Reasons

5 reasons why it makes perfectly good sense to go for a bike ride when it's 5 degrees and snowing.

Friday report

Picture Rock Friday morning action time today. I rolled out of the office around 9am. Condtions were 95% good on the way up. A couple of spots were getting a little greasy, primarily between the pic-a-nic bench and the silo. I did see something that bummed me out a little. Foks, regardless of how greasy or muddy it gets, please do not let these stray tracks belong to you...

I've talked to County trail employees ad naseum about mud. They would still prefer you to ride down the middle and make a rut vs. going around. Ruts are easy to fix. Wide trails are tough to narrow back down.

I rode all the way up to the junction with Wild Turkey. Above the silo and quarry, conditions were top notch. A bit soft here and there, but otherwise dry or perfectly tack dirt. Good stuff I tell you.
The trip back down was another story. It was a little after 10 by this point and things were starting to warm up. Between the silo and the pic-a-nic table were getting very greasy on the way down.
So greasy that my bike ended up kinda filthy and in need of a wash. Those same sections are only going to get muddier as it gets warmer, too. I suspect they'll be dry and good to go by the time we get more moisture :)

If you're going to ride PR, depending on the time of day, be prepared to turn around. And don't let those stray tracks off the trail be yours.

Boulder County Advocacy Alert/Opportunity!

Great news if we make it! I just returned from a Friday AM pre work ride on Picture Rock. I popped out of the trail at the trailhead on Red Gulch Rd. A volunteer was at the trailhead handing out user surveys and did I want one? Heck yes!

Here's the deal - she said they have about 30 volunteers that will be handing out surveys at various Boulder County trailheads thru Tuesday.

What you can do - if you visit a Boulder County Open Space Park between now and Tuesday, please go out of your way to look for someone handing out surveys to fill one out. I'm not telling you what to say, but the more feedback Boulder County gets, the more effectively they can manage our parks.

I did notice one funky question on there, though. It asked if I had experienced any conflict yes or no. The next question had me put a checkmark next to the type of conflict I experienced. I know that it makes it easier to survey that way, but it should've been an open ended question. Out of 10 of the conflict types, 4 of them were bike specific. One was poop specific and the others were pretty general. Cyclists were the only user group that was singled out in the survey. Other than that, I found the survey to be pretty fair.

Anyway, if you visit BCPOS between now and Tuesday, please look for a surveyor and complete a user survey. The more folks fill this out the more Boulder County will be able to use fact based decision making.

thanks for the help!

rode today

Saw a few things on todays ride.

local residents
Spring
That the grass is always greener
Ribbons
of singletrack
Lyons, CO

Monday monday

What's a guy do when it's 25 degrees, the ground is covered in 4-6" of snow and the sun is shining. Go for a bike ride, of course. I only had an hour or a little more, so I figured I'd see how far I could get to the south. I donned all of my cold and snowy weather riding gear and ventured out. It turned out to be not that cold, really. The sun was fantastic and the sky was brilliantly blue. I pedaled thru Bohn Park and out towards Heil Ranch. Ugh. That snow was softer and deeper than it looked, even in the park. I rode south thru the park before the Town crew could plow the trail (I passed the plow). The going was soft and slow. It was worth it, though. Once I got to Picture Rock, I was carving fresh tracks and things were good.

Winter conditions meant good stuff today.

Before long, I had forgotten my burdens of the day as I basked in the beauty of the snow and my surroundings. I think I've mentioned before how much I love this trail?


As the sun shone on, I couldn't get over one of the coolest natural phenomena that I'd seen in a long, long time. The perfect combination of the temp, the snow, and the sun meant that every single flake of snow and crystal of water and ice reflected the suns rays in a shimmery, gold sparkly surface that was freaking magic to ride thru. Talk about trippy, it was great. I even turned the flash on with this picture to try to capture it, but it's something that can't be captured on film. Steals it's soul or something like that.

The recent renovations on the Snyper proved to be pretty good so far as well. Stylo OCT crank, new chain, and new XT brakes made it feel almost like a brand new ride.




It was cold, snowy, and not exactly optimal but it was still a great day to get out. Guess I put the "year round" in year round riding today. Spring is coming soon. Really.

First Ride of 2010

I had the opportunity to ride on New Years day but I opted out. JRog threw a hell of a party the night before and, even though I spent the evening completely sober ish mostly, I was tired from staying up so late ringing in the new year. I had a chance to ride the bike but I ended up riding the couch instead. And it was good - so good. I can't remember the last time I snuck in a mid day nap and it was quite the luxury. My next opportunity to ride was today and I seized it. My first ride of the new year, 2010.

The day was sunny and in the thirties all morning and early afternoon. On Sundays the shop closes at 3 so I usually roll out around 3:30. Just as the clouds rolled in and started an immensely thick snow shower, the phone rang. It was Chris. "You riding?" "Yep." It was on.

Trail reports suggested that Picture Rock was rideable up to the silo if you stayed on the line of packed snow so we pedaled in that direction. Chris on his On One Inbred singlespeed and I on my GT Peace 9er SS. It turned out to be quite a departure to the riding I had done in Phoenix just a week prior. The rideable line was narrow.



If you strayed, you were in 5-6" deep sticky snow and were out of bounds, the flag was thrown, and you'd have to put a foot down. Sometimes it was harder to get started and we'd end up Flintstoning on a sidehill for a bit. I'm not sure if riding a singlespeed is better or worse in these conditions. They definitely have their plusses and minuses. Only one gear ensures simplicity of thought and reliability of drive train in adverse conditions but it becomes more of a balance and weight dispersion issue when you can't change your mechanical advantage on slick and soft terrain. But they're simple and it makes focus even more necessary.

Big things to ponder now that it is 2010. I was reminded of just how much I loved this trail as a winter wonderland last year. The worn in singletrack is tight. The trails slick and soft conditions mandated maintaining a tight line while riding very loose. It's a good workout for this kind of weather, too. Just enough to keep you warm. We made it up to the Silo before trail conditions deteriorated to an unrideable state.


The descent back was great. Despite the snow and ice, the descent felt criminally fast. Or maybe it was just the bumpy trail and the rigid fork.


Returning to Lyons always feels like home regardless of the approach.


The ride was invigorating and refreshing. And fun. It was just the ride to start off the new year with. Heck, the day's are getting longer. That means it's summer riding season now, right?

Great things happen when we work together.

The plaque is up! Picture Rock pic-a-nic table signage is now complete.



Great things happen when we work together. Picture Rock Trail. Boulder Mountainbike Alliance. 2008.

beautiful day for a bike ride

Today's ride was fantastic. Conditions were a little greasy here and there going up Antelope but the views were outta sight.

Up top, between the rock garden and Antelope, things were a little too muddy(I walked) but going down the rock garden was fantastic as always. I got a bit sloppy from the standing water but impact on resource was minimal.

A brief spin down the road and I found myself at Heil Ranch. Conditions were stellar. I couldn't believe how velcro like grippy the tacky dirt was on Picture Rock. Mmmm, Picture Rock. Anyone else notice the new mileage markers at Hall and Heil?

I rode up to the quarry and back. Bout time I got to the quarry, the skies had really clouded back over and started dumping snow. Excellent.

View from the pic-a-nic table on the way up

Same view on the way down.

By the return trip, it was really dumping. I was glad to have some waterproof gear on for the return trip.

Perfect Fall Day at Heil Ranch

What a typical Fall day today was. This morning, I mowed the lawn (well, I actually evened out the height of the weeds in the yard with a mower - we don't have much of a lawn) in shorts and a tshirt. Sunny skies, 55 degrees and not cloudy at all. Shortly after arriving at the bike shop, though, the weather started to turn. Temps dropped to low 40s and the clouds came in. It was cloudier and cooler when it was time to shut down the shop. Sounds like a perfect time for a bike ride. I opted to stay local for this one. Partially not motivated to drive anywhere and partially motivated to spend some time on the SS before next weekends trek to the Big Wheeled Ballyhoo in Brady, NE. I also had just installed a new cog on the rear of the SS and wanted to check it out. The 32x18 gearing that came on the bike was a bit tall for this area so I swapped out the 18 for a 19. It proved to be right on target. Money.

A little ways in and I stopped to check out the all new pic-a-nic table just below the silo.

Check the cool striping on the rock. That is real "picture rock" that was quarried out of the Heil Valley many moons ago. BMA paid for the table and Boulder County just finished putting it in. Benches made of Lyons quarried stone will be up shortly as well. We'll have to plan a pic-a-nic.

I rode on. Soon after, I was getting into a groove and really digging the singlespeed with the new 19t. At the top of Picture Rock Trail, I hung a right and rode North Wild Turkey as an out and back. Man, I love that trail. Man, that trail is getting rocky in parts, though. I love stopping at the bench at the top for reflection (and bike lovin).

So far, that GT Peace 29er singlespeed has been really amazing. Granted, it's no modern full suspension wonder, but it's cool what a fantastic bike you can really get still for around $700. The Reynolds 520 frame is lively without being flexy and the 4130 fork is buttery. Well, as buttery as it gets if you're a big ol rigid fork anyway ;)

Did I mention that I love North Wild Turkey? I like the fast and tight woodsy sections, the flowy smoove singletrack that floats thru open meadows and good use of natural terrain.

Good stuff, Boulder County. Keep up the good work.

Timing on the ride was perfect. Just after I dumped off the Boulder County trail and started on the townie ghetto singletrack, the skies started in with a nice light rain. Maybe we'll see some snow from it tomorrow. Welcome to fall.

Picnic Table is In!

Just got this shot of the Picture Rock picnic table. I'll get another shot of the table next time I'm up - the rock is made of actual "Picture Rock". BMA paid for the table and Boulder County just got it installed. A plaque on the table indicating all the work BMA did for the trail and the county is forthcoming. The views from the table are to the north down the valley to Lyons and are outstanding!

Picture Rock trail day Tuesday Ride

Thanks for all that came out for this weeks Tuesday Ride, trail work edition. We were able to contribute 30 hour of labor on PR - great job! We had a good crew that rode in to the worksite from Lyons. There were/are a couple of spots by the silo on the PR trail where springs had sprung this spring and muddied and rutted up the trail. Our mission tonight was to go in to help Open Space staff armor those sections of trail. If you've seen the sidewalk pavers at Heil, then you know what I'm talking about. I now have a much greater appreciation for all of the work the county puts into armoring. Big flat pavers with vertical pitched rocks in between are definitely easier to ride over than to build!

We were working on 3 sections tonight. One was finished right after we arrived, one we finished about 75% and the 3rd got mostly doug out.

We shut 'er down around 8:20 so we'd have enough daylight to ride out. The descent was smooth and swoopy fun all the way. The dirt was perfect too. A short but great ride.

This is an intersection that I've become super familiar with in the last few months. I love the addition.

The sections we worked on were all on the brief part of the trail between the quarry/old car and the silo. We are welcome to feedback, too. We want Picture Rock to be used by many for long times to come. If anyone is interested, we'll be doing another 2 or 3 of these work days this summer. Stay tuned.

Buchanan Pass next week!

Tuesday Nights are good

Since there were no strong feelings one way or another tonight, for the 2nd week in a row we tried our hand at fate. We spun the wheel of rides to see our destiny unfold in front of us.


Picture Rock was the command. We followed.


Tonight was also Tree's virgin break in ride on his new xl Turner Sultan 29er. Sweet. I could tell he was only putting out a mere percentage of output over the rough stuff with those big wheels and full squish. At least 20% more efficent thru this than his Flux. :)And here's vid of one of my favorite sections on Picture Rock. I've taken a few stills and posted them on the blog already, but none exemplify the flow of the section really well. Here's Chad in the corner doing it up.



Thanks for coming out all. Twas a great Tuesday. I enjoyed the corned beef and cabbage at Oskars, too!

Doug and I just got back from a little session at Picture Rock. Up PR, left on the jerky Turkey, right on Ponderosa, right back onto Wild Turkey and back PR. It was good, to say the least.

There's fun flowy curves

and cool land formations. Good views, too.


Anyone up for another Tuesday Ride? 5:30 at the bike shop and we'll ride from there. Anyone feel strongly like one ride over another, or should we take our chances with the wheel of rides?

Good ride today

Got out with Doug today for a little singlespeed action on Picture Rock. We were able to start pedaling just as the sun came out full force. The sun felt great but didn't last that long. Up PR to Wild Turkey, then north to the lookout. We rode north Wild Turkey as an out and back. Doug was definitely one with his Redline Monocog - he slayed me coming down Wild Turkey as I pinballed the rigid forked Flight MC thru the rocks.


Picture Rock is such a great singlespeed trail. I especially love it on the bottom flowy sections



Coming back in, the sky was on fire. Hope everyone got out today.



Tuesday ride - South Boulder. This is an opportunity we need to hop on while we can (ie the trail is dry in the middle of winter).

Picture Rock, Winter, and some kick ass winter shoes

Snow ride, take it easy - Snow ride, take it easy,
Snow ride, take it easy - Snow ride, take it easy.

I'm in the mood, the snow is just right,
The snow is perfect, we can roll into night.
Oooh, oooh, snow ride - oooh, oooh ...

Snow ride, take it easy
Snow ride, take it easy



Snow ride, take it easy - Snow ride, take it easy
Snow down, go down, got to get your ridin' one more time
Slide me, roll me, snow ridin' Heil Ranch you're so fine

Woo!



I'm in the mood, the snow is right,
The snow is perfect, we can roll into night.
Oooh, oooh ...

Snow ride, take it easy - Snow ride, take it easy
Snow down, go down, got to get your ridin' one more time
Ride me, slide me, snow ridin' hell yeah, it's so fine

(Snow ride, easy, snow ride, sleazy - Snow ride, easy, snow ride, sleazy)

Great ride at Picture Rock today with Dough, Chad, and Jen G. Man, trail conditions were absolutely perfect. The snow was light and fluffy. Crunchy and full of traction. Coming down, the snow was so good you could hear it squeaking the whole way down. Squeakey like cheese curds, it was. (like Han Solo piloting the Falcon thru a meteor field. It was rocky and we were playing pinball.)

It was freakin cold today, too. We didn't leave until 3:30 or so, too, so we got the dusk lap. I think it was 10 degrees or so. I was happy to have my Pearl Izumi Barrier GTX winter shoes. Seriously awesome shoes. I've been in these for a few weeks now. They've been great - beyond expectations. When I first picked them up, my first thought was that these shoes were way to light to make a good winter shoe. Not so. They fit great, have a Gore Tex waterproof and windproof liner, and they're slathered up with a whole bunch of insulation. The design is pretty sweet, too.
Hello ski boot technology, meet bike shoes. The inner shoe and Gore Tex liner is on the inside, with a pull tight lace up system, while an insulated and rubberized outershoe is on the outside. Remember, don't forget your rubbers. I've only 2 issues with the shoe, and both are negligible. First is the fact that, while riding in 10 degree weather, you still need to wear thick wool socks. Make sure to size up the shoes at least half a size. The other beef, I only noticed on the first ride. The inside of the shoe has a seam that seemed to catch on my cranks, but I haven't noticed it. Not sure if it was a break in thing or just my poor riding technique that night. The seam has seen zero damage so far so all is good. If you ride in the winter and it's remotely cold, you need a set of these shoes. That good.

Happy New Years!

Happy New Years everyone. It was such a great New Years Day, too. I hope everyone got out to ride at least a little today. A little was all I got. I was kinda hangin and I'm still nursing a cold so an hour or less was the plan. I snuck out to Picture Rock to see for myself how this new trail is holding up in the winter. I was impressed.

I rode the singletrack all the way to "where the bench is going to go," the first man made switchback at the top of the valley right before you get into the trees. Other trail users coming down said that tree section was the sloppiest up there. From the Quarry up, PR was all good to go. There was slime on top of the trail in the shaded areas, but no real mud. After another day or so of hurricane style Chinook winds, PR should be all good to go.

Preperations are starting to be made for Saturday's Lyons Cyclocross race, too. I will be in and out at both the shop and the race - hope to see some of you around.

perfect dirt today at Heil

I was fortunate enough today to get about an hour in at Heil Ranch. There was cold frozen snow in the shaded areas.

and perfectly moist and tacky dirt in the non shaded areas.

I was happy that the dirt gods were smiling today, despite the overcast skies and cold temps. It made the ride entirely worthwhile even if it was short. Quality over quantity, right? I turned around at the silo and boogied back home. I wore one of the biggest Picture Rock smiles I've had yet, too :)