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