Back on the Single Speed

Went out for a warm fall ride on the San Jose and had a fun ride. Got a little off-road action in and all n all a fun ride, nice to feel recovered.

Did my first Endurance race Saturday, it was the Ring the Peak race, part of the Colorado Endurance Series. It was a pretty hard one, 72 miles and over 12k of climbing with lots of hike a bike. I rode my single speed Couch setup as a 69'er and geared 32x20 and wish I was at 30x20. It was a beautiful fall day and the aspens were in they're grandest color. We had rain, hail, snow, sunshine, warm temps and freezing cold! I took a couple of wrong turns and had to backtrack to get on course again. And each time the wrong turn took me downhill so I had to climb back up to get on course. I figure I rode an extra 18 or so miles and put me about 2 hours behind schedule. There was close to 30 miles of climbing, 10 miles of flat, and 28 miles of downhill plus the extra bits that I had to add in for the fun of it. Most everyone had full suspension rigs of either 29 in. tire or 26 in. and one other single speeder with suspension fork. I was the only one crazy enough to do the race fully rigid and ss. I finished 14th overall, 2nd place single speed and it took me well over 12 hours to finish but I still felt good about the race and was the oldest rider that day! I trained pretty hard for this race and in the end was glad I choose to not ride the fixed geared bike. I had a great time with three other riders descending off Mt Baldy (Almagre) they had full suspension bikes and a lot younger than me. When we started they were not sure of the turns so I said I would lead them down. I was able to stay ahead of them for most of the time. Some of the very techy sections I got off and ran with my bike and still managed to stay ahead. Those boys were very tired by the time we hit the pavement and happy to see Mc Cabes. At Mc Cabes I had a very warm welcome from Julie and all of my friends who had to wait the extra 2 hours that it took me to finish. After all the welcomes and congrats I was ready to eat and have a beer! 2 beers and a big dish of corn beef and cabbage (it's an Irish Pub) I was feeling mighty good. All in a days ride and it finishes with beer now that's a race. Here's a picture of me headed to the first steep hike a bike trail section.:

Pikes Peak-RPT live update

At the top of Mt Esther trail @ 9:00 right on time.
Now on to Catamount res.
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One last bike change for RTP

I've had some soreness in my lower back and a little sciatica nerve pain on my left side. I'm thinking it's caused by the fixed gear and I'm going to change bikes for the RTP Saturday.
The Doctor would say spend some time on the Couch so that is exactly what I plan to do.
I changed the setup on my Couch a little and have it configured as a 69'er. This gives me a lower gear for climbing and still have it setup as a "dingle speed" with 32x20 and 34x18 so I still have a road gear and a climbing gear.
The steel On One fork will stay and the small block 8 tire up front will help with the rough stuff.
I rode this setup yesterday and it felt really good with very little pain. Still had some pain but it was from the ride I did Tuesday on the fixed gear.
Here's a picture of the Couch as I rode it yesterday.

From 106 degrees to Fall

Seems like I was in the middle of Summer just a couple of days ago. 106 degrees in Scottsdale and upper 80's in Santa Fe.
Back home and signs of Fall are all around. Picked our pumpkin out of the garden along with some squash yesterday.
Trying to make some final tweaks to my bike for Saturday and the RTP ride.
Pics of my final setup to follow.
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Ride like a pirate day after.

Having fun, found this saber on the road while out riding. The day before was ride like a pirate day so I'm guessing someone lost the saber.
Was a good 50 + mile day, though really a hot one.
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AM 30 miler in Scottsdale

The furnace fan is getting hotter and by midday it will be 102 degrees. Glad I got out for a quick 30 miler around Scottsdale while it was in the upper 80s.
Nice easy mileage down here, I could ride all day if the temps were cooler. Got to get up around 5 am to get a really long ride in this week.
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RTP In 2 weeks!

With just a few days over 2 weeks to go the race is coming up fast.
I have not had a chance to ride the trail section up over Almagre peak mostly because of the afternoon thunderstorms.
I'd like to pre-ride this section of the race so that I know what to expect and also make sure I know the trail and which turns to make.
If all goes well during the race I will be through this section in the daylight. But if it's dark I'd like to be sure I'm familiar with this section.
We had some really bad rains yesterday with close to 2 inches of rain so I'm guessing things will be pretty mucky up there for a few days. We leave for Arizona Friday evening and will be gone for a week so I going to try to go tomorrow morning early.
On the bike front I've decided that I'm going to ride my Mongoose fixed geared MTB cruiser. The Mongoose is super light and very easy to handle so this will help with the hike a bike sections.
I can climb pretty well with the fixed setup at 32x18 gearing. And I have it setup as a 69er so the big wheel up front makes a big difference rolling over stuff. I won't get much rest riding due to the fixed gear "no coasting" but I have a way of relaxing my legs on the easy stuff that makes up for not coasting.
Arizona will be a nice break with some heat but fun flat training rides. Going to do one long endurance ride and a bunch of easy spinners to finish out my race prep.
Then back home and taper the last week and I should be good to go.

Vapor Trail 125 2011 Results and Thoughts

The 2011 Vapor Trail 125 was a great event this year,

sounds like everyone enjoyed the great weather, the bright moon and most of all the crew and aid stations provided by Absoulte bikes.

We have a new course record set by Jonathon Davis with a finish time of 13 hours and 42 minutes. Jon set out to break the course record this year and that he did, Jon came in an hour and a half a head of second place Aaron Huckstep and almost 2 hours a head of third place Aaron Gulley.

Kurt Refsnider finished in downtown Salida at 2:08 pm giving him a finish time of 16 hours and 8 minutes and 5th place. I thought that Kurt would pull out the overall win but it wasn't his day.

Eszter Horanyi was the first woman to arrive in Salida at 4:27 pm which gave her a fininshing time of 18 hours and 27 minutes.

The second place woman, Becky Sears rolled into Salida at 7:24 pm just under 3 hours after Eszter. Cat Morrison DNF'd some time through the night.

There was 38 finishers and 11 riders that DNF'd, this is a very demanding course and everyone worked very hard but also it sounds like they tried their best to have fun as well.

A big thanks goes out to the volunteers and fine folks at Absolute bikes.

For complete results with check in times at each aid station go on over to the Vapor Trail site at www.vaportrail125.com/vaporResults.php

My Vapor Trail 125 Race Day Report on US Cycling Report

Vapor Trail 125 Race Day Report

September 11 2011 the race started in the wee hours of last night at 10 pm with a waining 97% visible moon.

As bright as the moon was here at my house I'm sure the riders enjoyed the spectacle and the added illumination of the trail. Leaving Salida they had a few miles of pavement then several miles of forest service road till they hit the Colorado Trail. I've been following the riders on thetrackleader.com site since last night and noticed that not everyone has a spot tracker including some of the favorites. The trend lately has been to go stealth so that other riders won't have a advantage. Though it may not help on this type of course, and it could be that they just could not afford the trackers this year.

So it will be hard to tell who really is in the lead but as I type this Jonathan Davis is shown as the leader on the spot tracker site. My guess is that Kurt Refsnider is leading but by how much is anyone's guess. Jonathan is a very strong rider and trains with Jeff Kerkove who won the race last year. On the woman's side Eszter Horanyi has a strong lead as she crosses the Monarch Crest Trail. Becky Sears is the only other woman with a spot tracker and is just starting the climb up the old Monarch Pass road. Cat Morrison is in the mix somewhere but without a spot tracker and no updates on the Vapor Trail blog it's hard to tell where she is on the course.

Most riders seem to be spending a little extra time at the last aid station on Marshall Pass, most likely to warm up a bit and take on some fuel for the last long leg into Salida and the finish. Once the come down off Marshall Pass they have a fun single track descent on the Rainbow Trail, then a very fast roll down hwy 285 into Poncha Pass. From Poncha it's an easy spin to the finish line.

Looks like the front runners are setting a pace to finish around 1:00 which is a very good time.

Check back tomorrow for my race results report and I will try to get some comments and highlights of the ride. 

The Vapor Trail 125 Article I wrote for US Cycling Report

 

Vapor Trail 125 - Salida, Colorado - September 10 - 11, 2011 The Vapor Trail will start in downtown Salida on the F St. bridge at 10 pm. Most riders are expected to finish some time on the 11th but some may finish in the wee hours of the 12th.  This is a benefit ride that travels over the Continental Divide multiple times and reaching altitudes over 12,000 feet. The bulk of the proceeds will benefit local trails in the surrounding Salida area.   "The Vapor Trail 125 will give us a chance to showcase some of the best trails in the area" said Shawn Gillis owner of Absolute Bikes in Salida. Absolute Bikes is hosting the ride and providing aid stations and support along the route. There are 4 aid stations manned by different groups, aid station #1 is always manned by Dave Wiens and his group of volunteers. The Monarch aid station is manned by the Salida High School MTB race team with about a dozen volunteers. This is definitely a community event with community support. So far there are roughly 42 riders entered in the ride with ages ranging from the mid 20's to mid 50's and about 4% women riders making up the field. Kurt Refsnider, the Tour Divide 2011 winner, has committed to riding as well as a couple of very strong women contenders, Eszter Horanyi from Crested Butteand Cat Morrison of Grand Junction. Shawn said that he expects a few last minute entries and I'm hoping that maybe a few well known Singlespeeders will show, like Jefe Branham or Kevin Thomas of Salida who won the CTC this year. The course is a very challenging one with over 20,000' of climbing.  As they say on the entry form 'you need to bring an extra lung if you have one'. The riders will take the Colorado trail up to Blanks Cabin then over the Alpine Tunnel, on over to the old Monarch Pass Rd and climb up to the top to connect to the Crest trail. Then descend over to Marshall Pass connecting to the Rainbow Trail and on back into downtown Salida. This is a very demanding course and a ride/race resume is required to enter with recent ride/race finish result simialur to the Vapor Trail course. If you would like to see the course or keep track of the riders through the night and next day you can head on over to www.trackleaders.com/vapor125, most riders will have spot trackers with them. This is a very good resource for keeping track of long distance remote events but it does cost money. So you may not see every rider on the course due to the expense of renting the spot trackers. There is a "donate" button on the trackleader site to help off set the cost so if you have some extra cash and feel generous you know what to do. US Cycling Report will have a race day report and list the results of the ride as soon as we get full results. Most likely the following Monday or Tuesday so wish the riders luck and check back for more info on ride day.

Como to Breckenridge, Boreas Pass

As Julie call's it Notorious Pass it has it's reputation as an unforgiving pass at times. I've been over this pass several times, a few running, a few skiing and several on the bike. Each time it's handed me something different. Leaving the Como Depot I did not think I would have the weather that I ended up having over the pass this time.
I got a late start on the pass and knew I would descend into Breckenridge in the dark and was prepared for that, head light and tail lights with full charge. Rain, just went through that and was finally dry again and warm from the Depot snack. Well mid way it started to rain even though I thought I could get over before the rain came. Rain while climbing a mountain pass is mot so bad as your working pretty hard and welcome the cooling effect. But once I got to the top it really started to down pour. I put on everything I had for clothing and buttoned up tight and prepared for the 10 mile descent into Breckenridge. As I road down the mountain the road became very muddy and lots of big puddles. I could not wear my sunglasses as it was now getting dark. Lights on and standing on the pedals so I would not get a face full of mud from my front wheel I pressed on.
The further I rolled down the mountain and darkness came it got colder, and I was getting soaked.
I started to think to myself "I am not going to get hypothermia" and will make it all the way to the Breckenridge Brewery to meet Julie, Linda and Fred.
More descending, mud and cold and I am not in cell phone range to call Julie so I keep on down the road. Then I see a head lights, is it Julie? Nope just some one going up the pass. Press on and around the next turn I see head lights on in a pull out. YES it's Julie, now to get all of this muddy wet stuff off and the bike on the car. Heat full blast, seat heater on 5 and I'm ready to have beer. Then crash and we look at each other, what was that, the bike fell off the rack. I get out of the car and step right in a big mud puddle. Put the bike mud and all in the back of the car and we head down to the brewery for a warm meal and a beer with Fred and Linda.
After the brewery we head over to Fred's Dad house for the night. Tomorrow we ride to Breckenridge from Vail, more climbing and a race finish.

Start of dirt

The start of the dirt section soon turned into a pickup truck ride. Major construction and they were not allowing bike through but took in a truck for 8 miles.
Luckily for me the rain started so I got out of most of the rain.
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Rain and more Rain

I was lucky for a lot of miles and missed the typical Colorado afternoon storms. But my luck ran out and I got caught by a few storms.
Finally dry but out of fuel I made it to Como at the base of Boreas pass. I had to stop and get something hot to eat.
A bowl of green chili and hot coffee should get me there.
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Divide and beyond

Made it to divide before 11:30 and stopping for just a few minutes. It was a hot and humid climb up the pass. Won't have much cell coverage from on to breck.
Next stop is Lake George for lunch and water top off.
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RTP training ride

Off to a late start, headed to Breckinridge with as much dirt as possible but trying to stay close 100 miles.
Leaving Manitou up Ute Pass to Lake George. This where I hit the dirt the rest of the way with about a mile of pavement.
This route takes me through Woodland Park, past the Fossil Bed, Lake George, Tarryall res, Como, over Boreas Pass (12,000 ft) and down into Breck.
From here I get a transfer to Vail by Julie to spend the night. The next day I ride back to Breck with Fred to catch the race finish.
Better start climbing!
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A Fan's Perspective on Stage 1 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge

A Fan's Perspective on Stage 1

I was not able to make it to the start or finish of Stage 1 but instead decided to do some photo recon on Cottonwood Pass. It was nice to have the media/photo pass as it gave me access to the pass even though it was closed.  The pass closed at 3:00 pm which gave fans ample time to get a spot to camp and setup. Lots of people have been marking the roads with words of encouragement and their favorite riders names. I came to the pass from the east, the Buena Vista side. This side of the pass is paved to the top and has a nice wide shoulder to ride. Lots of people were out riding the pass and enjoying the road closure.

At the top of the pass a large group had a terrific RV and camper setup. I stopped to talk for a little while and it certainly seems like everyone is very excited about being there. This will be my spot for the queen stage, Stage 2. I will be able to get photos from both side of the pass as the riders ascend and speed down the pass. Who will get the KOM points?

Heading down to Crested Butte I come across more campers on most of the switchbacks and pull outs. Everyone appears to be ready for a cool night and a warm day tomorrow.

As I get further down the pass the camping scene all but disappears. Then I come up on road crews preparing the road surface for tomorrow.

Grading, rolling and water that's what it take to make a good road surface for Pro Racing.

Finally down in the Butte and wow it's pack with fans, it's really great that the races getting this kind of turn out.  So from my perspective of Cottonwood Pass, the USA Pro Cycling Challenege could easily be mistaken for a large race in Europe.

A Local Fans Thoughts Post Race

What a Great Day in Colorado Springs.

As the day began the Blackberry started buzzing, text messages and phone calls from friends. All asking where will you be, are you ready, are you riding to the race? Coffee and breakfast down and bikes, cameras and cow bells ready and we hit the road.
Leaving the house we can easily hit the trail and head west to Old Colorado City for our first stop. On the way we see lots of cyclist packed and heading to their favorite viewing spot.
For us we have a plan to hit several different spots. Our first stop is on the westside at 21st st. and Colorado ave. with some friends that have a premium location. We settle in and I help get the technical side of things setup. Laptop with live feed and connected to a sound system. Ride start list so we can cheer by name for each rider as the fly by.
Cold drinks in the cooler, cow bells ringing and girls yelling, I think we have it all ready to go.
The day is a typical Colorado summer day, light breeze out of the North East, barley a cloud in the sky and warming up fast. Good thing for the canopy and sunscreen, and a cool beverage.
Lots of buzz as the teams are out for warm-up runs up and down Colorado Blvd in front of us. Every time some one goes by they get the yelling and cow bell treatment. Smiles and waves are returned and it seems to be a very festive day.
As the time gets close to the start things really get active and you can feel the excitement in the air all around. Police motorcycles, team cars and helicopters in the air. I think the race is ready to start, yep here comes the first rider, we check the start list and sure enough we have a race.
Watching the broadcast footage online we awe at the coverage. We have transformed our hometown into a world class bike race. We look at each other and big smiles follow, then back to the next rider on the course cowbells ring and girls scream.

As the race goes on we decide to head down to the finish line to get some photo ops and see how things are going there.

We are joined by some friends and head off to downtown. Wow we are very suprised at the turn out downtown. It's Monday after all and suprising that this many people are off work and downtown for the race. The excitment level is a couple of notches higher here as we stop for a few minutes to take it all in.

Billboards and big screens, the streets are barracked and the finish line looks amasing. Off to the beer tent to get a cold one as we wait for the favorites to come in. The temps are high and that means we will get our afternoon showers as the cloud beginn to gather. uckily the riders finish just in time and miss the rain.

What a grand day in downtown Colorado Springs it was and all you coud see all day was smiles from everyone there.

On to Salida tomorrow for Stage 1 and some climbing a head.

USA Pro Cycling Challenge comes to Colorado Springs

The tour starts right here in my home town and everyone seems to be excited? I get phone calls and text regularly saying they saw this team or that group of riders. Even out on my daily rides I come across some one that's a team rider out spinning their legs out.

It really is nice from a cyclist and a fan's persecutive to see this caliber of race and world class rider come back to Colorado. I extend a huge thank you to Lance Armstrong, Governor Ritter and the rest that had the fore thought to make this event happen.

Not only will it be cycling heaven for us this week but also a much needed economic boast for each host city. Hotel rooms are filling up, restaurants are over flowing and the downtown area will be crowded with on lookers.

We will attend a "Peoples Pedal Party" this evening to help kick things off downtown and it should be a very packed event. Even though there's a threat of rain, I doubt it will dampen spirits much.

Tomorrow promises to be a great show for everyone, with some of the very top Tour de France competitors on the Prologue course. The big buzz is where should we watch the race? Most people want to be at the hazardous turn at the bottom of Ridge road. Other will gather somewhere in the Garden of the Gods. And the other popular place will be the finish line for the photo ops. Everyone has their favorites team and riders so this will give them a chance to see them in action first hand.

The rest of the week is expected be very challenging for the teams and will demand they work together to get the GC hopefuls in position for a podium finish. Tommy D (Danielson) seems to be the favorite for us Coloradans as he's a home town rider from Boulder and finished 9th in the TDF this year as the top American.

As the party begins we set on the edge of our bike seats waiting for the race to start.
More to come tomorrow!

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Ring the Peak Recon Recap

I met my friend Bob Cat at the downtown Starbucks at 6:30 am to get an early start on the recon trip. Our plan was to ride together for as long as Bob's ailing back could take the riding.
We hoped he could make it as far as the Crags then bail out down to hwy67 and back to the Springs.
We headed west up the Midland trail and on into Manitou Springs. A left turn up Ruxton ave headed to the cog railway station. Just past the station we took a right turn onto what we thought was the Ute Pass Trail. Come to find out we missed the trail and climbed a nasty hike a bike. Though it did end up at the UPT and we got to ride some nice single track. Once I started doing the steeper climbs I realized that my gearing on the single speed was not quite right.
Next time I'll put at least a 20 tooth cog in the back. Running an 32x18 just was not enough for that much climbing.
Again we missed a turn and finally ended up about 3 miles up the pass from where we wanted to come out. At this point Bob's back was really killing him and he decided to head back down the pass.
Now solo I decided I would continue on and see how far I could make it. So on up the pass to Chipita Park and the steep climb up Picabo rd to find the Mt. Esther trail head. At the top of Picabo the road turns into Mountain rd and heads west. As I made it to the top I spotted a friend of mine's house. Now I remember that the trail is just east of his house so I turnaround and there it is off to the right on a short dirt road.
It's a 30 minute hike a bike up Mt Esther trail to the top and a right turn onto single track. Once on the single track I'm reminded that I should have put a 20 tooth cog on. Sort of became my mantra for the day "32x20" next time.
Lots of climbing up to the Catamount connector and then on across the dam more climbing on fire roads with lots of soft washed out surface. Although the view was great with vistas of Pikes Peak that not many people will see. Riding around to the south side of Catamount I see the RTP sign point to more single track. This section was really nice and some fun downhill on it.
I passed a group Seniors hiking up the trail with packs on, good for them.
The single track dead ended on another fire road with yet more climbing and more mantra. It slowly turned into a single track but continued to climb. My stomach was letting me know that it was time to stop and have a bite to eat. I didn't take very much time to eat as I wanted to get as far as possible so I saved some time and head back to climbing.
As I got closer to the Crags I notice clouds building from the west, this only means one thing, thunderstorms. When I got to the Crags campground I made the decision to bail down to the highway and back home. Unfortunately I didn't make it to far past Divide before the clouds started dumping rain and hail. I found some shelter and waited out the storm, then got back on the road only to catch the storm again. More shelter and wait it out some more, then this time I was able to get down the pass and to the brewery for a cold beer and glass of water.
Bob came down to have a beer with me and recap ride rest of my ride. So 68 miles and close to 8 hours with over 5k of climbing on the bike.

More recon rides in a couple of weeks.

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map my ride profile

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/45656632

At the Top

The RTP sign and the top of Mt Esther.
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Heading up Mt Esther trail

More hike a bike up Mt Esther trail about an half hours worth.
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Time for gear change

Heading up the Ute Indian Trail. Hike a bike for a few miles.
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At Catamont

Pikes Peak in the background a hard climb to get here. On to the Crags next.
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Mt Esther trail

Two hour in and I'm starting the hike a bike up to Catamount res. Bob had to bail when we got to the highway do to back pain. So I'm pushing on to see how far I can go.
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My RTP recon

Leaving Starbucks downtown C Springs
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A look at the cockpit

WTB drop bars, Salsa 90cm stem, Cane Creek "V" stop levers, cross levers, and Cateye wireless computer.

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My current adventure setup and some changes

This is my current adventure bike setup. It's an aluminum Motobecane Outcast29 single speed with WTB dirt drop bars. I have the gear set to 32 x 16 freewheel and 14 tooth fixed on the flip side.
So far the 32 x 16 is working ok for most climbs I've been riding, if it gets to steep I walk. On the flats I'd like a little more top speed without working so hard but that's the trade off when single speeding.
The main problem I'm having with this bike is that the frame is harsh after about 30 miles. My lower back is taking the most beating so I'm thinking about changing over to a steel frame and a dingle setup. Something like 34 x 16 and 32 x 18 or 20 just need to experiment with chain length to see what matches up ok. I'll run a skewer in the rear axle so all I need to do is release the skewer and move the chain over. Go fast gear for the long road sections and a good climbing gear for the steep.
I plan to keep the drop bars and On One steel fork. Currently running V brakes but will change over to BB7 disc.
I should have everything changed over by the weekend then out for some test rides.
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Colorado Endurance Series

 RingThePeak 100(ish)k epic ride around Pikes Peak

So I'm not much for racing these days mostly because of the high entry fees and how crowded the events get. I'm used to the old days when everyone knew each other and it cost you $25 to get in.

Well I've found a new interest in the Endurance race format, first off it's free, second is that there is usually a limit of under 100 riders.

And you ride self supported and no officials to muck stuff up.

So I threw my hat into the race back in June and have been training a little bit for it. It will be an all day adventure on familiar trails and right in my back yard with people I know.

I'm planning to race ala single speed and have been dialing in the right setup for this one. The route is about 72 miles with close to 12'000 ft of climbing and lots of hike a bike. It will be held the first of October so day light will be a premium and require and very early start. I hope to finish under 10 hours and possibly closer to 9 hours.

I've been training with my friend Ron in support of his Leadville 100 race coming up soon so that has helped a lot. A couple of weeks ago I did a solo ride over to Salida on a modified route from the one Ron and I did for his training. I chose to go single speed and all in one day, that turned out to be a 106 mile 8k of climbing route that took me 9 hours to finish with about 20 minute lunch stop mid way.

I felt pretty good after the ride and have been riding strong since so I think I can do alright if all goes well. I have a few more training rides to do and iron out my gear, as well as doing some pre-rides of some sections that I have not been on.

Then the end of September Julie and I are planning a trip to Arizona to see her Mom. This will give me a chance to get some quality low land spinning in, always a good way to taper for a race or event.

I've been following the Tour of the Divde race and the CTR that is happening right now and I'm getting the bug for this Endurance race thing. If all goes well I my try a few more races next year.

Solo to Salida

Today I'm headed out on a solo trip to Salida. My route will be a little different than last month's trip. The first section to Guffey will be mostly on the road traveling up Ute pass on through Divide and over to Guffey for lunch. The second part will be the same high route that Ron and I took last month.
I mapped the route out and it's a little shorter and a bit less climbing. Since I'm riding a Single Speed this time and plan to complete the ride in one day I choose an shorter and maybe easier route.
My bike of choice will be my Bianchi San Jose SS cross bike. Mostly because of the last 20+ miles of rough decent into Salida.
Going light as usual with just a water bottle, Camel Back and some snacks.
Rain gear, spare tubes and the normal cache of tools.
Wish me luck, my eta is 7pm.
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Wooden bike in Salida

We made to Salida in 4 hours and 13 minutes with a head wind most of the way. The wind made for a tough day of climbing and descending. The route from Guffey to Salida was very remote and no services. We packed our lunch and carried lots of water.
Ron thinks that this days ride was the hardest because of the wind. I have to agree that the wind made riding difficult.
Two days and 120 miles covered on our mountain bikes.
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The Bull Moose bar

The Bull Moose bar was our landing point while we waited for Julie to get to Guffey.
When Julie got there we had a fresh beer, dinner and went across the road and set up camp.
Guffey is one of those very small mountain towns were everyone knows everyone else. Seems like the common question is "where are you staying tonight?".
On to Salida some 40+ miles away with several thousand feet of climbing. A cool start but we peeled our jackets after the first 3 miles.
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Our host in Guffey

Chris and his wife have a nice little cabin with space for us to set up camp for the night.
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Round-up Ron

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Ranger Ron helping with the cattle round-up. Watch out for that pile of ... to late now it's all over your bike.
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Light at end of the Tunnel

Ranger Ron seeking the light. Tunnel #5 is the straightest tunnel of the seven on Gold Camp.
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Cripple Creek

1:00 and we made to Cripple Creek after 5,000 ft of climbing. And it's time for some hot coffee and a bowl of chili.
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Great rail trail

Gold Camp road is one of the most scenic trails in the US trail system. Once a rail route to Cripple Creek what an adventure it must have been.
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Cup of Coffee first

Getting ready to head out on our trip to Salida. Ranger Ron having a cup and checking email.
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Colorado Springs to Salida

Scheduling a 2 day off-road ride from COS to Salida with Ranger Ron, prep for Leadville 100.
Leaving Colorado Springs Friday morning 6/18 with camp over in the tiny mountain town of Guffy. Julie will meet us in guffey with camping gear so we can go fairly light. We only need to carry fuel to get us to Guffey.
Our course route will take us up over the old Gold Camp railroad grade to Victor and on to Cripple Creek. We may stop in one of these famous mining town for lunch and reload on snacks and fresh water.
Then a short climb over Mt. Pisgah and down to route 1 turning south to route 9 and on into Guffey. After a good night's sleep we begin day 2.
Day 2 will be a remote and longer section of our trip. Leaving Guffey we head north on route 9 and make our westerly turn on to FR2.
Nothing but Colorado back country from here. All forest service dirt roads and the wilds of Colorado with a few options to bail off and head down to Hwy 50.
We will pass through many old abandoned mining sites and the re-populated mining ghost town of Turret. After Turret we make our descent on 175 down into out destination of Salida.
I still need to chart the full route to get mileage and altitude data and post it here.
Bike choice is always a challenge for me. Since this is a training ride for Ron and his Leadville challenge I will ride a geared 29er.
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A day off the bike

Today was a much needed day off the bike. After riding for 30 days straight and logging 600 miles it's nice have an relaxing day.
But tomorrow I will be back out there and logging some longer distance rides. The weather looks promising for the week so I plan get a couple of big days in on the Couch.

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Dirty n Dead 30

The 30 days of biking is officially over. Got my dirty 30 miles in and happy to be on a Couch for 30 days straight.
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Two flats and a ride cut short

Pot holes and railroad tracks make for nasty bike crossings and as it would go I fell victim to two flats. Front and back, all I can say is yuck! But luckily my girlfriend Julie called as I stood on the side of the road listening to both tire hiss the last bit of air from they're tubes.
I walked my bike up to the main road and sat at a bus stop till she arrived. Loaded the bike on the rack and headed home for dinner.
Tomorrow is day 30 of the 30 days of biking challenge and I plan to ride 30 mile in honor of completing the challenge. And yes I have another Couch to ride so I will not being changing flats tonight.

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Sunshine and minimal wind

Sunshine and not so much wind, and that makes for a pleasant afternoon ride. Only 2 days left of #30daysofbiking challenge.

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3 days left

3 days left and 523 miles in this month thanks to the 30 days on a Couch / @30daysofbiking challenge.
Another cold day with off n on snow showers but I got 45+ miles in today.

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April Showers

April Showers make me ride harder but they are not stopping my 30 days on a Couch goal.

Monday, Monday!

Yet another cold and snowy morning giving way this time to rain in the afternoon. But I managed to not break my streak for #30daysofbiking and got a ride in without getting soaked.
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Easter Beer Basket

Heading out the door for our Easter group ride and this is what the Easter Bunny left.
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Snow, Sun, and never ending Wind

Spring time in the rockies and snow, a little sun and the never ending wind. Didn't stop my #30daysofbiking goal one bit!

Yesterday's Earth Day deals

Yesterday being Earth Day it seems companies want to try to show the world how "Green" they are. Some have rewards that you and I could easily have taken advantage of. Starbucks gave you free coffee if you brought a reusable cup to they're store. My favorite was my local Brewery gave you a free pint of beer for riding your bike there instead of driving. 

Yet another good reason to get out and ride your bike.

A fun work project

So I've had this fun work project that I'm working on for the neighbors.
A garage conversion to a studio so they can use it in the summer.
In between phases I get to ride my bike. Today I built the little over hang. Then got to go for a little spin and celebrate a friends birthday.
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Sunshine and Bicycles

A chilly morning is giving way to the warmth of the sun. Thus making for a nice morning ride with a few stops to peel off a few layers.
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Another day of rain

Surprisingly it rained again today and right when I had planned ride never the less I got out for a short spin up in the open space trails.
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Break in the storm

Got a little break in the storm so I stopped for a quick lunch and check on the dogs. Then off again for some more climbing. Put in a epic 30 mile off road ride and felt strong.
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Here come the rain!

Had to get my 30 days on a Couch ride in this morning before the rain starts. Well I barely made it back. Got a little wet but just missed the down pour.
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Evening spin on the 29

Got out for a spin through the local trails for a nice evening ride.
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29'er conversion

So I decided to convert the Red Couch from a 26 inch mtb to a 29 inch wheel and try it out. I took the suspension fork off and install a carbon legged rigid fork. Then pulled the 26 wheels of and mounted up the 29'ers.
Checked the bottom bracket height and It comes in at 13 1/4 a little high but good pedal clearance.
How does it ride? Well geometry worked out fine and steering was just right. Went with a 34 X 21 gear ratio and was able to climb everything on the ride today.
Another fun day on a couch.
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Pass the hump

Day 16 of the #30daysofbiking challenge and I have logged over 300 miles so far. Nice to be committed and get some good mileage in. It will make me stronger for the long distance summer rides I like to do.

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Waking to the smell of Quiche

After a good soaking rain Wednesday night, Thursday brought cooler temps and wind.
Got out for an evening ride and met up with Ranger Ron for the rest of the ride. On the way home the wind was so bad it blew us right into the brewery parking lot. Next thing we knew we were engaged in conversation and tall Pilsners in hand.
Then as if in a dream I woke this morning to the smell of quiche baking in the oven.
One of Julie's last minute projects before leaving for long weekend visit with Mom.
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Rainy day ride

Rainy spring ride today but not stopping me from my 30 days on the Couch.

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Nothing like a tub of beer

Loading up at the brewery before heading to Salida for the weekend fun. Yes that's a tub of beer. Part of a prop for the prohibition party Saturday night.
Off to Salida for lots of fun riding and beer drinking.
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Daily Double

Got a Daily Double in today, off-road in the AM and on the road up to
REI for some Birthday shopping with Julie.

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Short spin for beer

A short spin to the brewery and back for beer and social hours with friends. Good beer, friends and conversations. A little weekend planing in tje mix as well.
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Garden of the Gods

6th day on the couch with a spirited 30 miler with Ranger Ron.
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More wind damage

As I get out more on the trail I'm seeing more damage from the high wind of the weekend.
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Colorado Springs and 87 mph winds

Day 3 wind and rain watch out for falling trees.
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Colorado Springs- Norad

Norad in the background day2 MTB fixed gear ride.
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Dafodils bloomin

Day one ride on a Couch.
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Last of the full face

Shaving today 4/1/11
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Santa was good to me

Santa delivered a very nice custom designed Timbuk2 messenger bag. It will see a lot of use this coming year, I love those colors!

2011 and a New Start

I've been off the blog for a while and have a renewed interest so let's see if I can keep the moment going this year.

A wrap-up of last year (2010) on the Couch. Some how I managed to get almost 4,500 miles on the bike. My goal was 6,000 miles but as usual life gets in the way.

One of my rides that stands out the most was one I did with my good friend Ron. It was a 26 mile 7,500 foot climb to the top of the 14,000 ft Pikes Peak. This was an organized ride sponsored by the local Cadillac dealer. The organizers reserved the Pikes Peak Highway for the day and closed a lane of traffic from the town of Manitou Springs.

Bikes are not normally allow on the Pikes Peak Highway during the day so there is really no way to pre-ride the course. With this in mind we had to take educated guesses as to what gear combo to ride the mountain with. The gear combo we picked was 42x20 on my bike and Ron decided on a 42x19 combo. At about mid way up the Peak we both realized that we will rethink our gear combo for this year. It was a very tough ride up the mountain, with wind gust approaching 50 mph at times, the added challenge was about all I could take.

I mean how do you train for a ride like this? Well I'm not sure you can but strength and determination certainly help. Ron made it to the top before I did, he was in a lot better shape than me that day. One of the rewards of making it to the top is warming up in the summit house restaurant with hot coffee and high altitude donuts.
The donuts are a special treat so I brought 2 extras down with me for My GF Julie and her Mom.

Another benefit is that we got to descend off the 14,110ft peak. They had check points setup on the way down to inspect your brakes for heating. And make sure you could see clearly pass the big grin on your face. Coming off the very top was a bit scary when coming around some of the switchbacks and getting huge gust of wind in your face.

Arriving back in Manitou Springs we went straight to the expo area and found the beer tent. A big cheer of beers and my special delivery of High altitude Donuts and it all seemed like a dream. Really I thought to myself as I turn to look up at Pikes Peak behind me, wow.

Riding a Singlespeed bike to the top of Pikes Peak is a fete not for the faint of heart, granted. But Ron and I were both surprised to see a guy riding a Unicycle up there. Can you believe that, amazing is all I can say!

So will we do it again? You bet we will do it again this year and yes a better gear selection is in order.

I did have plenty of other rides that were just as rewarding, like a 53 mile MTB ride to "preride" the race course at the Air Force Academy. Again with Ron (he was racing there in a couple of weeks).

We got in a few century rides that were fun. One down in New Mexico with Julie, Ron and Julie's friend from work Pat. That was a good ride and very spirited. Usually we will ride the Santa Fe Century but missed it last year. It's on the calendar for this year.

I did get to fulfill one of my goals. To ride from my house over to Salida, Co which is about 125 miles. I did it in November it was a windy and cold ride. I decided to split this ride up and made it a 2 day ride. The first days ride was not bad with a big highway shoulder most of the way. The next day's ride was the toughest, lots more climbing and narrow shoulders. I took a wrong turn and added an extra 12 miles to my trip, then had a flat tire that put me farther behind. I rolled into Salida after 6:00 with lights on and a good chill setting in. The hotel shower was a savior, and I never left the room till the next morning.

Julie and I always go to Arizona for the Christmas holidays and manage to get some really good rides in. The day before New Years I rode in a snow storm in Scottsdale, Arizona. Seems crazy but it was not even 32 degrees so coming down from Colorado it was a balmy ride for me.

Well that's the year wrapped up for now. On to this year!