RECAP: Sept. 24th Chatfield/Titan Rd. Loop

We had another banner day of riding this past Saturday as we headed out to Chatfield.  Our ride started out by riding through the DTC, then down Happy Canyon and on to Dartmouth.  We then made a quick trip down the S. Platte which took us to the outskirts of Chatfield.  Once we were inside Chatfield we formed a nice paceline which we maintained all the way around the lake.  After riding around the lake we had a quick trip down Titan Rd. that lead us to our rest stop at a Safeway gas station.

Following our refueling stop we remounted and rode down S Platte Canyon Rd which brought us to the entrance  of Chatfield.  From that point on we ended up retracing our trip down to Chatfield.  We did make one small deviation, instead of heading back through the DTC we took the bike path and then rode down Yale and it was back to the shop.  I'd like to thank every one for an awesome ride and for Ryan joining us from the Springs.

Next week I will be leading the Intermediate group and I think we are doing that new version of Crow Foot which is a pretty nice ride with some good climbing...

Check out ride stats here:
Advanced Ride: Chatfield/Titan loop by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

Advanced Ride Sept. 23rd...

We will have an Advanced Ride tomorrow, just not sure where we will ride to.  We'll meet at the shop like usual at 9 and leave 9:30ish.  See you then...

Advanced Ride Sept 3rd: Golden/Bear Creek loop

Well it feels like we haven't had an Advanced Ride in a while so this was a nice little treat and what a great day we had!  We had a nice small group consisting of Eric, Solomon, Adam and myself.  It was actually a little chilly when we left which we aren't quite used to and I'm not ready to see summer fade away just yet...

This ride we combined two different rides that we regularly do which are Golden and Bear Creek.  Our adventure started out with an obstacle filled trip down the CC trail to REI.  Then it was on to 23rd and a quick trip down 26th to 32nd.  On our way out to Golden we had a nice average speed of 20mph when we arrived at the gas station.
After a quick fill up of food and fluids we remounted and rode up Look Out as we imagined riding with Levi and Andy as they had done the same thing the previous week.  We regrouped at the top and then headed down around the side of Look Out next to 70 which looked like a parking lot with every one heading to the mountains for the holiday weekend.  Instead of heading back like we usually do we made a right turn onto state hwy 26 which was and incredible road that was down hill all the way into Morrison.  We made one last pit stop at the local Conoco before we started our last leg of our trip.
Facing a little bit of a head wind we distanced our selves from Morrison and closed the gap to the shop.  We headed down Morrison Rd. to the Bear Creek trail and then it was on to Dartmouth.  I think it had been a while since we had all ridden that hard and that far because we were a little tired and my legs were loosing power.  All things said and done we logged 62 miles and had an average speed of 18mph.  It felt good to get out and hammer a little bit, seems like it had been a long time since the last time.

Check ride stats here:
Advanced Ride: Golden/Bear Creek loop by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

ps. Next week there won't be an Advanced Ride as I will be leading the Intermediate group.

Group Ride Sept. 3rd Look Out/Morrison Loop

We will have an Advanced ride this Saturday and this will be a combining of 2 rides.  Our ride will start from the shop and we will ride to Golden and stop at the Sinclair like usual.  Then we will climb the front side of Look Out and ride down along the side next to 70.  From there we will take state hwy 26/CO Rd 93 over to Morrison Rd. where we will stop once more at the local Conoco gas station.  We will then take our usual route back to the shop from Bear Creek.  Mileage will be right around 62 miles from when I mapped it out.  We should have any awesome day with a little cooler temps than what we're used to.

See you guys Saturday! :)

FYI-No Advanced Ride: August 27th

Hi guys, we won't be having an Advanced Ride this weekend as I will be leading the Intermediate group due to a shortage of ride leaders. We will be riding to Golden so if some of the Advanced guys want to climb Look Out you are more than welcome to venture off and enjoy the newly paved road before the Pro Cycling Challenge gets here. I'd like to congratulate some of the Advanced riders who attended last weekends Tour de Cure century... Salomon, Ben, Martin and Tom. Awesome ride guys! :)

FYI No Advanced Ride: August 20th

Hi guys, sorry but we won't be having an Adanced Ride once again this weekend because I'll be participating in the Tour de Cure century. I hope you guys join the Intermediate group for a trip around the Aurora Res. See you next weekend. :)

FYI - No Advanced Ride: August 13th

Hi guys, sorry you are reading this so late but I wasn't sure if we would have an Advanced Ride or not.  There won't be an Advanced Ride this week as I am helping with Intermediate group again.  It should be a good time as I am hoping for some big numbers and I always think it's fun when we have a BIG group.  We will be riding out to Crow's Foot but will make a little detour on Pradera Parkway I think...  Jeff Anderson has a little different route that we are going to try.  It should be fun as it is always great to see some new sites and ride on different roads for a change.  It's going to be pretty warm so wear sunscreen and plan on drinking plenty of H2O.  See you all tomorrow!

SIDE NOTE: Those of you who rode Evans please check out the Picasa album from that day as I added the 2 panoramic pics that I took that day.  One of all of you at the summit and one of Echo Lake.  They turned out pretty cool so go take a look.  If any of you would like the full size image of any of the pics we took just let me know and I can email them to you.  :)

FYI - No Advanced Ride: August 6th

Hi guys, I just wanted to let you all know that there won't be an Advanced ride this Saturday due to the lack of ride leaders. I will be leading the Intermediate ride out to Chatfield/Titan road. Sorry for the inconvenience, hopefully we will be back to Advanced rides on August 13th.

RECAP: July 30th Mt. Evans

Hello Advanced riders... Just a quick recap for you guys but you already know what an awesome day we had on the mountain.  We started our journey in Idaho Springs where 6 riders where willing to take 3hrs of punishment climbing 28 miles up the highest paved road in North America.  Ben, Eric, Solomon, Scott, Martin and Adam met me at the park-n-ride across from the Shell gas station by the Mt. Evans exit off of 70.  Beautiful sunny skies welcomed us and a nice temp in the high 60's was very pleasant to ride in.  I was joined by Gretchen who was awesome and helped me sag for the boys.

Every one's smiling at the start... :)

The wheels started turning just after 8:40 or so.  I took a before pic of every one and then let them loose on the mountain.  Gretchen and I hung out for 45 to one hour as the boys were making their way up.  We hopped in my car and started heading up the mountain our selves.  As we caught up to each rider we would ask if they were ok and see if they needed anything while also taking a few pics.  After catching up to every one we drove up the road a ways and waited till they passes us again.  We did this one more time before we decided to meet half way up at Echo Lake.  They all took a break and refilled water bottles, had some food and used the restroom.  After a little break the boys remounted their rigs and continued on their journey.  Gretchen and I played cat and mouse with the boys 2 more times as they were nearing the summit.

Every one who had started this journey made it to the top!  It was pretty awesome following the guys and I felt like we were in our own little tour for the day.  The top was pretty crowded with other tourists but we managed to find a parking spot and got the boys more fluids, food, clothes for the descent back down and of course a couple of pics.  :)  We decided to meet at the little ranger station where you have to pay on the way up just to make sure every one was doing ok and so that the guys could shed some clothes from the descent. The guys made it down just about as fast as we did!  We had one last quick stop and picked up some jackets, arm warmers, etc and the guys were gone.  Adam actually beat us back to the park-n-ride with Solomon, Ben, Eric, Martin and Scott bringing up the rear.

WE MADE IT!!!

It was an awesome day, the weather could not have been any nicer.  I wish I could've rode but I had just as much fun sagging and cheering you guys on.  I am really proud of all of you for attempting this ride and super pumped that every one made it to the summit and down safely.  Thanks for a great ride guys and I had a blast helping you guys make the journey.  I'm not sure how we will top this ride...

Ps. I'd like to give a HUGE thanks to Gretchen for sagging with me and bringing all the food, water and even some extra clothes.  I really enjoyed your company and you were a big help.  :)

The sag wagon... Thanks Gretchen!

Check out the rest of the pics here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=bicyclevillageaurora&target=ALBUM&id=5636065595259918177&authkey=Gv1sRgCPiSidjhpo3KpQE&feat=email

RECAP: July 23rd Deer Creek/High Grade

Advanced Ride: July 30th Mt. Evans

Alright, you guys asked for it so you got it! We will give Mt. Evans a go for Saturday's group ride. The weather looks like it should be pretty good with partly sunny skies and a high of 55. There is a chance of thunder storms after 3pm but that shouldn't affect us. I've gotten a couple requests to start earlier so for this ride we will start at 8:30 be ready to roll. Hopefully starting earlier we will be able to avoid some traffic and get to the summit just before noon and get down ahead of the possible afternoon thunder storms.

There is a large park & ride lot just off the Idaho Springs exit right by a Shell gas station where we will all meet & start from. I'd say plan to b there at 8 so we can roll out by 8:30. I've done this ride once before last summer and it took me around 3 hrs to climb and a little over an hour to descend just to give you guys an idea of what you're in for. Get yourself mentally prepared to suffer for at least that amount of time if not longer. This is no joke and is probably one of the hardest things I've done.

With that being said I want to see all you guys succeed so I've decide that I am going to be your personal sag wagon. When I rode it before I did it with 2 bottles & just a little food and I was wasted when got to the top. I wished I had at least 1 to 2 more bottles and definitely more food. It will also be pretty cold on the summit so you'll want to bring arm warmers and or a jacket and possibly even knee warmers. Bring as much food, water and clothing as you'd like because I will carry it for you guys in my car and will follow you guys up there and can give you supplies as you need them or if you don't need some thing you can pass it off to me so you the best possible chance of succeeding. If some one doesn't feel they can make it all the way or doesn't want to do the descent then I can drive you back down in my car. I just wish we had radios so that you guys could tell me if you need some thing or have a problem.

I'd definitely give your bikes a good looking over and tighten all nuts/bolts, check your tires. If they are worn I'd suggest getting new ones, make sure it's shifting ok, chain is clean & lubed. Computer is good and charged if need be.

Things I'd suggest you bring:
2-4 water bottles
Lots of food- chews & other solid food (sandwich, etc.)
Arms warmers, knee warmers, jacket, etc.
Extra tube & Co2 or pump.
Cell phone (may not get reception but good to have just in case)
ID & some cash (need to buy a pass I think its $5-7)
Sunscreen
Inhaler
Bottle of O2... Lol.
Any other things you may possibly want.

If you guys have any questions feel free to give me a call (may not answer but leave a quick message and I'll call you back ASAP) or text me. 415-420-7723. Other wise I'll see you guys at 8 in Idaho Springs at the park-n-ride lot ready to have some fun! :)

Advanced Ride: July 23rd Deer Creek/High Grade

We are back to riding and will start off again with another trip to Deer Creek so we can get some climbing in before we tackle Mt. Evans. I was hoping to maybe ride Evans this weekend but they are having the hill climb there this weekend so maybe next week if the weather is good. Tomorrows weather should be really nice with a high of 92 but when we are climbing it will cool down nicely for us. We'll meet at the shop & head out around 9:30ish... :) see you guys then.

Check out the stats from last time here:
Advanced Ride: Deer Creek by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

RECAP: July 16th Look Out Mtn.

This was some what of an impromptu to Advanced ride out to Look Out Mtn. on Saturday thanks to some good scheduling of other ride leaders.  We had a small group of Adam, Paul and I to start out with but we picked up Solomon and Bridgette later on.  Adam, Paul and I started down the CC trail which was busy with runners, walkers and other cyclist along with debris from the river flooding.  We caught up with the Rec Group at Confluence Park which is where we pick up Bridgette.  From there on we followed the same route that we usually do, 23rd to Quitman, and then to 26th and on to 32nd.  After we arrived in Golden we met Solomon at the Sinclair gas station while we refueled.

Solomon mixing up his secret concoction.  

Once we had fresh bottles and some food in our bellies we headed up Look Out, although this time instead of riding up the front like we usually do we went up the side/back which I feel is a longer climb and more consistent.  Solomon and I lead the group up the climb and half way up we stopped and found some shade while we waited for the others to make their way up.  Paul was the next to arrive and so were the clouds.  The three of us decided to head back down and we picked up Adam along the way.  We stopped one more time at the Sinclair gas station for a quick water bottle filling and then we made our way back to the shop so we could be the rain back.  On our run back home we ended up catching Bridgette who's back was hurting on the climb and also didn't quite have the right cassette for climbing which is why she turned around early.  We made a quick stop at Confluence park to let a few people catch up and Solomon treated himself to a hot dog before getting home.  The rain held off just long enough so we could make it back to the shop dry but very tired.  Thanks to you guys for a nice ride, I look forward to seeing you all next Saturday.

Check out ride stats here:
Advanced Ride: Look Out by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

Check out ride pics here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=bicyclevillageaurora&target=ALBUM&id=5630452182832747601&authkey=Gv1sRgCJ6Slovgz5-vtQE&feat=email

FYI-postpone Advanced Rides

Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know that I may not be having an Advanced Ride for a while, because I will be helping out lead some Intermediate rides to fill Jacquette's shoes due to unfortunate injury. There may be a game time decision if there are other ride leaders to help out. I'll try to add some mileage on to push Inter's and give you guys a good work out or we will due routes that will allow you guys to take off on your own if you feel like it. Thank you for your patients and let's wish Jacquette a speedy recovery!
This Saturday we will head out to the Aurora Res. and I plan to add a few extra miles on to our normal route so you guys will get a good work out.

RECAP: June 11th

This ride was a little unusual as there were only 3 of us for this ride, so we decided just to have some fun and we rode with the Intermediate group again.  We had phenomenal weather with warm temps and sunny skies and little breeze.

Things started off with half of the group going in the wrong direction, but a quick phone call later we got every one regrouped and headed in the right direction.  After going down Yale and making a left on the bike path Cristen had a momentary lapse and had a small run in to the back of Brian's bike.  She made a dive for the grass and only ended up with a little road rash and some ripped bar tape.  We had a quick trip down Dartmouth and then got on the Bear Creek trail.  This trip out to Bear Creek we did things a little differently and rode up Morrison Rd. instead of coming down it.  Our pit stop was at a local Conoco where there was quite a bit of traffic.  

After refueling we continued our ride into the Bear Creek golf course and did a little more climbing and had a few more mis-communications but got regrouped once again for the ride home.  We back tracked our route out but instead of heading home on Yale Gene suggested we return via the DTC.   Every one made it back to the shop ok and we ended up logging 47 miles.  

I look forward to seeing all of you back this Saturday where we will try the Pinery route again.

Check out ride stats here:
Intermediate Ride: Bear Creek by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

Check out ride pics here:

Advanced ride June 11th: Pinery

This week we will head out to the Pinery for some fast flats and a little climbing, a few rollers and descending.
Our ride will start out by riding through the CC res., down Potomac to Broncos Pkwy. Next we will take the 470 trail south down to the Pinery. Once we get to the Pinery we will be treated to a nice little climb followed by some rollers and a descent. We will then return the same way we came out.
Mileage will be around 50 miles and it should be a beautiful day.

Advanced Ride June 4th: Elephant Rock Prep.

Hey guys, this week we will take Saturday off so to speak... There are few of us who are participating in the Elephant Rock 100 on Sunday so we aren't going to have an advanced ride this weekend so we can save our legs for the ride.  Will hang just hang with the Intermediate group this week and ride to Golden with them.

RECAP: May 28th Deer Creek/High grade

Did we have a great ride on Saturday or what?  Our ride started out with some phenomenal weather, temps were in the mid 60's with a lite breeze.  We had a good size group of 9 riders for this new adventure to Deer Creek.

Things started off with a nice warm up to the CC Res. were we ran into the Intermediate group on their way into CC park.  We headed straight through the DTC to Happy Canyon and then on to Dartmouth.  From there we headed south on the Platte trail were half way to Chatfield Ken got a flat.  After a quick change we were back on the road and riding through Chatfield State park.  This is where the fun really started to begin...  we started our climb up Deer Creek and every one was finding their own pace up the mountain.  We had a quick regroup as we turned up High Grade where Eric ended up getting a flat after jinxing himself early when Ken had his flat.  After an amazing climb and gazing at some beautiful scenery we made it to the top of High Grade and had some refreshments, caught our breath and discussed how our individual climbs went.  After we had refilled our water bottles and had a bite to eat it was time to return home.

The top of High Grade.

We rode an out and back but we ended up loosing a few riders because some wanted to ride a little further such as Eric, Mike and Dave.  Jan did the descent with us but then went his separate way to meet his wife.  After a very fast trip down where Ken was just screaming we all decided we need some more fuel other than GU's and Chomps that most of us had brought with us so we stopped at our usual gas station to fill up some more.  I'm glad we did because we all needed the calories for our ride back to the shop.  We had a slight head wind riding back up the Platte trail but Ken did a great job pacing us back to Dartmouth.  Our legs were really starting to feel it so instead of going back through the DTC we cruised down Yale to save some time and miles.  By the time we arrived back at the shop we had logged 73 miles.  Every one rode really well and we enjoyed a little ride recap back at the shop with the remaining riders.

Thanks for a great ride guys!  I had a blast and we will definitely be doing that one again.

Check ride stats here:
Advanced Ride: Deer Creek by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

Check ride pics here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=bicyclevillageaurora&target=ALBUM&id=5611977104020841569&authkey=Gv1sRgCJSQrImAwP2TXA&feat=email

Advanced Ride May 28th: Deer Creek

This week we will be venturing some where new and will head out to Deer Creek Canyon.  This will be another first for us which will be exciting.  I've never been out there myself so I may have to depend of some of you for some direction...  According to MapMyRide if we leave from the shop go down Happy Canyon to Dartmouth then to the S. Platte trail past Chatfield and up Deer Creek to the top of High Grade it should be around 67 miles round trip. 

The weather isn't looking too bad with a high of 64 degrees and partly cloudy skies.  Should make for a nice day.  Make sure to eat your Wheaties cause there will be some good climbing!  See you guys Saturday... :)

RECAP: May 21st Triangle of Death

This weekends ride was quite a change from last week's cold temperatures.  The weather was absolutely perfect except for the little bit of head wind we had for some of the ride.  We had a small group of 5 riders today that were willing to test them selves on the "Triangle of Death."  The route took from the shop to Inspiration, down to Chatfield then up to REI and finally back to the shop.

Our adventure started out with a ride through CC Res. then to Potomac and on to Broncos Parkway.  From there we entered Chanango and enjoyed a nice little climbing through some residential areas.  After a speedy descent down Inspiration we hopped on the 470 trail and headed west towards Chatfield.  Here we encountered a little bit of a head wind but it wasn't too bad compared to what we've had to deal with on previous occasions.  Solomon helped pull and set the pace for a little while which was appreciated so I could have a bit of a break.

Tom and Solomon cruising down Broncos Pkwy

We took a break at our usual gas station where we shared some stories and a few laughs with one another.  After a little R&R we remounted our bikes and proceeded to ride to the S. Platte trail.  Once again we ran into a head wind all the way up to REI.  The trail was quite busy with families out riding and other cyclists enjoying the beautiful weather after the week long rain spell we had.  We reached REI and took one last break and did a little people watching and shared some more stories while getting re-hydrated and having some snacks.

After this last break we had a relaxing trip down the CC trail that was pretty busy with other cyclist, runners and walkers.  After clearing downtown we bumped up the pace a little and cruised back to the shop.  All things said and done we had put in 67 miles on this beautiful day.  My legs were a little sore but it was a good feeling and we had a great ride and hopefully the weather will continue to improve from here on out.

Thanks for a great ride guys and I look forward to seeing you all next Saturday.

Check out ride stats here:

Advanced Ride Triangle of Death by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

Check out ride pics here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=bicyclevillageaurora&target=ALBUM&id=5609591517419265409&authkey=Gv1sRgCL2pvazS0rKCHA&feat=email

Advanced Ride May 21st: Triangle of Death

This week we will visit the "Triangle of Death" once again but for the first time this year.  It will be the same route as usual, we will start from the shop at 9:30 and head to Inspiration then take the 470 trail to Chatfield and from Chatfield we will take the S. Platte trail up to REI.  Finally we will take the Cherry Creek trail and just cruise back to the shop.  Mileage for this route the last two times we've done it have been 67 & 72 miles so you can figure some where in between that.  Ride time of 4 hrs.

RECAP: May 14th Golden/Look Out

Well this wasn't one of our best trips out to Golden that we've had.  The weather was pretty cold and damp with a lot of moisture in the air.  It seemed that the damp weather really had an affect on every ones riding, because none of us felt very good.
Things started with a nice ride down the CC trail and then to 23rd like usual.  After we turned on 26th Ken ended up with a flat which we repaired in not time and we back on the road because we were all starting to cool down fast.  On our way out to Golden Jan informed me that Look Out may be closed due to construction.  Once we reached the Sinclar gas station in Golden we agreed that if the road was closed that we would head back, but if it was open we'd climb it.  Well it was open so we did climb Look Out and to our delight they had started to repave the surface and wow it was like glass!  New asphalt is so nice to ride on...  any way as we made our way up in elevation the weather deteriorated the higher and higher we went.  By the time we reached the top there was a light mist/rain falling and it was very cold.  We all decided to just turn around there and not continue down the back side like we had done in the past because we wanted to avoid the incoming rain.  That descent was super cold, my upper body was so cold and I was shivering so bad that it was making my handle bars shake.  We took it pretty slow on the way down for numerous reasons such as our rims were wet so breaking wouldn't be that good, new oily asphalt and the visibility wasn't that great as well.
Every one made it down safely and we had a nice fast ride back to the shop.  Ken had some really great pulls on the way out and back that was a huge help.  After coming down from Look Out it almost felt warm and we were starting to thaw out.  The last couple of miles were pretty painful as my legs were fairly lactic and was hanging on to the thought of getting back to the nice warm shop.  It was a tough day and I was glad it was over.   I didn't take any pics this time because it was too cold to do so.

Check out ride stats here:
Advanced Ride Golden/Look Out Mtn. by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

Sorry my battery died on the way back so I didn't record the whole ride.  :(

Advanced Ride May 14th: Golden/Look Out

This week we will once again head out to Golden and then ride up Look Out weather permitting.  Last time we did this ride we put in 65 miles and a ride time of a little over 3.5 hrs.  The weather doesn't look like it will be that nice so come prepared for some cold riding temps.

RECAP: May 7th TT/Inspiration

This day could not have been any nicer, sunny skies temps in the high 70's and absolutely no wind.  It's what I would consider perfect riding weather.  We had a small group of 6 of us which worked out really well for our TT  as we were able to get through every one quickly.  Following our TT we rode Inspiration.

Our journey started off by riding to the top of the CC dam and then instead of riding through the park we rode straight down Jordan.  Crossing Arapahoe we meandered our way to the Meridian where we rode to reconnaissance laps so we could get an idea of the terrain and plan our particular sprint.  

Mike started things off with the best time of the day with the rest of us falling behind. Place and times are listed below.  I have to say it was a lot of fun and some thing very different from what we've ever done before.  I'm not sure if it was the hard effort that we put in or that there was a tree that was blooming and there was a lot of pollen in the air but after our lap we were all hacking and coughing.  

We left the Meridian and headed east on the 470 trail and stopped off for our break at the gas station on the corner of Parker & Cottonwood.  Continuing on to Inspiration we enjoyed the nice climb and rollers that followed.  Riding back down Jordan we hooked up with a guy on a TT bike so we rode his wheel for awhile and then took turns leading as we made our way through the CC park.  The wind did pick up a little bit but overall it was a great day and some fun riding.  

1st Mike 5:34:2

2nd Chris 5:42:3

3rd Ben 5:44:2

4th Ken 5:50:9

5th Tom 5:51:5

6th Eric 5:55:2

Stay tuned...

Check out ride stats here:

Advanced Ride Meridian TT/Inspiration by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

Check out ride pics here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=bicyclevillageaurora&target=ALBUM&id=5604771296436508801&authkey=Gv1sRgCNTXl4XGg4OA2AE&feat=email

Advanced Ride May 7th: TT @ Meridian/Inspiration

Hi guys so this weekend we will have a first, a BV time trial.  We will have a nice easy ride out to the Meridian where we'll do at least one reconnaissance lap for those of you who haven't been out there before and then we will have a time trial around the loop.  This will be an all out sprint against the clock around this 2.5 mile loop.  We will do this again towards the end of the season so people can hopefully some concrete info on their improvement through out the season.
Following the TT we will head down the 470 trail and ride Inspiration.

RECAP: April 30th Chatfield/Titan Rd.

Wow, what a ride we had on Saturday.  It was a small group of 6 of us (Solomon, Ben, Jan, Eric, Justin and myself) to start this ride.  Cold temps, cloudy skies and wind were the theme of the day.  Our adventure started by going through the CC Res, which lead us to Jordan Rd were we were treated to a really nice tailwind (the only one of the day) that allowed us to cruise at about 26-28mph the whole way down Jordan to the 470 trail.  That is where we lost Justin because he had some things to take care of in the early afternoon.  From there we headed west down the 470 trail towards Chatfield.  We ended up loosing Ben as well because he didn't have his legs, (sorry Ben, it happens to all of us some times) so now we were down to 4 of us.  We had made it to Chatfield and were blessed with a little sunshine for the first time of the day.  We had a blast riding around Chatfield and we were really pushing the pace as much as we could.  After a leg burning trip around the res. we had a quick jaunt down Titan Rd. to the Safeway gas station were we took a much needed break.

By the time we remounted our bikes the weather had clouded up once again and the temps seemed to drop and we saw what we thought was rain/snow falling towards home.  We had a really hard trip down Wadesworth due to the gusty winds and our energy sapped legs.  After re-entering the park we headed north on the S. Platte trail which is always a great ride and then headed east on Dartmouth.  Our final few miles were ridden on Yale as it is a little quicker and easier than heading back through the DTC.  After all was said and done we had covered 65 grueling miles with an average speed of 18.2 mph.  Solomon helped pull for some of the first half of the ride while Eric and Jan helped for a little on the second half.  Hopefully this weekend will bring warmer temps and sunny skies for us.  Thanks for a great ride guys and I look forward to seeing you all again this coming Saturday.

Check out ride stats here:
Advanced Ride Chatfield/Titan Rd. by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

Check out ride pic here:

Advanced Ride April 30th: Chatfield/Titan Rd.

This Saturday we will be riding down to Chatfield and then loop around on Titan road. Depending on how every one feels we could ride up on the 470 trail and then take Jordan back to get some more miles in as well. One other possibility would be to start down Jordan and then take 470 to Chatfield. Take our break at the Conoco then continue on to Titan Rd and hope that we have a nice tail wind when we take the S. Platte back up. We can decide in the morning to see which direction people would prefer to take.

It looks as though it will be farely cold again unfortunately, but I don't think we will get snowed on like we did last weekend. I'd wear tights or knickers, and a coat, gloves and beanie.

Here are the stats from the last time we did this ride:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/54370298

RECAP: April 23rd Bear Creek

This ride was a bit of a change for us as cold temps and windy conditions were abundant today.  I feel that the weather had a lot to do with our turn out today as we only had 5 riders for this adventure.  We were joined by new comer Jan who was a great addition to the group and hung with us all day through the cold, wind and the snow... yes I said snow.

Our journey started at the shop and lead us to the top of the CC dam.  From there we went through the DTC to Happy Canyon and then on to Dartmouth.  Kurt had a slit mishap when his cadence sensor came loose and eventually was eaten up by his rear wheel when his spokes ripped it completely off.  After making down Dartmouth we hopped on the Bear Creek trail where we encountered very little traffic probably due to the cold temps which was nice.  We took a short bathroom break and then made our way to Morrison Rd. where we enjoyed a nice gradual climb where every one stepped up the pace a bit.  A Conoco was our next stop where we picked up some more fluids and food.  After a little discussion on where to go next we continued on Bear Creek Rd. heading towards Evergreen.  It was really beautiful riding in the canyon and we greeted by some snowflakes which was very majestic and it felt like we were riding in a postcard.  We ended up turning around half way or so and enjoyed the fruits of our climbing labor by a nice long descent.  Our path back to the shop was to retrace our route out and every one helped out in the pace making which was really nice.  

By the time we arrived back at the shop we had logged a hard 60 miles.  We had some tired legs but smiles on our faces.  We had seen some new territory, gotten to ride while snow was falling which was picturesque, and every one got back safe with out any flats or major mechanicals.  Sorry I didn't take any pics this ride but it was a bit too cold to do so.  Thanks for the great ride every one and I look forward to anonther new adventure next week!

Check out the ride stats here:

Advanced ride: Bear Creek by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

Advanced ride April 23rd Bear Creek

This Saturday we will head out to the Bear Creek area. We will start by riding to the CC res. then head through the DTC, down Happy canyon to Dartmouth. From there we will hop on the Bear Creek trail but instead of riding through the golf course like we usually do we will ride on Morrison rd to the conoco which is where we'll take a short break. From there I thought it would be fun to explore some new territory and either head up Bear creek road or Hogback road I think it is. We can take a poll on what people would prefer when we get to the Conoco. This will be a 50+ mile ride.

RECAP: April 16th Crowfoot

What a nice ride out on Crowfoot we had on Saturday, beautiful sunny skies, perfect temperature and not too much wind.  We had a total of 7 riders and ended up picking up a few and loosing a few through out the day.

Our ride started out by riding through CC Res. which was a lot of fun because we caught up with the two other groups and merged in to one huge peloton for a little while.  After riding through the park we hoped on Jordan and then made a quick Rt. on Briarwood.  Tom & Dave didn't make the light at Arapahoe & Jordan so they booked it straight down Jordan and met us at the Loaf-n-Jug for our first stop.  After our first quick break  we got back on Jordan and took it all the way till it T-boned into Hess.  Making a left on Hess we rode that till we crossed Motsenbocker which then turns into Crowfoot.  We rode on Crowfoot which has a nice gradual climb and made it to our turn around point which was a fire station on Crowfoot.

After a little break we headed back down and picked up Solomon (who flatted) and  also Eric and Arilio who had stopped to help him out.  We stopped once more at the Loaf-n-Jug and that is where the two Tom's decided they wanted to get some more miles in so they headed down the 470 trail and got in an extra 10 miles.  The rest of us would've had a really fast trip back down Jordan although we had a little head wind and we didn't have much luck hitting the traffic lights either.  We seemed to get stopped by each one!  We all made it back to the shop although Solomon picked up a second flat by the Golf course which was unfortunate, because I had given the tube I had to Dave that had a flat at our second Jug stop.  He ended up calling a friend who picked him up and brought him back to the shop.

Cruising down Potomac, you'll have to excuse my camera strap...

Every one rode really well and took turns pulling.  One thing we can work on for future rides is our pace line skills.  They can be a little discombobulated at times.  Thanks for the great ride guys and I look forward to seeing you next Saturday.

Check out ride stats here:
Advanced Ride: Crow's Foot by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

Check out ride pics here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=bicyclevillageaurora&target=ALBUM&id=5596672984208607217&authkey=Gv1sRgCIPquOCctbKwLQ&feat=email

Group Ride April 16th

This Saturday we will head out to ride Crow's foot, we haven't been out there in a while and the weather is looking like we'll have a high of 65 with partly sunny skies. Mileage will be a little shorter this week than last as we are looking at 51 miles or so. Meet at the shop at 9 and we'll hit the road around 9:30. Don't forget a extra tube, CO2, water and food.

Mountain bike ride?

Quick question for you guys... I was wondering how many of you have mtn. bikes and if so would you like to do a mtn. bike ride some time for a change?  If you wouldn't mind leaving a comment I'd appreciate it.  It was just a thought and would give us some thing different to do as well.

Thanks,
Chris

RECAP: April 9th Look Out.

I'd say we had a pretty good inaugural ride on Saturday, with a group of 11 riders ready to tackle Look Out Mtn.  We had a really nice day with cool temps at the beginning of the ride but then things warmed up nicely while we were out on the roads.

Things started out with a busy trip down the Cherry Creek trail due to many runners and walkers out in the morning.  Every one made it through the obstacle course safely and with out incident.  Tom kept up a really strong pace on the way down to REI and then once we got on the open roads every one shared in the pace making.  We made our usual stop at the Sinclair gas station for some liquids, food & bathroom break before heading up Look Out.

The group before heading up Look Out.

Every one made it up Look Out with Jim from IC3 making up first.  Kurt's brother got a little sick on the way up due to a bad gel experience.  We all regrouped at the top and then headed down the back side of Look Out for a change where we were treated to some nice descending but due to some high winds we had to work for it.  There was quite a bit of drafting and passing back and forth which was a lot of fun.  We rode around the side of Look Out which put us back on 19th which is where we started our climb.  David (aka Paul) had some severe cramping so he stopped back at the Sinclair gas station to get some more fluids and food.  The rest of us continued back to the shop and picked up a few other riders along the way and had some discombobulated pace lines going.

I'd say every one was a little pooped after arriving back at the shop after putting in 65 miles.  I know my legs were a little sore...  Dave did make it back to the shop ok so it was good to see him and know that he was ok.  Thanks for an awesome first Advanced ride every one and I look forward to many more.

Chris :)

Check out ride stats here...
Advanced Ride: Look Out Mtn. by edge705cb at Garmin Connect - Details

Check out ride pics here...
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=bicyclevillageaurora&target=ALBUM&id=5594057719266412177&authkey=Gv1sRgCI_Bh_yPk4GgmAE&feat=email

I'd like to congratulate Solomon for being the first rider (as far as I know) that has collected his first prize for attending the most rides!  Way to go Solomon!

Group Ride April 9th

For our inaugural Advanced ride we will tackle Look Out Mtn. by request of one of our riders.  We will meet at the shop at the usual time and leave at our usual time.

If you guys have any requests please let me know or leave a comment please.