Forester trail Monday

I rode Forester's trail Monday with Kip and ended up completing the loop from the upper lot in about 3.5 hours. I haven't been riding much lately so the quick time suprised me. The cooler air of fall and the aspen leaves on the trail made the ride an awesome experience. I've been reading more and practicing guitar more lately due to my lack of interest in biking. It was nice to get out and experience the mountains again.

Cheyenne Mountain State Park

I ended up riding Cheyenne Mountain State Park with John yesterday instead of the big trip to Monarch Crest. The park is a pretty easy ride but has great scenery. John and I are planning on doing the Sand Creek fall race Oct. 18th and wanted to pre-ride the course. The trails in the park are very well groomed so the pace will be fast and the riding not very technical. It's cool to be riding around the base of NORAD. John recently did an environmental survey of the property where new bike trails are going to go up further into the mountains. I'm planning on riding up in the canyon today for the last morning of Summer. I am also thinking of taking guitar lessons every Monday to get my dreams of being a rock star off the ground.

Another lazy week

Wow. Another week without much time on the bike. I rode for about 2 1/2 hours Monday up in the Canyon and felt really slow. I've been doing yoga and eating veggie style lately so I still feel pretty good but haven't been putting in the miles I usually do. This weekend I'm planning a trip to do the Monarch Crest trail with Kip. This is supposed to be one of the best singletrack rides in the US. I'm planning on riding the singlespeed so it might end badly. I'm estimating about 6 hours of pedalling and 40 - 50 miles of tough riding, with only one gear, chasing one of the fastest riders in the country. Good times. I'm going to bring lots of snacks and water in the camelback and go with the flow.

Bike Karma

I rode the Cross-Check on the Santa Fe trail and flatted again. My lunch ride is only about 11 miles and I flatted with 6 miles on the odometer. I started the 5 mile walk back to work (of course I didn't bring a tube or pump). Luckily a guy (Rich or Rick) stopped his bike and had a patch kit. I ended up walking for about 15 minutes before he stopped so I wasn't out too long. This year has been really bad for flats. I keep tempting the cycling gods by "riding naked", basically just grabbing my bike and going without any supplies. Lately I haven't been bringing any water on my rides. I guess I have learned my lesson; be prepared. The rider who helped me has just earned a healthy dose of bike karma and now it's my turn to have a tube and pump so I can help the next rider in need. Karma is a funny concept because the more people who believe in Karma the more "real" it is. I was helped my a good samaritan so I will go forth and help the next poor schmuck who is stranded on the side of the trail.

Lazy Week

I haven't touched a bike or worked out since Saturday. We met Bill and Courtney and went hiking Sunday. We hiked up by Palmer Lake and then ate at an Irish bar. It's starting to feel like fall and I am losing motivation for biking and gaining motivation for drinking beer and relaxing.