Garage Sale

Call Jeremy at 720-202-0404 to inquire about listings. Cash or Paypal only!

$950 or best offer...Soma Juice Complete: small frame fits riders between 5'3"-5'9", Rockshox Reba 80mm, WTB Speeddisc Wheelset, Chris King Headset, Truvativ Stylo Crankset, Sram 9.0 SL gripshifters, Sram X7 derailleurs, Avid BB7 disc Brakes with Avid Ultimate Levers.





Cheers!

Jeremy

Its Family Time

Snow is hitting the high country in matters of what can be measured in feet, not just inches. The Front Range Cities though have been enjoying weather that can be described as damn near fall perfect. Sure, there have been those days of blustery wind with a bit of chill and rain mixed in but for the most part we have been enjoying days of sunshine and nice 60-70 degree weather. Can't get much more perfect then that.

Maybe I should be just sharing these on the family blog but as it is, I couldn't resist sharing a bit of my family since they get to suffer without my presence anytime I get to go ride. I am thankful to these beauties that they let me out to play every once in while.



In the world of riding, I've done a bit here and there but fall has demanded with sickness that I take a rest. Every time I go for a ride, it strikes back threefold with a demand for rest and I have finally relented to drugs of the perscripted sort to deal with this she-bitch of a cold.

In other unrelated cycling matters, I've taken to job searching again. I've been in the appliance field for over 13 years now and though I could take position in another appliance company doing anything from actual service to technical consulting, I'm looking at other avenues as well. Only the market will tell.

A photo of the goat, all snazzy pants. Funny, part is, this isn't far from what I usually wear at work minus the sport coat, but it got tons of remarks on Facebook from friends who haven't seen me in 15 odd years.



Yes, the years of looking the part of the Crow are definitely far gone. The Movie still rocks though!

1st Snow ride of the Season

I have an issue. If there is a trail that's been unridden, I need to ride it. The season for riding the high country is growing short and the day is drawing near. There are a few trails that I've yet to hit in the beyond 10,000 ft above sea level range and I guess that means I'll just have to start planning for next summer.

Fresh snow awaitin my freshies and yes, this was today!



The Indian Peaks are starting to take on their heavenly glow



One thing I miss about the East Coast is big, long technical rock gardens and in this fact, South Saint Vrain never disappoints



The river itself provides serenity

You Wanted it Stiff?

A few weeks ago I noticed my new Rock Shox Reba SL wasn't getting full travel. At 1st I thought I was getting hydrolock but a quick check to see if there was excess oil in the lowers put that thought to rest. I took the fork to Golden Bike Shop for a look over and after scratching their heads a bit they decided to send it in to Rock Shox.



Last week I got a call that my new fork was in. "There's a problem though", Adam told me. Its white, its a U turn model and its 20mm thru axle fork only. Thinking for a moment I realized I had the Industry Nine Enduro hubs that can be easily converted over to 20mm and I couldn't give a damn about the color as long as it wasn't pink. Telling Adam this, he told me to bring in the bike since he had the 20mm thru axle adapters in stock for the Enduro hubs. Sweet!



Keep in mind I arrived at the shop at 6pm and the shop closes at 7pm. I have no special ties to Golden Bike Shop other then being a regular Joe customer. As soon as Adam saw me he pulled one of his wrenches aside and set him to work on installing my new fork. Not being one to dawdle I asked for a few tools and set to converting the wheel over to 20mm.



Of course, all this was after I got a chance to ogle my fork. A 2010 Reba Team complete with a Black Box Damper complete w/ a handlebar lockout(Titanium spring tube thanks), U Turn 120-90mm Air Spring, power bulges and of course, a 20mm Maxle Lite Thru Axle. Bad Ass, I think so!



Today I got to test the fork out on one the Front Range's more techy trails, Dakota Ridge and the Red Rocks. Just a short under an hour loop but full of jumps,ledges and small bumps. I can already feel a noticeably stiffer front end over my old 9mm quick release and having adjustable travel along with a handlebar lockout will be great for those multi-thousand vertical feet ascent days.

Your Hoppy Beer Tastes Like My Balls Smell After An All Day Ride

This post title is my quote for the Day. After I wrote it I laughed for somewhere around 5 minutes. If ya don't like it dark and smooth or tasting like it has a bit of the Bean in it, I don't want your light colored, bitter tasting IPA. I still don't understand Coloradan's fascination with an IPA, the beer that tastes like my balls smell all sweaty with funk from an all day ride but whatever, just more stouts for me.



Forgive me, it is redneck week and my roots have a way of showin when I get in the mood. Must be all the 4x4ing, the fu manchu and riding trails that remind me of upstate South Carolina.



That's West Magnolia. Tight n twisty through a pine needle forest with an occasional Aspen to remind us we're still in Colorado. That we in the "we're" was the Mad Scientist and me. Both suffering some sort of devil colds that made a 15 mile ride with just 2,000 ft of altitude gain last somewhere around three and a half hours.



We did explore an unknown area but it was more then that; general fatigue, a lack of power. Though there was that rider that passed me while standing on the side of Schoolbus on a full sussy with over 6 inches of front and rear squish that I had to show that I could catch him and bag him.



This resulted in a hacking fit at the bottom while I waited on the Mad Scientist and when we rolled again, my body had nothing, just the want to lay on the side of the trail and sleep. Somehow I kept on riding, however slow but it was a good ride nevertheless.



No rides till Thursday as I'm hoping to recover for my own Gtown night ride.



May just hit the short out n back but we'll see what the body can do after a few days of rest. If you call work a rest.

Crested Butte Colors

It was as spectacular as imagined






as awe inspiring as remembered



and there were a few miles of great riding















and even a bit of hiking with the family





and all around good guy, The Mad Scientist



Ah, the magic of Crested Butte

Longer Then an Elephant's Penis

I originally planned this year to end on that which is longer then an Elephant's Penis...The Crested Butte Classic. A semi underground race in Crested Butte, CO consisting of 3 loops which total 100 miles with 13,000 ft of accumulated climbing.



After my bonk that felt like death tapping me on the shoulder after the Gunnison Growler and the abysmal treatment of my family the following day I realized that racing isn't what mountain biking is about for me. Being on the bike is more of a spiritual experience that lets me discover new places both on this big ol rock we call Earth and within mt heart. New dirt is always exciting to ride and that place it carries me to that lets me feel like a kid again is priceless.


Big Ring on the 403

The Mad Scientist got a room this weekend in Crested Butte and asked the family and I to join him. His original plan was to ride a loop or two of the Elephant's Penis and to see if I could really complete it. Well, as I have a tendency to do, I took his plans and rearranged them a bit to make the weekend a bit more fun for all.


The Valley near Gothic

I've become humble in the past few years and the need to prove myself in some macho-cyclist form has become a less of a need then the adventure of riding itself, so thinking about doing any loop of the Classic which included enormous amounts of pavement and dirt roads became less and less appealing. So my suggestion for the trip was to do two early morning rides where I would break off sometime before lunch and help the family discover the wonders of the Butte.


The Spectacular Wonder of the 401

Fall should be prime In the Butte which means a spectacular splash of color should be washing the valleys and mountains with a crisp edge to the air to let us know that we should savor every moment, as snow will soon follow.


The leaves of the Great Aspen Grove on the Dyke Trail should be a golden treat

Where our Tires Roll

Centennial Cone always provides when one is seeking a short ride. You can make the climbs just as as tough or easy as you want and I think this weekends intervals could be set to the tougher side as PBR pushed and pulled me up the switchbacks.





On to another wheeled note. The Explorer is now more of an explorer.

The before...with smallish tires,tuperware, and low ground clearance



The after....what was just another grocery getting wannabe 4x4 is now more capable of being offroad. 2inch lift, tuperware removed, 31x10.50 tires, and Rockcrawler rims.



That may be just the beginning...for now though...just a safari rack, new shocks and bushings in the works.

Guacamole it also seems gets a new hand...

what was this



has become Bionic..some guys get all the cool toys



Guacamole likes it



He says its better to crush cans of Dr. Pepper spiked with Vodka and to rip his carbon bars apart.

The Most Beautiful Place in the Land

From the mountains that seem to have been landscaped and painted in place to the endless stands of Aspens to the endless expanses of huge mountain valleys, Crested Butte is a beautiful yet humble mountain town.

Take this as a teaser for what may become a month's worth of blog posts.

The Porcupine chewed sign leads the way to camp



Deadman's



Reno



Flag



Bear



and back to Deadmans



Doctor's Park..so fuggin rad!



The 401



The Dyke Trail



where the Canadian Bacon got his fool on



The 403



Deer Creek



where Guacamole broke his hand



Strand Hill