This weekend was filled with things I like. I like bike racing for a start, but sometimes I end up sacrificing fun in order to travel and sate my competitive edge. This weekend, no compromises were made in the pursuit of a fulfilling experience. Salida is a town I’ve driven past more times than I … Continue reading »
The coffee machine gets turned on. Not in itself a rare or noteworthy occasion. Time is what is different. The sun is coming through the windows from the other direction, and its intensity ensures there is no confusion of the hour. Afternoon espresso’s lead to awesome evenings. The smell of freshly ground beans mixes with … Continue reading »
Escapism. Denial. Call it what you want. Therapy. Masochism. We all do it. Each turn of the pedals removes logical thought; with each stroke to be replaced by the freedom of an empty mind and burning lungs. Tunnel vision ensues, and tunnel-thoughts follow. No need to think further than the top of the climb, no … Continue reading »
I had to stop, I couldn’t just flow on by. It was hard though; I’d only just got back in the groove and I didn’t know how long it was going to last. It had been stop and go all day – not more than 2 minutes of riding between trail work. We knew we … Continue reading »
I’d been struggling to recover all week, and the combination of a sudden upturn in work hours, and a large quantity of beer with good friends had meant that Friday evening came around sooner than I thought. As I sat drinking one of above mentioned beers with good friends, I deliberated whether I should be … Continue reading »
Its a Thursday. Work just happened. Due to the wonders of modern technology, we have now convened on 9th and Baseline. To some, this might not be a significant meeting place, but to those who know bikes and boulder, you know it leaves only one option – Flagstaff. What can you achieve leaving town at … Continue reading »
We look across at each other – its now official, I’ve set the record. Never before have I pushed my endurance this far, and I’m sure this is a new experience for Jason, too. It started just after Noon, and now the sun is arching its way towards the pine clad hills in the distance. … Continue reading »
Weather is my mood indicator. I had been getting a little bored with the wall to wall sunshine that characterised March. April has brought relief in the form of unsettled, cloudy, moody days. Uncertainty is sometimes comforting. Uncertainty also makes for good photos. I-70 Highway between Rifle CO and Palisade CO. The clouds were moving … Continue reading »
The beckoning of spring has caught me by surprise. In winters past, both in England and Colorado, the onset of my favourite season has happened in a day. That fantastic day when you awake to birds singing, only to suddenly realise there are buds on the trees and the sun has real warmth that has … Continue reading »
I can’t think of anything else at the moment other than the races I want to do this year and the places I want to go. After a LONG time of trawling all across the interwebs, I’ve concluded that there are too many races. Yea, terrible problem. So this list is not an exhaustive calendar … Continue reading »
While most in Colorado associate ‘steeps’ with snow, this years’ skiing for me can be written off as N/A. After much anticipation of backcountry exploring, the reality of rotten snow and daily reports of deaths and injuries in Avalanches across the state steered me firmly away from the high country. Unlike last year, when I … Continue reading »
The last three days have been sandwiches. I like sandwiches. The early sunrise that is beckoning spring has moved my internal dials towards an equally early rise, with the effect that riding in the mornings has actually been possible. The beginning of the week hailed optimistic thoughts of riding without the preface of layering clothes … Continue reading »
Clothes were shoved into bags with great haste; somehow it seems that an evening flight enabled me to delay the packing of all things essential until the last minute. Alas, I was on the bus chugging to DIA at 6pm, wishing I had forethought buying a burrito before lift off. Denver was cold. The airport … Continue reading »
Finally sense has prevailed. It took a seriously large push of persuasion from mother nature who decided that below zero temperatures were appropriate for the weekend, to match the snow that’s been sitting for the last week or so. No more of this bull-headed “its not winter” pretence – I went skiing. Despite looking like … Continue reading »
