The Big Dummy and I ran some errands today with the help of my Bikes At Work trailer. In one trip, we dropped off a complete door with hardware and frame at the Reuse Center, visited Ryan at Peace Coffee…a local roaster of the addictive bean, took 25kg of steel and aluminum to the recycler, bought an 8-pack of 16 oz Bitburger cans, and mailed a package at the post office. I’m certain it would have taken longer to use a car to do the same things. I had no parking hassles, and most of my route was in bike lanes, on bikes paths, on sidewalks, through alleys, or on residential streets with few stop signs. I got rid of some junk, while soaking in some sunshine. Not a bad way to spend a couple hours with a Dummy.

While surfing around for bike maps this weekend, I ran across a Google Earth map of the city of Portland, Oregon. The map was a bike route specific layout of the city, with shops earmarked.

Coincidentally, I got this online petition sent to me today. It takes a minute to fill out and could lead to easier access to bike routes in your town.

Bike Maps Petition

More Big Dumb News

If you haven't already got your name on a Big Dummy frame, we've got a few more 16" and 22" frames coming in the next week, but that's it. There will be no more 18" or 20" available until the next production run.

The next production run will not get us more frames until August. Why? These frames are so large and clog production so much, they need to be carefully scheduled to clear out the frame and paint shops of other models to make room for them. Our maximum production run is 350, so it's just a matter of supply not meeting the initial demand.

If you did get your name on a Big Dummy, you may not have found all the instruction sheets inside the box. Here is the instruction sheet file you can download.

Big Dummy Instructions

Also, we were asked about whether the front Nice Rack will fit nicely on the Dummy fork. Coincidentally, I installed one last weekend and the answer is yes. It doesn't even take much modification. Here are some photos of how it fits on my bike.

Nice Rack on Big Dummy photo set

The Urban Fellows did our Dingle, and you can too. Come on, don't be afraid. Don't be very afraid.

Surly News
News Youse Can Uze



First things first: concerned consumer J. Rollason....wait, that's too obvious... let's call him Jon R. ...Anyway, Jon wrote to us:

Folks
Some of us are in the UK waiting for Big Dummys. Part of our daily routine is to click onto your site. Please update the blog, if only to give us something to take our minds off the suspense!

I know what you're thinking. "Did they order enough in my size?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a Big Dummy, the rootenest, tootenest hauler of them all, and would carry your mother in law and all her furniture to the old people refuse heap in one go, you've got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

Demand for these has been higher than anticipated (again), though after the Long Haul Trucker fiasco of last summer (don't ask), we projected high. Still, we had a partial batch of 18s come in and go out the same day last week. We have the rest of the batch coming in soon, in all sizes, but frankly I'm not counting on them staying around long either.
If you're in the U.S. you probably have the best overall chance of getting one sooner than later. If you live in another country, you'd best check with your local shop. Some of our distributors ordered these ahead of time. Others did not. If, say, you live in the UK and our distributor there didn't order any (Lloyd, I'm looking in your direction), there is a small possibility that we will have some they can order, but it will cost you a lot. See, this frame comes in a big box. It has to. Regardless of the weight, it's takes up a lot of acreage, so it qualifies with U.P.S. as OS3, which stands for "Oh my goodness, it's so BIG!", which means it costs several arms and legs to send anywhere. The next shipment of Big Dummies will not be coming for a while, like well into summer, but on the up side this gives you plenty of time to buy the rest of your parts.

But you know what else we have?

Travelers Checks. Basically a Cross Check that splits in half on purpose via S&S couplers and fits into a carrying case within standard luggage regs on most major airlines, saving you cash-ola and making it pretty easy to take your bike with you when you fly, drive, or teleport somewhere.

We also have Nice racks back in stock today.

And we're getting fresh Surly wool jerseys in stock soon. Long and short sleeve, mens' and womens' cuts, standard black like before and also now a green option (darker green with black collar and cuffs). So new I don't even have one to get a photo of, so no, we do not have pictures to show you yet. One nice thing about these is the new hidden pocket. Since the previous pockets welcomed overloading and led to ripping your nice and sort of expensive jersey, we redesigned it so now it's one decent sized pocket with a zipper. Not as racer friendly but still functions just like wool and less chance of being damaged since you can no longer stuff your gillet, hat, gloves, spare shoes, and a banana in there. And by 'there' I mean the pocket.

Stainless steel seatpost clamps are in stock, and they are suh-weet. 30.0 and 31.8mm sizes. Stainless canti brake rear cable hangers are also in stock. Both can be seen here on the Travelers Check. The cable hangers address the squishy brake feel you get with a lot of rear cantis when the housing has to make a tight corner. This piece reduces that curve and makes your rear brake feel almost as good as your front. So that's kick ass.


And lastly, Mr. Whirly cranksets and armsets are almost here. We're expecting them also within a couple measly weeks.

Again, this crank is highly versatile, with interchangeable spiders in 3 common sizes and interchangeable spindles in 2 lengths, so you can swap the same crank between your Pugsely and Karate Monkey for the price of an extra spindle, which isn't dirt cheap but a helluva lot less expensive than a whole new crank.

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Word arrived late today from organizers of First New Zealand Single Speed Championships that said: "The rider who crosses the finish line first at the inaugural Pig & Whistle New Zealand Singlespeed Mountain Bike Championship in Rotorua on Anzac Weekend, April 25-27, will qualify for the World Championships in August." Click the Pig & Whistle for informations.

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Finally today, an update of who's zoomin' who here at Surly Intergalactic HQ.

Donut Procurement Officer Kerl is now Closing Supervisor Kerl at another job. We miss her. The beleaguered Emily is still here, thank god. Aaron The Pie Plow has been brought in to answer emails and look at warranty claims. Aaron thinks he's god's gift to random pop culture quotes. Try to stump him. Hairy Jim continues to be the buyer we always wanted to be but weren't smart enough. And we also have Fleck taking calls, emails, and careening headlong into being our International Man of Mystery. Sov's out on daddy leave and the rest of us just keep on keeping on, dreaming daily of sticking it to the man. Keep the faith.

Sometimes you just have to get a frame to the Post Office.

As usual, this year’s Arrowhead 135 Winter Ultramarathon, a 135-mile human-powered race through northern Minnesota, promised to be a little different than years past. There would be a new mandatory checkpoint at the Gateway Store. The forecasted weather included warmish temps and snow. The moon would be minimal, so I would have to depend on my lights more than ever. And it has been about 8 months since I had surgery to rebuild a badly-broken left femur.

Each racer…biker, runner, or skier…has to carry at least 15 lbs (6.8 kg) of combined mandatory and supplemental gear. The weight of one’s water, sled, bike, or backpack doesn’t factor into this requirement. The mandatory gear list (copied from the Arrowhead site):

* Minus-20 sleeping bag or colder rating

* Insulated sleeping pad

* Bivy sack or tent (space blankets do not count)

* Firestarter (matches or lighter)

* Stove to heat water

* 8 fl. oz. fuel at ALL times (either white gas, alcohol or 2 canisters of propane/butane 100 g. each or 12 Esbit tablets)

* Pot (min. volume is 1 pint)

* 2-qt (32oz.) or just under 2 litres, insulated water container (the weight of water is not counted in the minimum weight)

* Headlamp or flashlight

* Flashing red light, both on front and back. The DNR requires that everyone have at least 10 square inches of reflective material on front and back for this race.

* Whistle on string around neck to call for help.

* 1-day of food at ALL times (3000 calories) (tip: a pound of butter or jar of peanut bar is about 3200 calories)

* 15 lbs of gear at ALL times

This year, they threw a couple of changes at us…after we arrived with our gear. Flashing red lights have to contain at least 3 LEDs, and the mandatory 10 square inches of reflective material, front and back, has to be on the body…not on the bike. I brought single-LED lights, so Pierre Oster, race organizer and foot racer, lent me a couple of 3-LED Cateye blinkers for the race. But I had to scramble to figure out how I was going to keep the reflective material showing as I added and removed clothing. Eventually, I figured out a way to attach straps to my reflective triangles, so one hangs over my back and one hangs over my chest. Some racers simply put reflective tape on each garment that might be worn as an outer torso layer. I might do that next year.

Each racer can have a drop-bag, up to 15 lb (6.8 kg), at the Melgeorge checkpoint. It can only contain food, batteries, and fuel.

My frame is the same pre-production Pugsley I’ve ridden every year. The rest is similar to what I’ve used before with a few component changes: DuraAce/Pauls thumbshifters, Jones Bar, Surly Mr. Whirly pre-production crankset, Large Marge XC rims on DT 240 hubs, Endomorph tires. The drivetrain is a 2 x 7 system…22/34 up front, 14-34t cassette. I used my modified Old Man Mountain front rack and “vintage” Cannondale front panniers…same as my set-up in 2006. My sleeping bag, pad, and bivy were strapped onto a Nitto Uplift bag support designed for a Carradice saddlebag. An Epic Designs frame bag holds my tools, spare tubes, food, and oft-used clothing items. Check back, later this month, for my reviews on the Epic Designs and Carousel Design Works rackless bag systems.

For food, I didn’t stray far from the tried-and-true: Gummi Bears, smoked almonds, dried cherries, roasted salted cashews, Slim Jims (a new menu item in the rolling pantry), chocolate-covered raisins, Hammer Gel, Honey Stingers, RedBull, and a jar of peanut butter to satisfy my 3000-calorie mandatory food surplus requirement. I carried too much food, as usual.

I started the race at 8:21 am, this year. The temperature was in the 20s (F) at the start…45 – 50 degrees warmer than last year. Throughout the race, I wouldn’t experience temps lower than 17F, so my clothing requirements were pretty minimal. I wore a mid-weight polypro base layer and a very high-tech Old Navy fleece jacket on my torso, a light ROX skullcap and headband, mid-weight Hypnotic Designs knickers over Craft winter cycling tights, 2mm neoprene paddling gloves, and my usual Arrowhead footwear… vapor barrier socks under ragg wool socks, neoprene boot covers and light gaiters over minus-40F winter hiking boots. I found no need for chemical heater packs this year.

The warm temps lightened the clothing load, but the trail conditions suffered a bit. The first 18 miles, composed of an out-and-back section, weren’t too bad. Usually, there was a smooth “shoulder” created by the groomer. That is generally the preferred place to ride. I strayed to the right of the shoulder, around the 15-mile point, and endo’d into the deep snow off the trail. Not recommended. I made a point not to do that again. Conditions deteriorated as the trail progressed. The snow was soft, but it wouldn’t pack up beneath my wheels. Moderate snowmobile traffic didn’t help. The aggressive sled tracks usually churned up the snow, instead of compressing it.

The 35-mile Gateway Store checkpoint was a nice opportunity to drink a Gatorade, eat a Snickers bar, fill my insulated water bottles, chat with my dad (my race support the last 3 years) and Mike Riemer (my friend and long-time co-worker who now works for Salsa), and find out how people were doing and where they were on the course. I stayed 26 minutes.

The trail got even softer after the store. The exceptions, two sections of hard-packed combined logging road/snowmobile trail (about 5 miles total?), were welcomed fast reprieves from the slog through the inconsistent dirt-tinged goop that made up much of the course. The skiers weren’t as happy about the logging road sections, because they were made up of dirt, sand, and gravel, as well as snow and ice. The abrasive combination slowed them down and raised hell with the bases of their skis. I’m guessing the walkers pulling sleds weren’t thrilled about these sections either.

My rear tube started losing air about 10 miles from the store. It would be the first of 3 tube failures during the race. I tried pumping up the tire, hoping the Stan’s sealant would plug the leak. No luck. The leak was near the base of the valve stem, so pumping and hoping wasn’t going to fix it. I can’t blame the tube, a 26 x 2.1-2.5” Continental, because it wasn’t designed for use in a 26 x 3.7 tire. That said, I’ve used many 26 x 2.1 tubes in Endomorph tires over the years without failures. I decided to use the smaller-than-recommended tubes during the race to shed some rotating mass. The Continentals were chosen, because they have removable valve cores. That allowed me to squirt a couple ounces of Stan’s goop in each tube without having to slit them, add Stan’s, and patch them…the standard procedure for all my tubes on all my bikes. I replaced the leaker with a new non-Stan’s WTB 26 x 2.1-2.5 tube, pumped it up to an estimated 12 PSI, and had no more problems with the rear tire.



At 2:56pm, it started to snow lightly. The snow continued to fall until early Tuesday morning, but it was always very light. It didn’t seem to cause problems on the trail.

At 5:16pm, the sun set on the horizon. Time for lights. I used my trusty Princeton Tec EOS headlamp in combination with a 1-watt S-Sun handlebar-mounted light. I could have used more candlepower this year. The big downhills, in the middle of the night, made me a little nervous. I was overrunning my headlights on most fast descents. The almost-full moon in 2006 and 2007 made it possible to ride most or all of the course, even the downhills, without much supplemental light. That wasn’t the case, at all, this year. I used my lights all of the time after dark…even walking up hills.

I was happy to reach Melgeorge’s Resort, the 73-mile checkpoint, at 7:27pm. The beautiful new 2-story cabin was full of racers, race volunteers, family (including my dad), and friends. Within a minute of my arrival, a race volunteer was cooking a grilled cheese sandwich for me and making sure I had everything I needed to be comfortable. Every year, the Arrowhead race volunteers do a great job of taking care of us. It’s greatly appreciated, but it has a negative side effect…that kind of hospitality makes it hard to leave and continue on down the trail. Don, Greg, and Charlie left within an hour of my arrival. I was in no hurry to follow them. But, deep down, I knew that I’d eventually have to commit to another 10-12 hour session on the trail. I continued eating, drinking, resting, drying, and enjoying the warmth of the cabin and the company of the people occupying it. At 10:30pm, I reluctantly started to gather my clothes, pack up my drop-bag food items, and fill my water bottles. 3 hours and 43 minutes after my arrival, Dave Simmons and I started out to conquer the last 62 miles of the course. Josh Peterson was getting ready to follow us. There’s comfort in knowing somebody is sweeping the trail behind you, just in case you run into serious trouble.

Dave and I rode together for 5 miles. When I stopped to drink and eat, Dave kept going so he wouldn’t chill. As I was making an attempt to catch him, I got my second flat. This time it was the front tube…another Continental tube. I had one spare tube left…yep, another Continental. That made me nervous, but I had no other options. I installed the new tube and pumped it up to an estimated 15 psi, so I wouldn’t risk a pinch flat, and continued on down the trail. Luckily, the snow was firmer than that of the first 73 miles, and the higher pressure of the front tire didn’t seem to hinder my speed or alter the handling very much.

I got cold fixing my flat and, for the first time since I started the race, I had to add a layer of clothing…the trusty old Cannondale mesh-back vest I purchased in 1996 while I was working at the bike shop. That vest has traveled more miles with me than any other piece of cycling clothing I own.

Around 2:00am. I met Chad, one of the many great Arrowhead volunteers, on his snowmobile as he was doing the last sweep from Bayview Lodge, the finish line, to Melgeorge’s. I learned that Dave was 2 miles ahead of me, Charlie was bivying in one of the shelter’s about 4 miles ahead, and I was minutes from the long, dreaded hilly section. I also learned that Chad was the proud owner of a Pugsley and a Cross-check. We chatted about bike stuff for a while, bid each other farewell, and headed down the trail toward our respective destinations.

I checked on Charlie when I got to his shelter. All was well. I didn’t realize, until the next day, that Dave was bivying right in front of me at the same shelter. I saw another sleeping body, but I assumed Dave was still out on the trail and another rider occupied that extra bivy. I saw a Pugsley there, but I didn’t realize it belonged to Dave. You see, out of 22 bikes on the course, about 80% were Pugsleys. And I didn’t get a good look at the details of Dave’s bike when we were riding together, because it was dark and I was simply concentrating on the trail and the intermittent wolf tracks.

The next 20 miles were tough. Lots of long granny-gear climbs and plenty of pushing. Some of the downhills were steep, loose, and sketchy, especially with my limited lighting. I crashed hard at the bottom of one descent. First I checked my right collarbone, and then I looked at the bike and bags. The body was sore, but intact. However, a plastic strap on my right pannier had been torn in the crash. That strap had acted as a restraint to keep the bag from flapping up and out when riding over bumps. I remedied the situation by cinching a Surly Junk Strap (an extra-long toe strap we had made as a tradeshow giveaway item) around the bag and rack to limit the outward movement of the pannier over the rough stuff.

The eastern horizon started to lighten shortly after 7:00am…about the time I finished the hilly section. Sunrise is always welcome after so many hours of darkness. My spirits were lifted, but my body was starting to shut down. I was getting cold, even though the temperature hadn’t fallen much from the time I started out from Melgeorge’s resort. I donned a thin windbreaker and mitten covers and started pedaling again to get warm.

Around 8:15am, I reached the shelter at the top of Wakemup Hill. After the descent from the shelter, the trail got flat. It would remain that way for the next 20 miles. 15 minutes later, I met my dad waiting for me at County Road 24. He had been waiting there for many hours. I asked him when Dave Simmons passed by. He hadn’t seen Dave. That seemed strange. I hoped Dave hadn’t taken a wrong turn on the trail. I still hadn’t figured out that Dave had been sleeping at the shelter. It’s so obvious, now, but I wasn’t the sharpest tack in the box at that point. The combination of sleep deprivation and physical exertion has a tendency to turn one into a dullard at some point. My dad and I chatted a bit, got some photos, and estimated the time to the finish. He thought it was 3-1/2 hours, and I didn’t feel like taking out a map to confirm his suspicions. So I took that as gospel, prepared myself for a long, boring spin, and continued on toward the Bayview Lodge.

The last section of trail is a yawner. It’s flat and straight and seems to go on forever. My sore shoulders and neck, sore knees, sore hip, sore ass, and all of the chafed bits amplified the slow torture. Luckily, our time-to-finish estimate was far from accurate. I realized I was approaching the finish area about 1-3/4 hours after leaving my dad. I also realized that my front tire was slowly going flat again. Damn. Without a spare tube, my options were to pump it up, ride fast, and repeat… or push the bike with a flat front tire. I chose the pump ‘n’ ride option and repeated the process 4 times before reaching the lodge. Within 2 minutes of my arrival, my front tire was completely flat.

Because the racers are so spread out, the finish of this race is a bit anticlimactic. But it always feels good to be done. I ended up in 6th place after 26 hours and 21 minutes. Not bad, but I’ll push a little harder to do better next year.

I’ve partially forgotten how much the hills sucked and how much my body ached. I’ve inventoried the equipment that worked and made notes about the gear that did not work or never got used. I have new lists of things to buy and make for next year’s race. Every year, I learn something about my bike, my gear, and myself. That education, along with the chance to spend a little time with the friends I’ve made over the years, is what keeps me coming back to the Arrowhead Trail.

Girl Carl represents the MPLS arm of the Bicycle Film Fest. She informs me that there have been no MPLS submissions, and the deadline is looming. Really? A town with so many cyclists and so many creative weirdos has never submitted a movie to this event? Get on it, Scorsese.

The EIGHTH ANNUAL BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL is now accepting entries.
Deadline For Entries Is February 19th(-ish)

We are looking for films with a strong theme or character of bicycles. This includes all mediums and styles such as animation, experimental, narrative, documentary and music videos.
The BFF is held in over 15 cities around the world including Tokyo, New York City, Los Angeles, Milan, and London. In 2007 the total BFF attendance was nearly 100,000 people.
BFF is a celebration through film, art and music. Past BFFs has been have included works from legendary artists such as Jonas Mekas, Michel Gondry, Mike Mills and Jorgen Leth. The emerging artist is showcased as well.
The Bike Film Fest is expected to be a huge success in 2008. All cities have been selected and dates for NEW YORK are May 28th - June1st. All other dates will be set within the month.

For more information and entry forms, visit the BFF website: http://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com

Someone stole the lights and fenders off our bikes outside Luce friday night. This has never happened to me or anyone I know in MPLS. It had to be a bike person because whoever did it knew how to remove the brackets and even took the bar shims I had taped into place. LIGHTS? You stole bike lights? Jerk off. I don't care about the lights, or the money they cost. You stole something other cyclists use to be safe. Seriously, that's a shitty thing to do, and officially makes you an ethically corrupt low life. Get bent.

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Here I am wearing the new Surly?/Walz? cap. Black and red like Kit from Nightrider, with the karate monkey on the port side.

In stock now in sizes Fits Pretty Good and This One's Bigger. Call your shop for CL0347 or CL0348.

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Sheldon Brown died yesterday of heart failure. Longtime weirdo, bike nut, and archiver of lots and lots of bicycle related technical data, Sheldon disliked every frame color we ever produced and made sure to point out when we had not used the correct water bottle cage bolts. He also knew more than you probably will ever know about bikes. Do YOU have an opinion about where on your pedal your foot should rest?
Hats off and a moment of silence for the man. Take care Brown family.

From Zeigmeister:

"The Arrowhead 135 starts this weekend. Kid Riemer and Dave Gray are heading up to take on this challenging event. It is a 135 mile bike, ski, or run race on the 135 mile Arrowhead trail. The Arrrowhead is a multi use trail (mostly snowmobile in the winter) through Superior National Forest. It starts in International Falls and ends in Tower (often the coldest place in the lower 50)."

Go here to visit the official website.

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There is a lot of new Surly stuff either already here or coming within a month. Let's talk about those things, hmm?

Travelers Checks are coming. The magic here, of course, is that they cleave in twain (on purpose) and fit into a case that does not exceed dimension standards for regular luggage. In other words, it doesn't cost you extra to take your bike with you. A bit spendy compared to a regular C.C., a T.C. will pay for itself after a few times not having to pay to take your bike on airplanes, trains, etc. QBP will carry 2 cases for them. One is a hard case, which protects your bike and which is easy to tow as you glide through airports, hotel lobbies, and it's a good size for fitting in taxis, on buses on the way to airport, etc. The softcase has backpack straps. Get to where you're going, put your bike together, throw your bag into the bike case and ride to the hotel or where ever.

Big Dummies are coming too. Not just for hippies and bike nerds, these things haul a lot -a LOT- and ride smooth to boot. The progression on the Big Dummy learning curve goes something like this:

1) I hate it. It's long and seems heavy and looks weird and is not as fast as my regular bike with panniers and I don't know where I'll store it.
2) I stopped at the store on my way home last night. You can really pack a lot on that thing! I'm going to try loading my other bike on it and see how it does.
3) Wow, it's not nearly as hard as I thought it would be at first. I carried home paint and lumber from the hardware store yesterday and had to ride that killer hill. It was way easier than I thought it would be.
4) I won't be able to get your loaner BD back to you again this week, Kenny.

Why the hell would you want this when you have a perfectly good rack and fenders, or a trailer? Panniers (known in this office as 'panyas', which is half-mumbled in a Christopher Walken inflection) do what they do well but can't do everything. Trailers have their benefits and drawbacks, just like everything else. Cargo bikes have their place too. And that place may just be where your car currently sits.



Mr. Whirly cranks have been totally bitchin' in performance testing, not to mention that the lovely and talented Ms. Bloggins has bestowed on them her Award of Good Taste, declaring them good looking in addition to performing flawlessly, and if you've ever met Ms. Bloggins I think you'll agree that her aesthetic opinion carries some water. More than just a pretty face, Mr. Whirly is as versatile as B Rose is short-tempered. Cro-moly spindles are available in two lengths, one to fit normal bikes (68&73mm BB shells) and one to fit abnormal bikes such as the Pugsley, which sports a 100mm BB shell. Interchangeable spiders (94mm, 104mm, & 110mm BCDs). 170, 175, and 180mm lengths to start, with 165 and 185mm to follow. Available as armsets and parts ala carte, and also as complete cranks in single speed (33t stainless ring, 175 & 180mm) and triple (22-32-44t, 175mm, standard or long spindle) versions. Cranks in black, armsets and spiders in black or silver.

Surly's stainless steel cable 'angers have been here for a while. Why would you want one? Because they 'elp solve the mushy brake feel you get on rear cantilevers. The 'anger straightens the cable routing in the tight spot near the post, which is nice because it makes the brake work better. Our Cross Check frames and complete bikes will come with them starting....NOW. Ask your shop to get you BR9999 if you're so inclined.

Also in the stainless steel department, our post clamps. 31.8mm available now, 30.0mm available soon. They look really good. They work really good. They will not rust because they don't have rust glands. They will be included on all our frames and bikes (except the Conundrum and the Instigator, because they will still benefit from the extra clampability offered by the Cosnstrictor clamp we've always used). The Constrictor will still be available for youse seeking high clampability, such as using an old post in an old frame, or anywhere post slippage is likely to occur or already happening.

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Zito down at the OOOOBS saw my post about the blog rating thang and took it as a challenge to get something better than a G rating. But in spite of all the cocks & balls he employed, the blog page, when I plugged it in earlier today, still only drew a PG13 rating, which is not enough to boil water. Again, though, I believe this gives creedence to my assertion that the rating system may not be as straightforward and useful as concerned citizens may desire.