Arizona Roadtrip!

2009 was my first visit to Phoenix, AZ with a bike.  My wifes family has a house that's, fortunately, only a 10 minute bike ride to South Mountain park.  It's like being at a ski in/ski out condo right on the mountain.  2 years ago I said, "I'll be back. Next time, though, I think I'll have to nab the car for a day to check out some other riding areas around Phoenix."

Needless to say when Christmas rolled around this year and there was talk of an AZ road trip, I said "Sign me up!"

Intense Carbine!

For the record, so far I'm LOVING the new Intense Carbine.

Carbon fiber, 5.5 or 6" of travel, 12x142 rear thru axle.  Damn, this bike is sweet and rides every bit as nice if not nicer than the oh so awesome Tracer 2.  After 12 hours of hard riding in the Phoenix area desert, this bike has been thru about everything I could throw at it.  Incredible.  Expect a full write up soon!

Cyclocross comes to Lyons for some Ghetto Singletrack Lovin

The last stop of the Boulder Cyclocross Series came to Lyons on Sunday 12/11.  With the exception of maybe 1 year, Lyons has played host to an annual cross race since the State Champ Cross race in 2007.  The original course was in the middle of Bohn Park.  It would've been blazing fast and flat, but the big dump of snow a couple of days before the event set the park up for some great racing.  Since then, promoters have moved the course to the high school allow for a better course, more parking, and better spectating.  It was a good move.

XT Trail Pedals, PD M785

Favorite things. Favorite, not because it sells well or is marketed well. This is stuff that we ride and like and ride and like some more. Because we like it, because it works like it's supposed to, and because we don't have to work on it any more.

Todays Favorite Thing - the Shimano XT Trail Pedal.  This is a new pedal, part of the 780 series XT.  Shimano introduced the XTR trail pedal early in 2011(reviewed in Bicycling here) with the new 980 group.  By late summer, that had trickled down to XT level and fortunately, XT price point.  Enter my interest!

Trail Work on Picture Rock's First Corner

Redstone Cyclery has been the designated trail steward of Heil Ranches Picture Rock trail since it's inception. Any time we'd have a trail work day set aside, County staff would ask us what we wanted to work on, we would figure out a place, and we'd get a crew out there to get 'er done.  About 8 months after the trail opened, it was obvious that the very first uphill right corner (and the very last downhill left hander) was built wrong.  Going up was no big deal, but coming down was a decreasing radius off camber corner.  In short, it was a corner designed to spit people off trail.  After a few years, the corner got more blown out with more braking bumps and just plain got worse.  We kept bugging Boulder County to let us rebuild the corner.  Always, the answer was, "No, that's too big of a project."  We kept plugging away with other trailwork sessions and continued to build our relationship with Boulder County Open Space. Finally, when we sat down to schedule a winter Saturday for trailwork, we once again asked about this corner.  Finally, we had our chance.

REEBin' it up in the desert down south

Having heard so many great things about the Pueblo Reservoir and having never been there, the powers that be decided it was time for a REEB Cycles road trip to the south!  Thursday pm, 4 of us loaded the car with REEBs, several cases of beer, good attitudes, and a serious desire for some Colorado desert riding.

Given that, it should probably go without saying that we all woke up early Friday with thundering headaches and a lot of empty Dales Pale Ale cans.

REEB launches Website & Blog

We have launched www.reebcycles.com and it will include all the history of this Oskar Blues, Brews & Bikes Blog and will also be the focus of all future blog entries.

 Crack a can of beer and visit the site.  Click on "You Say Somthing" to add what REEB means to you.  Click on "Give Me More Said" to see what other people have said.  REEB is you, you are REEB.  REEB NATION!

Picture Rock Trail Work, Sat 11/19

We're trying to get in one more work day before the snow shuts us down for the winter. We REALLY need to rework the very first corner on picture rock, the uphill right hander as you leave the parking lot. Coming down, it's got an off camber decreasing radius that's been forcing folks off the trail since day one. We're going to re-radius the corner and need about 10 people.

Sat AM, 9-10ish. Who's in?

A Word From BMA

A History of Success and Progress... 

Mountain biking has never been as good in Boulder County as it is today. The Boulder Mountainbike Alliance has made huge progress with every land management agency over the last 10 years and we still have big visions for the future. Think about a regionally integrated recreational trail system that would allow you to ride from your home to city open space to county open space to forest service lands and beyond! A carbon-free recreation experience that starts at your front door - that's a  vision worth fighting for, and it is where BMA is focusing our efforts now that the West TSA is over.

The mountain biking community has proven ourselves the best stewards of the land Boulder County has to offer. We spend more time building and maintaining trail, advocating for the passage of open space taxes, engaging in peer to peer education, partnering with County Open Space (e.g. Hall, Heil) and City Parks and Rec (Valmont Bike Park) to accomplish great things.

We even recently had a constructive relationship with the City's Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department - challenging them to get more creative in managing use on their lands and opening up new cycling opportunities in the Marshall Mesa and Doudy Draw area.

... With a Temporary Bump in the Road

Anemone Hill and the rest of the West TSA was in part a disappointment because BMA believes in win-win solutions. We believe that preserving the environment and providing quality recreational experiences are not mutually exclusive goals - in fact they are mutually supportive.

Giants of the environmental movement like Aldo Leopold and John Muir understood that people must experience nature to learn to love and value it. As Edward Abbey once wrote, "it is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it." Mountain biking provides us with a deep connection with nature, an experience our heroes demand we have.

Some environmentalists in Boulder are anti-bike because they believe deep in their bones that man-kind is out of balance with nature. And maybe they are right. Species are in decline, the climate is changing, forests are being eaten by the pine bark beetle and burned by fires.

But the solutions advocated by this narrow group of environmentalists (keep bikes out!) are disproportionate to the challenge they have identified. Mountain bikes are not drilling rigs and trails are not well pads. Our access issues have little to do with the regional and global environmental problems that trouble both of our communities. Mountain bikers are a great partner in conservation efforts, but we fear that bridge has been burned in Boulder - at least temporarily.

From where we sit now, it is reasonable to ask whether it was ever worth engaging with the City of Boulder on bike access in the West TSA. After all, the majority on City Council didn't say no to a trail on Anemone Hill. They said no to bikes. A trail will be built, it will have environmental impacts, it will have parking problems, it will cost money, but it will be open to hikers and equestrians only. The positive value of a near-town riding experience didn't hold water with a majority of city council - they didn't understand that we want to ride to our ride, that our kids need someplace to ride that doesn't involve jockeying with car traffic, that of the over 100 miles of trail in the West TSA, we were only asking for shared access to six.

We came very close to winning reasonable and responsible access, and that closeness is a sign of progress. The Open Space Board of Trustees voted 4 to 1 to give us a 4-5 mile loop on Anemone Hill. Four city council members - just one shy of a majority - voted to give us access to this one small piece of open space. These council members did not just vote yes, they gave passionate testimony on behalf shared access and the recommendations of the Open Space Board of Trustees. We have progressed substantially in educating city officials on the environmental impacts of mountain biking, and several trustees now acknowledge that the impacts from mountain biking are essentially no different than hiking.

We know the unspoken truth - that OSMP staff were split on the issue of allowing bike access. High up on the OSMP totem pole the idea got shot down, but the flesh and blood of the organization has seen that a purely political decision was made. They understand now, better that even before, that this is not about impacts on the resource, this is not about user conflict - this is about maintaining the status quo - no bikes in the West TSA. To city staff that have been open minded, we offer our sincere thanks! We will continue to persuade citizens and government officials that the gap between the conservation and mountain bike communities is narrow.

What Comes Next?

But what do we do now? Do we stick it to the man and start poaching trails? Does BMA give up on the city entirely and focus elsewhere where we have more constructive relationships with the county and forest service? NO! Every single inch of access that BMA has achieved has been done because we have proven time and time again that we are responsible citizens and that we are not going away. We have decided to make Boulder our home. We love it here. We are not leaving.

We were on the cusp of victory in the West TSA - as modest as that victory may have been. We will continue to show up; we will continue to make a difference; we will continue to build and maintain trail; we will continue to demand fair access; we will continue to lead a two-wheeled lifestyle; we will continue to prove that nobody is a better steward of our public lands than the mountain biking community - even when they slam the door in our face.

I and the rest of BMA want to offer our personal and heartfelt thanks to the many, many members of our community that have made a difference. We want to assure you that though we have lost this battle, our vision will win the future. If you are one of the numerous people disillusioned by this entire process, know that we understand. A small piece of our dream has been shattered. But we take heart in the community that we have formed together. It is that community that ensures our ultimate success. It is our willingness to continue taking the high road - even in the face of utterly inexplicable injustice - that has gotten us to where we are at today. And it is that same can-do attitude that will carry us into the future. So chill out, relax, and recover from this madness. Continue to ride. The job is not over yet.

Jason Vogel, President of BMA

president@bouldermountainbike.org

MRP 2X chainguide

Episode 1 in a new category.  Favorite things.  Favorite, not because it sells well or is marketed well.  This is stuff that we ride and like and ride and like some more.  Because we like it, because it works like it's supposed to, and because we don't have to work on it any more.  I'd like to point out also, that Redstone Cyclery is an independent bike shop.  As in independent of any corporations telling me what we should and should not carry in the bike shop.  We carry bikes and parts that our customers like and that we like.  Not things that a company from WI or one with a big red S tells us to carry.


That said, here's one of our first favorites.  Anybody out there recently move to a 2x10 drivetrain?  Did you notice that on rough sections of trail, the chain has a habit of coming off the front rings no matter what you do?  Enter the MRP 2x Chainguide.  The MRP 2x is the only chainguide out there made specifically for a 2 ring setup on todays modern 2x10 drivetrain.  It is available for ISCG tabs or bottom bracket mount.  We've mounted a few of both.  The ISCG tabs make setup a no brainer.  On the bb mounts, you've got to get a little more creative, but it can be done effectively.

The MRP 2x before crank install

Inside chainring postion on the inside roller.

another shot of outside ring

outside chainring, outside roller

My first ride out on the 2x was a pretty fair sized epic outside of Breckenridge, Wheeler Pass.  We climb, climb, climb, climbed out of Breckenridge on what became an increasingly steep and rocky road.  Not having been a fan of chainguides in the past, being noisy and full of drag, I was a bit skeptical of how the 2x would perform when I needed pedaling efficiency to be at a maximum.  I was surprised.  If I really tried, I could feel the chainguide there, but I definitely didn't feel as if it was robbing me of any efficiency.  So far so good.  Perfect and smooth, but the real test would be on the descents.  Fortunately, this ride had a couple of really good descents to test the tensioner. The MRP 2x worked flawlessly.  I had zero chain tension related issues and everything stayed put like it's supposed to.  Gotta point out the incorporated bash guard on the 2x as well.  Having pretty much always been on a front triple, I've never had much use for a bashring because it would mean giving up my big ring.  Not the case now.  And I do have to admit, I've REALLY become accustom to having a bash guard on my bike!



Since that ride, I've put a bunch of hours on this chainguide.  I can honestly say, it's one of the best and smartest upgrades I've made to my Intense Tracer all year.  Good stuff.  The MRP 2x Chain Guide msrps for $150.

My Take on MTB Access on City of Boulder OS

I give up on mountain bike access from downtown Boulder.  Why?  Because it is too ingrained in Boulder's culture, staff, and elected officials to think that mountain bikes are the enemy.

Recently, Boulder City Council rejected a proposal that would've created a loop trail on Anemone Hill - basically Settlers Park on Mapleton.  Tons of bike supporters called, wrote letters, and showed up for public comment at the city council meeting.  Didn't even make a dent.  What use is public comment at a meeting when city council people had prepared speeches and notes ready. Were they even prepared to hear what folks had to say?  No.  Like BMAs president Jason Vogel said, 99% of the people in that room had minds made up before they even got there.  It's time to move on and give up on access west of Boulder.  The time may come, but not until elected officials are voted out of office and city staffers move on.  This cultural shift won't happen  anytime soon.

In a recent Boulder Daily Camera Article read, "She [Boulder Mayor Susan Osborne] went on to say that she's "certainly sorry about the rancor" that the issue has caused, but she doesn't think the correct response is for the cycling community to leave the table. "We make tough decisions all the time, and it's really rare that the person or group on the losing side does a, 'I'm going to take my marbles home and I'm not going to play anymore,'" she said. "We have another vote on a mountain biking trail that at least to some people seems like another pretty good option. I don't get the strategy where you basically take no prisoners."

Really?  What does she want us to do, come back for another pounding after receiving continual poundings since being banned on city Open Space since 1984?  It think 27 years of being shot down warrants either not playing their game anymore, or a DRASTIC shift in how we, mountain bikers, policiticize.  


The more we beat our heads against the wall where policy makers obviously don't want us, the more we're going to hurt our chances when it comes to a place where they might actually give us some leeway, like Beech and N Boulder Valley Ranch.

I think it's time to take a step back take a look at what's actually been accomplished. the High Plains and Springbrook area TSAs had great outcomes, but the West TSA was set up for failure from the get go. City Council and OS Staff reconfigured the public process to achieve a desired outcome. Was anyone surprised when the bike ban in the west was upheld? In the ashes of West TSA, council threw it back to staff and said "explore Anenome Hill" in an attempt to immediately appease bike peeps. It wasn't to appease us long term with real access. This last meeting wasn't entirely about access on Anemone, it was about a specific loop trail on Anenome - something BMA asked for but OS staff was against.

Open Space Board of Trustees will convene on 11/2 to discuss a connector over Anenome to 4 mile. Even if Council approves that, once again, they are setting mountain bikers up for a predetermined outcome. An out and back trail in an already crowded area will do nothing but further anti mtb sentiment. Head on traffic, user conflict and too many users on one trail will be the result.

Focusing on mtb access out of Boulder is great, but I think it's unrealistic to see access out of downtown anytime soon, especially given current leadership. Let's focus more on southern and northern access on city property. There is a LOT of potential in Boulder County OS. Walker, Hall, and Rabbit Mt management plans will be up for discussion soon. Let's start refocusing on attainable goals.

Want more and better access from downtown? Call for Mike Patton's resignation and vote those idiots on Boulder city council out of office.

Rant off.  It's time to ride.  Somewhere that's not governed by Boulder City.

Consignment bikes 10/21/11

Here's our latest bikes on consignment!

Giant Allegre flat bar road bike, great townie!  $195/offer

Ibis Mojo SL, medium, $2900/offer

 Santa Cruz Nomad small, $2800/offer

Another trail done gone

I heard on Thursday that Boulder County, in conjunction with the USFS closed Bell Gulch.  Bummer.  I'm going to check it out soon.  I will report back.

Before:

After:

The State of the Lyons Bike Park

A few weeks back, Lyons played host to a really cool event called the Devil Dash.  A bunch of my friends ran it and said it was super fun and a great event all the way around.

BUT...  the race was held on our first crappy snow/sleet/muddy day of the year.  And they ran the course thru pretty much all of the jumps at the Lyons Bike Park.  Needless to say, 1600 people clawing their way up slick and muddy dirt jumps decimated the bike park.

I passed this info along to Park and Rec, hoping they would seek some action from the Devil Dash promotors.  Having not heard anything back from P&R and getting frustrated every time I so much as rode by the park, I decided to email the promoters directly.  Here is my email and their response.  Let us hope for a quick turnaround.
***********************************************
MY EMAIL:

Hi Devil Dash folks.  First off, thanks for bringing such a cool event to Lyons.  Sounds like it went well, was well attended, and lots of folks had fun.

I run a bike shop here in Lyons and have to admit I was a little dismayed to see that you chose to run your course thru our bike park in muddy conditions.  The bike park has been rendered unrideable and is completely decimated.  Literally hundreds of man hours went into perfecting and sculpting all of the jumps in the park.  The bike park has been a great asset for local riders and kids in the area and has also been valuable for bringing in visitors to the town.  It is sad to see this resource in its current condition.  To get the park to the condition it was in before the Devil Dash is going to take a lot of time, a lot of effort, and some heavy equipment rental.

What are your plans to repair the bike park to its state before Devil Dash?

I have copied Dave Cosgrove, head of Parks and Rec on this email.

THEIR REPLY:

We apologize for the condition of the track after our race. We started the day thinking we would be OK with the weather. We had waves of racers every 30 minutes and the weather held out for the first several waves, but then the rain came, and we already had racers out by that time. 

We have been working with Dave Cosgrove on the track and the best way to proceed in order to get it repaired. We certainly will make sure that we can get it back into the condition it was before the race, and will follow Dave Cosgrov's lead on the best way to proceed.

 ***********************************************

I will try to keep everyone updated of the progress.

Been a long time update part uno

Things are starting to take a seasonal turn towards the not super busy (but also not super awesome) months.  argh.  I guess that means I'll have a bit more time for blogging, be that better or worse.  I was just reading the Redstone Underground blog and saw that it didn't cover a LOT of the fun stuff we did this summer. How about some highlights?

Montana road trip was great.

Later in the summer, we rode from Eldora Ski Resort outside of Nederland to Winter Park,

had beers and lunch in WP, took a lap on the ski lift to get a downhill run in.

 and then rode back to Eldora.

 On the same day.

Now THAT was a good ride.  I think we were good for 11 or so hours after all was said and done.  When we say "long day in the saddle," that's generally the kind of ride we're looking for.

Got in a road trip to Nebraska to see some family.  And some uber sweet awesome dirt tight and twisty lovin kind of singletrack.

Believe it or not, those pics were taken about 1/2 mile from where I grew up.  It's 9 miles of singletrack bliss surrounded by suburbiaville.  The locals say, "ah, it's ok, it's all we got."  I say, "it's buttery top notch singletrack."





Oh, can't forget BMA's sufferfest.  That was a killer day in the saddle, too.  Big ride with lots of climbing and other fun stuff.

 That ride had lots of hard climbing.

 But it was worth it.  What a great day.

Hmm, let see what else?  Got a doggie in March, Bella the Heagle.  Part Heeler, part Beagle, all awesome.  And awesome trail dog, too.  Bella and I got more than a few hours in.  Couple of loooong ones too.  She'll go longer than I will, that's for sure.  Yo Bella!

That's all I got for now.  I'm going to finish this beer and head to bed.  Part II will be coming soon.  Really!

Transition Trans Am 29er

Check this beauty out! Price will be right in with Transitions 26" Trans Am frame - it's a super smokin' deal on a good all mountain 29er hardtail frame. Want one? They're due in Jan and we're taking preorders now.

Tuesday Ride

Sorry for being so horrible about updating the blog! I've got some stuff to put up, I promise, just been a little behind.

Anyway, tonight, 10/4, we'll be heading to Jamestown! Make sure your lights are charged. Meeting at the shop at 5:30pm and rolling over to Jtown as soon-ish as we can get it together.

Need people on the 24th and 25th to help area cycling!

Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Transportation Department is seeking volunteers to take bicycle counts at locations around the county.

Volunteers will be rewarded with a one-year Boulder B-cycle membership and a custom thermos.

When: Saturday and/or Sunday, Sept. 24 and 25, 9-11 a.m.

Where: Throughout Boulder County. A map will be provided with assigned location.

The deadline to volunteer is Sept. 22. Contact Brandon Smith at 720-564-2667 or bcsmith@bouldercounty.org to register and for more information.

A location map and a simple spreadsheet will be provided to volunteers to hand-write the counts as they happen.

The bicycle counts will provide the Boulder County with useful information in five areas of study:

1. Conditions and trend analysis – documents the number of people currently bicycling, how this number is changing over time, and characteristics of the cyclists.
2. Network planning – helps prioritize improvements and find locations needing attention.
3. Demand forecasting – allows for improvements to be ready before they are needed.
4. Safety – pinpoints areas of concern between cyclists, motorists and pedestrians
5. Usage – identifies shifts in seasonality or times-of-day

RMNP night ride this Tuesday!

Our annual Rocky Mountain National Park night ride will be this Tuesday. Make sure to bring lots of extra clothing. We top out around 12000 feet and it can get cold up there. Cross bike, lights, food, clothing. It's going to be good. Estimated time of arrival back down to Lyons is probably midnight or so.

Big Fall Ride VI, Sunday 9/25

We had so much fun last year (and the several years before that) that we're doing it again.

Big

Fall

Ride

VI

Meet at the bike shop at 7:30am on Sunday 9/25. We'll shuttle folks up to the Peak to Peak and make everyone ride back to Lyons on as much dirt as possible. It's about 55 miles, lots of climbing, lots of technical singletrack, some jeep roads, some county roads, and a little bit of pavement.

Here's a last years effort. It's an all day thing. We'll end up back at the bike shop where we will have beers and grillin fixins waiting. Hope to see some of you out!

2011 Tomac Diplomat 29er Large for sale

It's that time of year when it comes for the shop to pare down its fleet of bikes. This Tomac Diplomat 29er has been very sweet, but it's time to move on.




This bike has maybe 300 miles on it. The only thing not new when we built this up was the crank and bb but we installed new chainrings to go with the rest of the new drivetrain.

Tomac Diplomat, $3100
*Large frame with a Fox RP23 rear shock
*SRAM X9 3x9
*Formula RX brakes
*handbuilt wheels on Mavic TN719 rims (Hope Pro2 Evo front, Am Classic rear)
*120mm Rock Shox Reba with 20mm thru axle
*Thomson post
*Race Face carbon Next bar and Deus stem
*Even the tires are in near new condition. This bike has been immaculately maintained during its short life span.

Shipping is included in the price as long as you are lower 48 states.

We can take credit cards or paypal. Call the shop if you have any questions 303.823.5810

Tnr 8/6

Get those lights a charging!   We're going high and riding late!    5:30pm at the bike shop.

Transition Bandit!

We just finished up this small green Transition Bandit. Full SRAM X9 2x10 with a little bit of blingy gold bits.

We put a Race Face Atlas bar on it and Sun Ringle Black Flag Pro wheels for that little bit of bling.

26.25lbs as pictured. And the grips won't add that much weight when we throw them on ;)

Heil Ranch Trailwork

Last Tuesday, we supplanted our normal Tuesday Nite Ride with trailwork on Picture Rock. We took out a couple things, added a couple things, and generally managed the flow of the trail to keep people on the line. We worked on a section directly above the old quarry where the line was getting blown out and folks were riding off trail around trees.


I revisited the area this morning and it seems to be shaping up nicely.



We are planning another workday for this fall, probably a Saturday affair so we can get more people and work a little bit more. We are definitely open for feedback on what Picture Rock could use and could not use as far as trailwork and maintenance goes. We would definitely love some feedback!

Tour of Colorado Jerseys are in!

I know, I know, it's the USA Pro Challenge, but I prefer to call it the Tour of Colorado. Cause that's what it is. Anyway, we have a few of these sweet commemorative Pearl Izumi jerseys left.

Mondays Pain

We rode Buchanan Pass a few weeks back.  It was late in the day and a little muddy but all in all a good day.  We went up Middle St Vrain and down BP, a good and efficient way to do the loop.

I was once again feeling the call of the Indian Peak and BP.  Fueled by a stressful weekend and a need to hurt more than normal, I took my REEB Cycles singlespeed up to the peak to peak for a little Buchanan Pass lovin.   It did not dissapoint. The skies and temps were perfect and the trail was in fantastic shape.  The loop proved to be quite good on a 29er SS, although I walked more than I care to admit on Coney Flats.

A great day in the high country today.  Better get some yourself,  too, cause our time will be limited before you know it!

Tuesday Ride Schedule

Tuesday 8/16 - I can't lead the ride but I'm sure others will want to ride at 5:30. If any parents of school age kids want to ride after the back to school meeting, charge up your lights so we can still ride!

Tuesday 8/23 - anyone have suggestions? We haven't been to Ned in a while, or maybe we could do Lion Gulch?

Tuesday 8/30 - Trail work on Picture Rock. Ride in around 5 and we'll work til dark. We'll be working near the quarry.

Tuesday 9/6- open to suggestions

Tuesday 9/13 - This will be our annual RMNP cross bike ride. Up Fall River Road and down Trail Ridge Road. In the dark with a full moon. Should be sweet.

That's the calendar as far as we've got it figured out. Try to make it for one or all of the rides!

Current Consignment Bikes

Take a look at what we've currently (as of 8/11/11) got in stock for used bikes. Of course, all prices are negotiable :)


Maverick Durance, medium. Comes with Thomson post, Saint crank, headset and front der. $675.


Santa Cruz Nomad, small. This baby is tricked out, too. $2800

2010 Ibis Mojo SL, medium. Full XT, Fox fork with 15qr and Easton Havoc wheels. Oh yes - $2900

Giant NRS, large. An oldie but a goodie. This'll make a fantastic starter bike. $525