Hit It with Speed

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Walker, Apex, Blue dot... How you spoil us Colorado. Mountain biking season officially here, and like a good bing cherry, trails are ripe for the picking. Long, hot, summer days, on old, dusty, single-tracks illuminate our love for the sport. Fire roads kick our ass, but downhill sections remind us why we woke up today. The summer season chills me, almost makes me want to stop writing, and bomb Rattlesnake Gulch. So, if you haven’t yet dropped into gear, allow me to express why everyone should “do one” this season.

I ride religiously; make it a point to attack the trails once a day, but this isn’t about me, it’s about you. Let me first debunk the excuse that you can’t ride unless you have full suspension. Wrong! Dual suspension performs well in rocky conditions, but the Front Range session almost deserves a hard tail. The hard tail (a bike without rear suspension) allows you to climb easier and forces you to pick your lines, thus making you a better rider. If all else fails, drop the seat and hit it with speed, you may be surprised, but going through difficult sections becomes much easier with some momentum.

I also hear the excuse that it’s too hot to ride in the summer. If you’re a pasty character and fear dehydration perhaps an evening ride may better suit you. Nothing better than peaking over Bettasso Loop while the sun drapes her final rays upon the grassy meadow. Water's our friend, take a backpack with at least two liters and remember to ration throughout the ride.

Perhaps I could sit here all day emphasizing how awesome we have it, but unless you clip in, pedal on, and ride out you’ll never know. Go with a friend who you trust, or a person about the same skill level, that way you won’t get left in the dust. Also, if you don’t feel comfortable on a section, get off the bike and hit it another day. I recommend beginners start at Marshall Mesa, Bettasso Loop, or Coal Creek trail. You have to start somewhere; these trails get you bumping, hopefully sparking an interest to a life long love affair. And just remember, no one’s out to win the cup, just have fun and enjoy Colorado!

By Far One of the Worst Possession Crimes

Bike theft is one of the worst possession crimes. A friend just came out of an hour and a half meeting to find that his bike, which he built himself, was gone in broad daylight on the campus. What a terrible feeling, all the sudden you lose your mode of transportation at the same time that you lost your dear friend and steed, your bike. My bike and I have been through some rough times, I've been hit and thrown off, stuck in horrible weather, traveled down sketchy terrain and she always prevails with me. I wish we could make bike thieves understand they are stealing far more than a mere instrument. Obviously those that steal bikes are of such a low moral dignity that only a severe punishment could really deter the act. We need much harsher consequences. We also need better locks, cables are a joke. On campus they slice right through them in broad daylight without anyone suspecting foul activity. Personally I go for the master lock handcuffs, they insure my bike up to $3,000 and are indestructible. A little awkward, a little heavy, but I dare a thief try to get into them.