Homemade studded tire test ride

Tomorrow is the real test, we are exploring the frozen waters of Eleven Mile Reservoir with a group of people I have not met yet.  Should be fun to meet some more riders in the area who are also strange enough to find riding a bicycle on frozen water a good time.

Homemade studded tires

Snow Biking

Guess I should have realized how much more snow they can get at 9k feet.  Today me and Nate we to ride the trails around Rampart Reservoir expecting some snow but not nearly what we found part way into the trail system.  It was one of those rides where it felt like you were snow shoeing...but without the snow shoes and your snow packed bike on your back.  There was lots and lots of 4-6in crusty snow that forced us to walk probably 2ish miles total with our bikes on our back.  We even crossed a few sections of frozen water to save some time, probably not the safest plan but we have had a good big of frigid temps in the springs so 3k feet higher I am sure there was a deep freeze going on.

Rampart Range Road climb

Pedaled a good ways up rampart range, past the water towers, past the shooting ranges and about a mile past the sign that says "road not maintained, travel not advised"  From what I can tell on maps I made it to about 9k ft of elevation starting at 6200, so a good sized climb.  Basically pedaled to the start of the road from my door and then up for about 2 hrs from there.  Good times indeed but I certainly felt it.

America the beautiful park

Hauled Christopher to America the Beautiful park, where oddly enough I heard the most beautiful words come from Jessica's mouth when we reached our usual turn around point to head to the park "can we go farther?"  It does not get better than that.

Gotta love Xtracycle

A few people who know how to HTFU

Yes, that is a deer on his shoulders....

Us modern day cyclists need to clean the sand out of our vagina's and HTFU

Chopper Reid says Harden the Fuck Up

Very floowwwyy

Fist time into Cheyenne Canyon to ride more than the fireroads.  Took the trail just before the 1st tunnel to Upper Columbine, to High Dr. to Captain Jacks.  Captain Jacks is by far my favorite trail I have found here so far, it is like someone took a pump track and pointed it downhill.  Today was also the most times I have went from cold, and snowy to warm and dusty.

Amazing berms on Captain Jacks

So both of my vehicles like the dirt...

Well, its been a damn long time since I posted here.  The past couple years in review:

• Christopher is almost 16months now
• I left the Harpers in search of "greener pastures" found a job working on elevators, learned a a lot and had fun for the first bit until I started spending more time on the road away from family and was coming home too tired to do anything.  Most of my co-workers were pretty cool though.
• Moved to Colorado Springs to escape the horrible air quality/pollen, close minded bible thumpers, and really just to explore, I have always been curious what it is like to live out west, here I am and so far it is fantastic.  Bike lanes and greenways are everywhere, World class trails out my back door, cost of living is actually better than in Knox here in the springs.
• I work in a new bike shop, Bicycle Experience, as a wrench and so far it is going pretty good.  I like the people I work with and I have the perfect commute to work, 95% greenways and a little dirt.  I literally make half what I did at the elevator company ( also cut expenses almost in half) but I would say my quality of life has doubled.  Now if only they carried Giant...

Right now my plans with this blog is really to just have a good place to come back and check out things I have done in the past, I will update when I get bored or have some cool pics but not gonna try to make it a daily thing.  

Riding/racing goals right now are fairly open.  I am trying to ride as much as possible and climb everything I can find, usually pulling a baby trailer.  I am gonna feel out my fitness come spring but I would love to attempt the Colorado Trail Race but that takes A LOT of fitness and I do not know if it is reasonable to attempt such a lofty goal.

In 2013 I would LOVE to either give the Tour Divide a go, or if I can talk Jessica into it attempt a cross country tour with baby man following behind in the trailer.

Here are some pics that I have taken since we have been here:

When your bike stick out past the sides of your car, cover it when driving slushy roads when it is below freezing...lesson learned

 Garden of the Gods "Balanced Rock"  pulling babyman.  Tried to chase down a roadie but 40lb Xtracycle with 40lbs of baby and trailer, I did not make it.

 High Drive up in Cheyenne Canyon, who says an Xtracycle can't climb

 America the Beautiful Park with Jessica and Babyman, it is about 4 miles of flatish greenways to get here, although we usually take this cool little dirt greenway detour to ad a few miles.

 Me and Nate from work hiked The Incline today.  It is where the Cog Railway used to run up to the top of Pikes Peak, I think it has an average of 48% grade with a max of 69% and gains 2000ft of elevation in just 1 mile....it hurt

 Honda did surprisingly well pulling this load across the country with the exception of the crank pulley coming loose and we had to get towed, order part, wait, fix car and keep going.  Its ok, there was great mexican within walking distance and Jessica got to do shots of tequila with me on our day of waiting for parts to show.

 This was at about 12k ft up Pikes Peak, they would not allow us to go higher because of ice on the road

More pics will come later as I find them/get motivated.  Thanks for reading