The first was this past weekend, the Granny’s Gravel Grinder. […]

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General

Fender Kingman v2 Acoustic Bass

I realize I don’t talk about it much on the blog, but I’ve played music for most of my life. I started learning band instruments when I was 7 years old and have done various school bands and orchestras. In college I moved over to more contemporary instruments and adopted the bass guitar as my […]

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General

Surly Ghost Grappler – the 400 mile review

When the Surly Ghost Grappler was announced in February of 2022 I was intrigued. It was a weird mix of mountain bike, gravel bike, and… something else. The geometry was strange and foreign to me, but the chonky tires screamed “THIS BIKE IS FUN!” Billed as a “drop bar mountain bike” I just wasn’t sure […]

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General

Altra Timp 4: The 130 Mile Review

This has been one of the hardest reviews for me to sit down and write. Ever since I started running in zero drop Altra shoes a few years ago, the Timp has been my go-to trail shoe. I was a fan of my original 1.5’s and I’ve owned 3 different pairs of the 2.0. Since […]

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General

Review: 2021 Surly Ice Cream Truck

This review is a long time coming, but now that I have over 100 miles on the bike I feel like I can share my thoughts. I acquired my Ice Cream Truck in January 2021, late one evening when my local bike shop suddenly put two online in their store. These bikes had been delayed […]

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Bike Review: Salsa Vaya

I posted a long rambling blog about how I came to make my decision to purchase a Salsa Vaya gravel bike, but I also promised a review at a later date. I’ve now got nearly 200 miles on the bike, and it’s about time to put pen to paper and talk about how the Salsa […]

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