Yes, a great weekend for riding.

Weekend fullfilled. With the wife and kid's hanging out in Minnesota I was able to spend some quality time on the bike. Saturday allowed for 5 hour ride (actual ride time) that took us 37 miles around the 80403. This included White Ranch and a grand tour of Golden Gate State Park. I guess about 8000 feet of climbing, but I would not know. This was a great day in every way for me. We left my house close to 9:30 AM and returned to cold refreshing beverages around 4:30 PM. A full day of riding and adventure, fully enjoyed!

Sunday I was able to enjoy a good stretch on the legs, with a relatively flat 60 mile 4 hour ride. Perfect. Monday was also fun, an hour spin on the fixte followed up with some epic crit races in downtown Golden. Congrats to the B to the I to the L. Great race! This blurred pic is of the pro 1-2 race. Them boys can fly and make it look easy.

Mediocre week, hopefully a great weekend.

The title relates to my biking for the week. I must fully admit my commuting absolutley sucked this week. With the family gone, I thought it would much easier to commute, but I was wrong. Mostly a hectic schedule at work contributed to my lackluster effort. I did however, try to make up for my effort with two MTB rides, both single speed, and day of hill work. The hill work came in the form of Lookout Mtn. I did a couple of up and downs and a lap around Coors. That equated to about a two hour ride.

The ride up Lookout Mtn. is always enjoyable, and Wednesday night the weather was perfect. From downtown Golden to the top is close to 7 miles on the road. What makes it so enjoyable is the massive amount of recreation that takes place during those seven miles. I crossed the Clear Creek bridge in Golden to view a plethora of kayakers surfing the white water. Proceed to the Pillars where most cyclists start and begin the ascent amongst several dozen riders. One the way up I notice 8 para-gliders in the sky, several climbers doing some top rope work, hikers, MTB'ers, trail runners and the remote control glider crowd all enjoying a Golden evening. Wow! This is really cool, everybody sharing the Mtn. and getting their recreation on. I like it a lot here!

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Awesome 29er tires.

I have purchased these Maxxis Ignitor 29er tires, and have been riding them for about a month. They are the best tires that I have used in the 29er format, and meet the needs of Colorado riding. They hook up extremely well in climbing, in the corners, and descending. I think they are the perfect size in both width and air volume. Needless to say, I need to get a second pair to have them waiting in the wings, should a tire tragedy strike.

Summer of George II (Seinfeld reference)- The wife and kids are MN for the week of Memorial Day. I hope they have a blast, and I am so happy the kids get hang out with our family including the 15 cousins. We are very lucky to have such a great family. I miss you all. I am looking forward to some great days of riding.

Two wheeled weekend.

Enjoyed another great weekend in Golden. Saturday allowed for a three plus hour MTB ride in the the Front Range. We shot up Chimney Gulch, and then enjoyed Apex via the Enchanted Forest and up and around Sluicebox. I finished with a grind up the jeep road at Green Mtn. Estimated distance was about 25 miles. Based on those #'s I sure was not breaking any speed records. However, the ride was mostly about climbing. My guesstimate would be well over 3000 ft. The only bummer was that I lost one of my favorite water bottles, that contained some important fuel for the body. I hope to keep adding to this effort with plethora of trails that are located in this area. I am very lucky.

In the picture, my good friend takes a moment to look out onto the snow capped mountains.

Sunday was swell, as well. Me and the kids cruised Golden on our bikes. Later in the evening we added Mom to the biking mix. We headed down for a great dinner and a little time at the park. Simply a wonderful family night on bikes.

Have a great day.

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Got Game?

Quinn, Bil and myself went to the Rockies game last night. My wife and daughter stayed home, so it was men only at Coors Field. What a great place to watch a game. The Rockies won, and offered a very enjoyable time. A home run, a throw from center field for a put-out at home plate, and many hits, made this game fun to watch. All this for a cost of $9. That is right $9 for the three of us to get into the park. That is tough to beat for your entertainment $. I look forward to our next Rockies outing, via the bike. Let's get a date set.

I would like to wish a good friend of mine a huge a"GET WELL".

How do you clean your chain?

Evidently, I use my pants leg to clean my chain. This does not speak well of my general maintenance skills, but I do work hard to take of my bike. Mandatory before every ride is checking the tire pressure. I hate flats more than anything else, and I do get my fair share. The least I can do is make sure I reduce my chances of a "pinch flat" by having the tires properly inflated. Next is the chain and drive train cleaning. This falls more along the lines of once a week for general riding conditions. Long weekend rides or races moves the drivetrain to the mandatory list. That leads me to two more pet peeves. 1. Being the person on a group ride whose bike is always making questionable noises (lack of bike TLC). 2. Paying for race and ending up with a DNF especially if it is something that I could have prevented, that just sucks. I actually like to see if I do finish last. Other than that, I just try to pay attention to the bike for any potential maintenance issues as they arise. That help me eliminate having to use my pants leg as a maintenance device. Have a nice day.

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A snap shot...

that a makes a strong statement on the current status of life in America. Before I jump-in, I would like to first admit that I contribute to the problems. I am working to reduce my impacts as they pertain to gasoline consumption and support of corporations. Simply said, I try to spend as little of money in those areas as possible.

Back to the picture. I ride past this particular area about three times per week on my bicycle commute, and this sight always strikes me. This is about 7:30 AM. It generally makes me sad to see so many cars lined up at the drive through of a Starbucks coffee shop. People so committed to convenience, gasoline, and corporations. Yes, it does make me a little sad.

However, it sure was a great ride in the morning. Blues skis in the Foothills, and rolling into awesome visuals of the City of Denver. I do feel lucky on this Friday. That coupled with a planned visit to my favorite brewery in Golden this evening, have me giddy as a school boy.

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Taugimba-Rocks!

I wanted to give a good friend some major kudos for the effort extended for the Trans-Iowa event. You continue to inspire me, when I am on the bike in a strong head-wind or rain, I know that my suffering is nothing compared to what you must have endured. Great effort!

Weekend ride photos.

Had a real nice weekend here in Golden Co. During the previous week we had some ample rain which significantly hampered my commuting plans. I headed out bright and early on Saturday morning to sunshine and green grass. The green grass is a real treat. I snapped a couple of low-res shots from Hogsback/Dinosaur Ridge. To the west is the famous Red Rock's park and concert venue and to the east lies Green Mtn. Needless to say, this is a very popular cycling road.

...and a new bike!

My lovely daughter turned two last Friday. I think she had a great day. Along with several other gifts, she got her first real bike. It is always a great day when you get a new bike. I look forward to many family tours in our future.

Giving a bike as a gift is awesome and I am honored to do so. My four year-old has been pedaling for two years. He is excited to see his little sister start turning over pedals. He is excited to help her learn, and for that I am grateful.

Good Day-

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