Daily Distractions

If you haven't been to pezcyclingnews.com, now is the time. Here is a supple sample from their "Daily Distractions" section.

Discuss.....

Rocky Mountain Flyer

Here's a new ad Oskar Blues will have in the upcoming Rocky Mountain Flyer magazine. Yep, that's the first edition Redstone wooly & a picture from our own Debaser.
Cheers!

Doudy Draw, Coyotes in the city

Finally got to see the recently opened Doudy Draw Trail from the handlebars, and it adds a great section of trail to my local loop. 2 1/2 hours of riding from my door leads to this great view!

And coyotes in the city! Looks like he's hanging out at the buffet line there.

Boulder Res CX #1

Redstone & I Made our way to the Boulder Res for the the 3rd stop on the Boulder Racing Cyclocross series. The weather was amazing, to good for cyclocross & that amount of sand. A little moisture is always welcome on this course. This baby doesn't fit my strengths & is basically a glorified road crit. Again, I didn't get called up & had to fight my way through the 3's field. The size of the field was smaller than the last round but still took a lot out of me to fight through. I was able to work my way up to the 3 leaders. I saw the leader make his move with a guy between us. Homeboy didn't respond & by the time i figured out he wasn't going to I had let the leader get away. I was unable to close the gap but cruised in 2nd for the first podium of the new season. Hopefully this race will up the high end with the BIG weekend coming.

What's up Red Stoners?

So that's what the blog has boiled down to in my absence - Melis ripping up the cross course, rad Moab trips, and Tuesday night long-light burns in the darkness. You sallies used to rally. I don't even know who you guys are anymore.



OK, really, I miss it this time of year, and I'm glad to see you guys in action, Jackson.

Race season winding down here in VA. I took 4th out of 32 in our local 6 hour race - The Paranormal. It rallied.

Miss your mugs.

-AJ

Hall'n at Dusk

It's getting to be that time of year. After the bike shop shut down, about all I had daylight left to do was Hall Ranch. Not that I get tired of it or anything. Here's a Hall view you don't see too often. This is from the loop looking back towards town and Indian Lookout Mountain.
And here's the view you always get. Looking west on the trail towards Mt. Meeker and Long's Peak. I don't get tired of this view either.

I was feeling pretty good tonight so I climbed the front side. Middle ring and no dabs, woohoo. After more climbing up to the loop, it looked like I had daylight on my side. The Nelson Loop was in excellent condition. It's braiding in a couple of spots, but otherwise, as single as I've ever seen it. It must be getting and staying cold on top, too. There were a couple of sections on the loop where the soil was still damp and deliciously tacky. One lap clockwise, then one lap counterclockwise and it was time to head back. By the time I made my way back down the frontside, I had the entire park by myself. That's good timing. I revelled in it.

Oh, can't forget the Tuesday ride. Meet at the shop at 6pm. Bright lights with good burn times mandatory. Right now, I'm thinking about going up to Pole Hill Rd. It's all jeep roads (as in no singletrack) but it's fun stuff nonetheless. I could be swayed, too so we'll see what happens when everyone shows. Dress warm, it's bound to be chilly up there.

What a difference a couple of days can make. Saturday was cold and grey.

It was a sleepy Saturday afternoon downtown. And today, the sun is shining and the weather is awesome. Good luck today crossers. Hope the rest of y'all get out to play, too.

moab

posting from an iPhone so will keep it short.

We are having a blast, weather is perfect.

cant post photos but will later.

Cheers

Tops

Top 20 Turner dealer worldwide.
Top 30 Intense.

Who'd a thunk all that from the world's smallest bike shop?

One down & lots of fitness to go

I made it to interlocken for the 2nd race of the Boulder Cyclocross series. To be honest my first dismount of the year came earlier that day so I was unsure what to expect. One thing was obvious, cyclocross is taking off on the front range. As I tried to jump into the cat 4 race for a pre-ride of the course it was nearly impossible, over 100 racers covered the course end to end. The 3's was a bit smaller & only had 70 finishers, not sure how many starters. They called up every individual, first by points & then by order of registration. Ouch, yep I registered only less than an hour before the race. The course was in great shape, tons of thick, well cut grass & one mud hole into a slippery mud run climb. I rode a pretty consistent race since I wasn't sure what to expect. I can't be sure, but it felt as if i passed 50+ people through the first few laps. The race started to come to me as the laps ticked off & with 2 laps to go I had only a 6 second deficit to the lead group of 4. Not sure why i couldn't close it down but it remained the same the last few laps I rode in for a solo 5th place, pretty happy considering the tough start & lack of preparation. I'm looking forward to the next month of racing. Here are the dates i plan to race, get your cow bells out & catch the fever. I needed that first race to remind me how fun CX is. see you out there.
Thanks for getting the bike dialed Dave, O yeah I may as well buy some more brake pads.10/28/2007 CX Boulder CX Series (BOULDER RES)
11/3/2007 CX Redline Cup (UCI/ACA) DBC
11/4/2007 CX Boulder Cup (UCI/ACA) DBC
11/10/2007 CX Mountaineer Cross (UCI/ACA) Gunnison
11/11/2007 Fort Leiws College SquawkerCross, Durango, CO
11/17/2007 CX Red Rocks Velo Cross Series – Golden
11/24/2007 CX Boulder CX Series – Boulder
11/25/2007 CX Gcross GMSV Littleton
12/2/2007 CX Red Rocks Velo Cross Series RRV Golden
12/9/2007 CX Boulder CX Series Colorado CX Championships BR

Tuesday Ride 10/23

Just like last week. We're going to play it by ear due to snowfall, etc. Meet up at the shop at 6pm and we'll decide where we want to go. Lights mandatory. see you there!

Oh - Tree has dibs on the loaner light so it's off the table this week.

Plan D or E?

This weekend we blew through so many plans, I'm still a bit confused about how it all came together. No matter, because after a painful ride on slickrock, a great hike, and a crappy drive over iced over highways, we're all safe at home. I wouldn't have it any other way.

L H O H V F U N

Intense Slopestyle and Turner latest inventory

The Intense 6.6 Slopestyle is now! Backorders are starting to happen, so get in line if you're interested. Like the 6.6? Think slacker head angle, more standover and a coil shock and you've got the Slopestyle 6.6. This one shown is the special British Nigel Page edition.


Next up is Turner inventory. I know it's been challenging for a bit, but things are starting to improve. Thanks everyone for their patience. Here's the latest:

Nitrous - large only
Flux - XL, both colors
Sultan - M, L, XL all in stock, blue. M avail in Bronze, too.
Spot are still out of stock (I have a red large)
RFX - small both colors, med bronze, xl both colors
Highline - all sizes and colors are available.

This list changes every day so give a shout if you find something appealing. :)

bike shop hours this weekend

My schedule got a little mixed up for this weekend so I'll have wierd hours.

Friday 10/19... closed
Saturday 10/20... 12:00-5:00
Sunday 10/21... 12:00-4:00

wieners and starships

I followed a wiener into Lyons the other day.
A wienermobile to be more precise. I wonder if it was on its way to attend a sausage fest somewhere?
And Mark brought in this super duper sweet Boulder Starship. I did not realize until recently that Boulder Bikes was based out of Lyons.
Shock mounts have changed a little since this bike was cutting edge.
I always liked the clean look of the integrated rear shock. Not exactly the best scenario for folks that like to drop their saddle, though!

Tuesday ride is on!

Tuesday 10/16, meet at the shop at 6pm. Lights mandatory and location tbd. We'll have to get the snow report from tomorrow.

Unfortunately, the loaner light is not available tonight. My light is not back from 24hrs of Moab yet so I will be rocking the loaner.

See you in May

After a rough week concluding with a nice headcold and 2 hours in the dentist chair Friday, and a forcast of rain down here and snow in the mountains, the weekend wasn't really looking the best. After getting a few chores done Saturday morning, I loaded up, drove through the rain, and went for what will likely be my last Ned ride of the year. The weather up there was cloudy, chilly, but not wet when I started. After about an hour in the woods, the shunderstorms rolled in with not rain, but snow, and 35 degree temps. I bailed back to the car cold but happy. See you next May, Ned.

Not as much fun as trails, but still fun

Was wondering if the "Stone Pile" would like to gather up at Oskars tonight and watch the Rockies bitch slap the D-backs again. Gametime is at 8 MST (correct if I'm wrong).

Don't forget, everyone is a member of the Stone Pile. Come on out and lets watch some baseball.

Free the Trail - Important stuff!

I just got this email from IMBA. Make your comments asap, PLEASE. Comments are due October 12. Yep, thats Friday. It will only take a sec and it's monumentally important!


Last Chance to Save Bike Accesson Continental Divide Trail

Mountain bike access on the revered Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is still threatened and IMBA needs you to take action. The CDT is a unique 3,100-mile route largely open to bikes and includes epic segments like the Monarch Crest Trail.
The deadline for comments is Friday, October 12 and IMBA wants to make one final push. If you haven't already, please use IMBA's simple on-line form to submit your comments. Those who have already taken action should ask their riding friends to join the nearly 6,500 mountain bikers who have voiced their support for equitable bike access on the CDT.
Take ActionIMBA's simple form makes it easy to submit your comments. The deadline is Friday, October 12.
Spread the WordTell your friends to voice their support of bicycling on the CDT.
Organizations Support Shared-Use on the CDT
Other stakeholders have come forward in favor of diverse non-motorized opportunities on the CDT. "The Continental Divide Trail Alliance (CDTA) believes mountain bikers, like other non-motorized users, should have appropriate access to suitable segments of the Continental Divide Trail. We agree that mountain bikes were unfairly singled out in the proposed directive," says Paula Ward, CDTA Executive Director. "Although the CDNST was originally created primarily for foot and horse travel, we should be evaluating the appropriateness of other non-motorized uses."
The Colorado Trail Foundation (CTF) board of directors voted unanimously to request continued mountain bike access to the Colorado Trail, which shares approximately 150 miles with the CDT. CTF understands what a valuable constituency mountain bikers can be to the trail and knows that a united trail user group of hikers, bicyclists and equestrians can all work together to share this treasured resource.
Additional information is available through IMBA's prior CDT action alert.
"Free the Trail" T-Shirt Supports IMBA Legal FundOur friends at Fox Racing Shox, Western Spirit Cycling Adventures and Yeti Cycles have released the classic "Free the Trail" T-shirt to support trail access everywhere.
They're available online and all proceeds go directly to the IMBA Legal Fund.

Night riding is good riding

Night ride tonight. Good stuff, too. It was a small crew, just Keith, Chad, and me. Chad hadn't ridden Miller Rock yet this year so that's where we headed. Gotta let a buddy check one off the list, eh? It was chilly tonight. We started on the road and descended quickly into Raymond for the start of the ride. That was enough for instafreeze. That town get's cold, for sure. it's stuck way down in the bottom of a canyon with plenty of cold water running thru. Instafreeze. Thankfully, we started climbing soon enough. And climb we did. We warmed up about as fast as we froze, too. No one cleaned the rocky, baby headed excuse of a jeep road tonight. A couple of dabs and we were all up, though. I guess completely getting off and walking a bit isn't really a dab, though...

Once we got to the "top" we were all into a good groove. The sun had gone away enough that we were all blazing lights by then, too. The "top" is deceptive, as it's only the first real intersection - not exactly the highest elevation of the evening. With our option, though, there was still more climbing from there. And more climbing. Oh, and more baby heads, too. And more climbing. But the rewards were good. We managed to climb on some really tight singletrack into an Aspen grove trenched with narrow trails and fun, embedded rocks. The ride was getting really good by this time. We were on fun singletrack with only more fun rolling singletrack left before the rocky and rooty jeep road descent back to town.

And then my light went out.

I had it charged for last weeks non ride and didn't plug it in since. Guess I should have! I had some very minor LED power left in the light and Keith loaned me his AA battery powered handlebar Cateye. I sandwiched myself between Chad in the front and Keith behind for the rest of the ride. The initial jeep road descent was fun. Challenging, though. There were times when I'd run out of light because Chads light was pointing one way and Keith's another. Those times were moments when I had to have faith in the bike and faith that I had picked an accurate line thru the rocks. Sometimes I didn't pick the right line and had a hell of a ride.

Then the loaner light went out, too.

Thankfully, we were almost to the final descent. From there on, we managed to ride effectively as a team enough that we could hit the main descent with almost as much speed as we normally do. Chad in front, me in the middle and Keith's light shining from behind. Sounds weird, but it was good stuff. Chad was pickign a smooth enough line that all I had to do was watch his light and follow his wheels. It felt fast enough, especially when I was playing pinball on baby head rocks that I didn't see ahead of time. Maybe it just felt as fast because I couldn't see a damn thing. Who knows but I made it down in one piece and never even put a foot down.

Good stuff that night riding. Better get used to it, too. Night riding season is upon us.

Tues Ride 10/9

Come on by. We'll be leaving the shop at 6pm. Location tbd. Lights with good burn times mandatory. Expect to get back late, bearing in mind that Oskar's kitchen closes at 10...

How bout them Rockies!!!!!!

Bring on the Dbacks............

Heil to Lyons connector trail day #1

Most excellent day today for trailwork! Got out with DMD and Melis for some rock moving up at Heil for trail day #1 on the connector. Tons of trail was built today, and it's a lot like Wild Turkey. Gonna be good, and hopefully done next summer. Yes! More trails!

Trails are good

First, working on trails. Today was a monumental day for Boulder County and Lyons residents. Sat, 10/6 was the first public workday for the new connector trail that will allow for Heil Ranch access from the north end of the park in Lyons. We couldn't have asked for a better day to work. The skies were a cloudless blue and the temperatures were perfect. The trail gods must have smiled upon us. Approximately 120 volunteers (mostly bike folk) showed up to get dirty. Debaser, Melis, and I found ourselves working in and out of scrub brush with great views all day long. Some of those rocks need some intertia to get going.
Some of the sections were smooth and flowy.

With more good views.
And other sections will be tough and technical. This tight rock gap was hard enough to walk thru. I'd love to see it stay, but I fear that the trail will be quite different next time we're on it.
Afterwards, Lyons own Oskar Blues threw down with chili, pasta salad, and that Oh So Tasty Dales Pale Ale. Everyone was in accord that it was a good trail day.
Next, riding trails. Melis and I rallied shortly after the beer was gone. We bid farewell to Debaser as he headed south to change diapers. Chad and I headed west. Where the fall colors are starting to move on. Still plenty of fire in those leaves yet, though.
Nothing beats riding high in the fall. This may have been one of the last times we can successfully navigate that kind of elevation. Snow is coming. You could feel it in the air.

We played an some bridges near the wilderness boundary.
Time spent in the air is smoother than time spent on the ground.

We gave the bikes a quick rest before the days descent.
It was so fun, we never stopped for pics. Some of the best snapshots are in memory. I wouldn't have traded this fine day for much.

Building trail. Riding trail. Trail good.

Moab II

We met up again at Slickrock Cycles on Sunday morning. The crew was smaller and not quite so spry. The few that remained were eager to ride but bleary eyed. The bikes kept coming out and coming out and coming out. That's a trailer full of Turners.
We drove north quite a ways out of town to hit the legendary Tusher Canyon Slickrock. I've been before, but was happy to revisit the area. There is some really amazing terrain up there. The slickrock begins with some hike a bike sections. It deters a few folks, but it's worthy. The Entrada slickrock it leads to is amazing.

Phillip, our day's guide, points the way. "See if you can make it up that..."
Jay rides the rim. We climbed quickly and abruptly. Any way down was a long one.
Once on top, it was like a slickrock beach.

The lookout yielded views of Monitor and Merrimac (in the back), and Determination Towers (in the front).
I even found a little oasis in the slickrock.
Once we were done with Tusher, we found ourselves back in the sandy wash heading to Determination Towers. We had lunch at the top fo this cliff.
A close up of one of the Determination Towers. See the climber?

I found some life in the desert, too. A trilobite.

More slickrock as we headed to Courthouse Rock. It was a lot rougher than it appears, too.
Here's Dave Turner himself climbing out back to the road at the end of a great ride.
We ended up at the Halfway Stage Station. Interesting history, for sure. Highway rest areas sure have changed a lot since then.

That's all for now. I munched the top 3mm off my thumb earlier today truing a brake rotor. I'm not much up for more typing with a stitched thumb 3 times the size of Fonzy's. Maybe tomorrow. Sorry I had to bail on the ride tonight, too. Those beers at Oscars definitely helped, though.