A surprise appearance by Gravel Jesus and Carrie

fixed gear 40x19

The roads of Oklahoma

Riders navigating a soupy course

Carrie

So I got a little note stating there was going to be a rare sighting of my friend Jay, Gravel Jesus, and his wife Carrie in the Midwest. Stillwater is 11 hours from Chicago but that doesn's matter. He was going to be in the midwest and there was a good feeling about that. 
It seems like he moved away to California decades ago. But in reality it has only been a few years. Jay was my riding partners and a member of the Slender Fungus. We shared many a miles together in all kinds of conditions. 
Jay was never afraid of the weather, the rain, the mud, the cold. I don't ever remember riding with him when it wasn't shitty outside. 
He flew in to Stillwater and met up with his friends from District Cycles. Also friends of the Great Divide, which he also completed on a Single Speed Salsa El Mariachi. Jay and Carrie's bikes were mailed to Ok but never made it in time. Fortunately two bikes were sorted out and they were able to ride. 
As it seems The MidSouth will be the only big gravel race this spring. 
Jay and Carrie finished their rides, cleaned up, flew back and are settling into you know What. It was good to have them in the midwest. It brought me some comfort, something familiar, something good. I hope to see those two closer and for longer. 
Now back to washing my hands,
Ari 

No more Bombfire Pizza

A while ago when I lived in Sycamore,Il. my wife and I used to go on scouting trips west of there. We started to discover the gravel roads on the west side of IL, then the driftless area spawned a million ideas in my head. 
At some point I decided to cross the Scary Bridge in Savanna,IL over to Sabula Iowa. Wow! That blew my mind to say the least. I remember a very first, crude ride that we did there with the wife, Bonk King, Cookie and meself. I wanted to take a map but Bonk King insisted that his new I-phone was all we needed. Of course there was no service out there. Our 40 miler turned into a death march with limited water and food left. 
We were dead tired and of course came back for more many a times. 
Jay and I started having these "Mission rides" that were intended to whip us into shape for the Spring Dance known as Trans Iowa. We rode single speed and typically did about 80-90 miles with as shit ton of climbing. 
We would then head over to the Bombfire Pizza. There we would devour pizza. Jay would drink a couple beers while I guzzled endless cans of Pepsi. 
When we organize the Death Ride with Guitar Ted we had a lot of riders eat at the Bombfire. The Bombfire Pizza was a unique place in that it had all kinds of Art work ,delicious pizza and one of the Kindest shop owners I have ever met. He talked to us all the time. Asking where we were from and really listening. 
In March of this year his friend found him dead. I just found this out last night as I was looking for info on the Sabula bridge. The Bombfire Pizza is gone. Those times we went there have just turned to memories now. My daughter loved going there. 
So, Thank you Tom for all those great memories. May you rest in peace and know that you will not be forgotten. I hope that the bridge opens soon to pump some blood back into Sabula. 
I miss those times. 
Thank you for reading. 
Ari 

Tom Holman, owner of Bombfire Pizza, Sabula Iowa. May you rest in peace. 


Ari