Thursday, December 31, 2015

BUMMER!! :(

Didn't get on the bicycle for the whole month of December, that's a sad first for me, RATS! :(  Well I've decided to rejoin the "Colorado Springs Cycling Club" here in town for 2016 so hopefully I can get motivated again!  Jo isn't rejoining, she just has "too slow a pace", (avg speed 7 to 8 mph) for riding with even the slow rides that the club has.

The problem with most clubs, is that they tell you that you speed doesn't matter BUT, if you can't keep up with the group, YOU will HEAR about it, that's why Jo won't rejoin but I will still ride with her and let her set the PACE. I just won't ride with the club "every week" but I feel I need to be a member, even if it's just for the, work they do with the City Government and local departments that effect "Bicycling" here in Colorado Springs, CO.

LOL, even now I'm sure I'll be "tail end" Charlie as I'm not any where near as "fit" as I was the last time we were CSCC members! Now I just hope my old (93) Mongoose Switchback MTB, won't fall apart on me till I can afford to get it overhauled!!

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Not much riding lately, RATS!

November has seemed to be just a bit crazy for us, between personal stuff and weather, haven't had a chance to get out on the bicycle at all, MAJOR BUMMER!! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and they are telling us were gona get snow and freezing drizzle so it's looking like December before I get to ride again, RATS!! Hope the weather is better your way and you get in a excellent ride! :)

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

A ride with a mission

Last Saturday we took a bicycle ride on a sunny and warm Halloween day, it's on of our favorites using back streets, bike lanes and trails and normally heading to Manitou Springs. Today we rode to "Old Colorado City" on the westside of Colorado Springs to find a "British Tea Shoppe". My wife Jo was needing to measure a tea pot to make a "coozie", which is a cover for our Daughter Jenn's Tea Service.

What we didn't realize was that the local area merchants were doing a "Trick or Treat" at their stores so we had to wade thru a large crowd to get to the shop. I stood guard on the bicycles and people watched while she got her measurements. After that we headed to the Midland Trail and rode to 31st. then did a turn around and headed back home. It was a good 20 mile ride and we really enjoyed it! :)

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

A bit better in October

So far Oct. has been a bit better for getting in a ride on the bicycle. Managed to get in 1 ride a week so far and that's a larger improvement over September! I'll add a photo from the Creek Walk Trail, which is part of the Midland Trail, the CWT is the Manitou Springs part of the overall trail. The last ride was just a bit of "Utility Riding", rode from home to downtown Colorado Springs to pay the Electric Bill, I really enjoy riding non-motorized transportation to pay a utility bill, LOL! ;) I'll add some photo's from the Sand Creek Trail, part of we headed down south to Security, CO. to get flowers, candy and card for my Mom's birthday, (Oct. 8th.) and then delivered all via bicycle, it was a good ride as my wife JoLynn was able to ride with me due to having a couple of days of use it or lose it vacation! :) Were suppose to get a heavy rain tomorrow, (Wed.) so it may be next week before I get out on the bicycle again!

This is the pond at the swimming pool park in Manitou Springs, CO. on the Creek Walk Trail

Ok, I confess, we were hungry and decided to be evil and get a "BIG BITE" hot dog and a Root Beer! ;)

My wife, JoLynn heading up the Sand Creek Trail in Colorado Springs, CO. 

Sand Creek is really a huge drainage ditch and the Sand Creek Trail follows it!

Monday, September 28, 2015

The Popcycle Bridge

Finally got a 2nd. ride in for September, hope to do more fall riding in Oct. I just did my staple of the Rock Island Trail down to the Pikes Peak Greenway, as I was passing what used to be a ugly old bridge for part of the Greenway trail, I noticed that it has been totally fixed up, repaved and wood bench's added! It's called the Popcycle (a play on Popsicle) Bridge. Ride for Kids, is a very active group, getting bicycles to kids that can't afford them, thru a program that rewards them for school attendance and good grades.

The Popcycle Bridge is a place that the monthly "Ride For Kids" ride up the PP Greenway trail, they have usually stopped and had a "popsicle" treat and now it dedicated and the bridge was overhauled with funds raised by the Ride For Kids and other area cycling organizations!

The Bridge sign and my old faithful ridged MTB, which is call Goose! ;)

The bridge hooks up the left and right side of the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail, that goes along Fountain Creek, thru Colorado Springs, CO.

From there I took the PP Greenway Trail up north to Criterium Bicycles to re-fill the water bottles and take a "cookie break". Didn't have a lot of time to ride today so I headed back home the same way. A nice 15 mile ride on a beautiful sunny September day! Hope you've gotten in a ride too! :)

Friday, July 17, 2015

Riding the "Elusive" Homestead Trail

If your looking for a challenge on a rail trail, check out the hard to find "Homestead Trail". It's not marked well at all. The start of the trail from the South is off of Galley Rd, just pass the Ent Federal Credit Union and go 1/2 block east you see a ditch and cement trail heading north.
The is the signage for the connection point to the Rock Island Trail of the Homestead Trail.

This is the trail heading north from Galley Ave., and hooking up with the Rock Island Trail



This takes you up to the "Rock Island Trail", turn left (west) go to the stop light cross over, then turn right and pick up the extra large walk/bike lane and head to Mazeland at the intersection cross over to the north side and then go back across the street and follow Mazeland to "Radiant" and turn right, you'll be riding a sidewalk along a BIG ditch!

There's no real markings for the entry path, it's dirt and just a single track that takes you into a park
Here's what the "entry trail" looks like, no signage and a very thin trail






You have to go thru the tunnel, beware of the bumpy water drains!! The dirt/asphalt mix trail goes from the left side to the right side of the drainage ditch!

Once you enter the Park, the trail splits both left and right, take the "RIGHT" trail, you'll see a covered picnic table and head south.
You are now on the Homestead Trail, it heads south, then turns east and continues.

The trail bends to the east  and becomes a mix of dirt, asphalt and cement, the trail is used by lots of walkers, runners and baby strollers so be careful!



You will cross several "streets" with Ped crossing lights and keep heading North, there are many "steep grades" over the ride so you will get a workout. After passing a Elementary School, you will come to a open area with a great view:

The trail continues on a STEEP down hill trail made of lose dirt and pebbles, NOTE: unless you have excellent Mountain Bike Skills, I'd recommend "WALKING" down to the end of the short dirt trail to the pavement!!!


The beat up sign is the only real "trail signage" on the trail and it comes just before the Old Farm section of the Homestead Trail. You will now be on concrete to the end of the current trail at the High Chapperel Open Space, The concrete trail has STEEP grades so get into low gears quickly!

A view of Pikes Peak from the "Old Farm" area of the Homestead Trail

The High Chaparral Open Space is the current END of the Homestead trail on the Northend! 

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Helping a friend and getting in a ride with Jo

Last week Weds. I helped a friend from High School get back into bicycles after 40 years of not ridding! It was really great to see his enthusiasm and I hope he get's back into it and really enjoy's himself! Steve picked up a Trek Comfort Bike and all the items needed to get started hitting his local area Rail-Trails up in Southern Denver, Colorado! :) The neat thing is that many, many years ago I sold him his first serious 10 speed. I was working for the old Security Bike Shop in Security, CO. as a part time job after school. He bought a Astra, made in Austria a very nice bike. I had a Italian Olmo 10 speed racer in bright yellow we did a few rides together, a lot of fun. Hopefully we will get to ride together again soon! :)

Last Sunday Jo and I put in a 21 mile run just to get her some miles, she's still under 100 miles for the "year"!! It's been a rough year with all the RAIN and we've needed the usual one decent weekend day to take the Harley out and at least do a "battery charge run". Last weekend as decent both days so we headed out to ride to Manitou Springs on the Midland Trail. On the way back we stopped at the Tasty Freeze and got a Jr. burger and a ice cold root beer, that really hit the spot as the temps were quite warm! It's always more FUN to ride with someone else and it's great when it with Jo! :)

Friday, June 12, 2015

Finally a day we "both" could ride!

The weather has been the pitts!! Still we manged to get in a Sunday ride, together and that felt really great! We did our "northern loop", heading towards the Pikes Peak Greenway trail and then headed south on some back streets to avoid the "dirt" parts of the PPGW trail. We rode to a neat little 50's style drive inn and had their smallest burger and excellent Jr. size chocolate milkshake!! :) The clouds started building again so we headed home via back streets and the Rock Island Trail. Got home the bicycles put away and the rain started pouring!! Only 17 miles total but it was all in sunshine so we call that a Good Ride! :)

Friday, May 8, 2015

Rain, rain go a way and don't come back for quite a while!!!!

ARRUGH!! I've never seen so much rain for so many days in a row here in Colorado Springs and a lot of Colorado! It's been raining for days straight and that's very rare for So. Colorado! So the poor bicycles have been collecting dust all we can do is wait for the sun and beautiful blue skies to appear again, air up the tires and head out on the rail trails! Hope your having a much better start of Spring!! :)  BJ

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Templeton Gap Trail

With some good but windy weather, I got to ride the Templeton Gap Trail, This trail starts off the Pikes Peak Greenway and heads east. The trail is now 99% paved or cement which is a real improvement as there use to be a lot of "broken asphalt and dirt".  You head slightly north then up over a large hill, heading to Nevada Ave. You have to use the crosswalk light to get to the path on the other side, that continues east to Portal Park, a nice place to stop for a snack.

The trail now has two roads on each side of the drainage ditch, take the trail on the "right" side as that one is in much better shape and let's you continue east, via a small tunnel. At the top of the tunnel, turn LEFT along the street and then you start heading "north", this takes you to the bridge at Austin Bluffs Parkway, to continue north, you go "under" the bridge via the drainage flow and to the end of the trail at "Ranch Road", this is approximately, 3/4 of a mile south of Academy Blvd. and Union Blvd. If you take a "left" at the bridge the trail heads east along the Austin Bluffs Parkway, over 3 steep hills and then ends. You can pick up the Greencrest Trail thru Palmer Park but that's a "DIRT" trail made for mountain bicycling or you can continue north on a "sidewalk" to Academy Blvd.

Start of T-Gap Trail, off of the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail



You have to cross Nevada Ave at the Crosswalk light, to continue on the T-Gap Trail


Portal Park a nice place to stop for a snack! :)

IF you turned left at the tunnel this is what you'll see, heading north.

This is the bridge at Austin Bluffs, head down to continue north, head east over the bridge to go to Academy Blvd.



End of the trail heading north towards Academy Blvd. and Union Blvd.

It's around 5 miles long (one way) and has a few small hills to get the heart rate up, LOL! ENJOY! :)

Monday, March 23, 2015

A nice Sunday ride and some info on the Shooks Run Rail Trail

Well the weather finally cooperated and we got a nice "whole" weekend! When we only get "one" good weekend day,  we have to use it for our, "motorcycle" so we can take it down the highway and recharge the battery. Sadly our "storeage area" doesn't have a "electrical plug" we could use to just attach a "trickle charger"! :(

So Sunday we went out for a bicycle ride, finally and had a real great ride, we picked a older and shorter local Rail-Trail here in Co. Springs, called the Shooks Run Rail Trail. It's got some rougher places but it's a good ride and has "2 parks" for picnics and a full service coffee shop, (Dog Tooth Coffee Shop), right on the trail. I'ts broken up by several intersections with city streets but all in all it makes for a easy Sunday bicycle ride!

Here's our bikes and my wife Jo at the Start of the Shooks Run Trailhead, which runs south along Weber St. for quite a while. There is also a great little "50's style cafe" 1/2 mile down the trail, called Tasty Freeze Drive Inn. The trail wonders south, a mix of concrete, asphalt in various state of need of maint. but any MTB or fat tire comfort bike won't have any problems:

Trail head for the Shooks Run Rail Trail and Junction to the Rock Island Trail North.




Current end of trail just past the tunnels, one day it will hook up with Las Vegas Street and the Tejon St. Bike Lane.


Monday, February 9, 2015

A sunny but breezy ride in Feb., together! :)

On Sunday Jo and I actually got to ride together for a change, Jo hasn't been able to ride much, she used to commute to work but now that we live only "1 mile" from her work we just, "walk" there.  So her poor bike has been collecting DUST, I wiped it down and lubed the chain and we headed out to ride on of our favorite rail-trails from America the Beautiful Park, downtown to Manitou Springs. It's 25 mile round trip and Jo solder on as best as she could, she could really FEEL the lack of riding but it was Sunny, 65 F with a 15 mph. headwind, (both ways, the wind always changes direction in the afternoon due to down slope from Pikes Peak!).

We took it easy and just cruised, lot's of riders on the trail today as Jan. was almost a total loss, riding wise. We rode back street bike lanes and side streets to get to America The Beautiful Park and picked up the "Midland Trail" to the Creek Side Trail into Manitou Springs. The have a Subway's just outside the park so we ate a good lunch while sitting outside! :) Had a real good day but Jo was a bit beat by the time we got back home and then had to go food shopping! It was really great to "Share the Road", I wished it could happen more often! :)

A rest stop on the Midland Trail.

Jo and the bikes at Soda Springs Park, in Manitou Springs, CO.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Gett'in the Goo!

Well it finally got decent enough for a short ride on Monday, I needed to pay the electric bill downtown so I decided I'd ride the bicycle.  Well I forgot it's Martin Luther King Day so the Utilities were closed. I needed to get some "sealant" put in my rear tire as I had to replace the old tube due to a "tiny cut" in the vavle core. I headed down to Ted's Bicycles here in Colorado Springs as he's the only dealership that sells, "True Goo", it's the only sealer I've found that won't foul the "valve core" after a few times of checking the air pressure.

So I headed north on a combo of  rail-trails, city streets and bike lanes, I sure wish they'd clean the crud out of the bike lanes in the winter months but it's not going to happen. There was still some ICY spots on the "concrete" rail trails so it was time to dismount the bike and walk it over as I'm 60 years old and hitting the ground hurt's!!!  The folks at Ted's are great about letting you just show up and they do the "Goo Squirt" into each tube, it's about $9.00 for the bottle and it does both tubes. Picked up a new "spare" tube and headed home. it was a fairly nice day, mostly sunny and high 40 F degress so it felt really good to be able to get out on the Mongoose! :)  Today is back to Freezing Drizzle and cold so the Goose is inside the apartment nice and snug!  Hope your getting to ride, ENJOY! :)

Friday, January 9, 2015

Too !@#$% COLD!!

Wow, we've had nothing but cold, icy blasts since the 1st. of the year and usually we get a storm then it melts with a day or two of decent weather for at least a short ride but it's been the pits so far in 2015!! We sure hope for some decent weather soon as I'm getting FAT, just sitting around, I mean it's too cold to walk even, arrugh!!! :(  Hope your all getting to ride, have a most excellent day! :)