The Mc Allister Home Museum, "Bicycling Thru the Ages" Event

Saturday August 24th., We loaded up the truck with the tandem and headed to the Fontenaro St. Trailhead of the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail to park so we could ride over to check out the "Bicycling Thru The Ages in Colorado Springs Event. We took a excellent guided tour of the Museum and learned of some interesting local area history and the also had several "static" displays of bicycles from the 1920's thru the 1970's in a area outside, in the different rooms in the Museum and the attached Carriage House, (sorry no video allowed in the Museum and Carriage House)! They also have a large "herb garden" on the grounds and the members of the "Herb growers group" made up several tasty samples of items made with their herbs, YUM! They sold hot dogs, chips and lemonade so we also had a good grilled dog! ;)  The Pike Rides, group brought a fleet of their new, E-assist station bikes you could test ride for free and Bike Colorado Springs put on a 5 miles, Historic Loop Ride, which we really enjoyed and found out even more local history during the ride! It was cloudy all day but warm and no rain so it was a nice break from the 90F+ heat we've had for most of July and August this summer!!! :O After the ride we headed back to the trailhead and the truck, loaded up the tandem and headed back to the storage unit. It was only a total of 11 miles but a VERY enjoyable day! :) Here is a video from our You Tube Page of the day! ENJOY.

RISE, Southeastern Colorado Springs, CO. Community Ride

We rode to and in the 1st. RISE, Southeastern area of Colorado Springs, CO. "Community Ride" on Sat. Aug., we headed out from our storage unit in Security and rode over to the "Armed Forces YMCA" for the start of the ride. After staging we headed out to pick up the Sand Creek Trail, north up to the turn around point at Wildflower Park,. The RISE folks handed out "popsicles" to the riders, JoLynn and I ate our apple and wheat thin crackers we took photos, then headed back to the start at the YMCA. We then headed out for lunch at 7-11, got a couple of BIG BITE hot dogs, (yum) and then headed home. As we were riding down the Hancock Expressway back into Security we ran into our friend Allen Beauchamp who was the "ride leader", he stopped at the Depot for a burger and he took the photo of us on our tandem that's now our new "blog header photo". A HOT day 90F+ but a lot of FUN!

Just a ride around the local area

Sunday August 11th. The weather forecasters said there was a good chance of "HEAVY" afternoon thunder storms today so we decided to just ride around Security/Widefield/Fountain. We got out a bit earlier than usual and it was a really mellow morning, only in the 70F temps, sunny with a nice breeze. We headed up Bradley Rd. from the storage unit, then turned into back streets in northern Security by Piute Park and up past Widefield HS. up to the Security Public Library and into the new section of Security over towards Copperfield, then out to Grinnell and into old Widefield past Widefield Park, then on to back streets and a short but shaded path that ends at Mesa Ridge HS. We then decided it was "nice enough" to head to Fountain on Hwy. 85/87 and then rode over to John Metcalf Park to use the restroom and use it as a turn around point. Heading back again via Hwy. 85/87 to northern Fountain we stopped at Wendy's for chicken nuggets and salad for lunch. The clouds were building quickly so we headed back to the storage unit up Security Blvd and back streets. 19 miles RT!

Shade break and half an apple for a snack!

 

Riding and a Video of the "Cottonwood Creek Trail", Colorado Springs, CO.

On August 3rd. we decided to load up the tandem trike into the truck and ride and video the Cottonwood Creek Trail! We started at Criterium Bicycles/Crit Café on the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail which is 1 mile south of the PPGW & Cottonwood Creek trail junction! At the junction we headed north-east to the CCT end just north of the Cottonwood Creek Recreation Area/Park. It was hot, 90F, sunny with just a touch of a breeze, the trail heading East is a constant "uphill grade" so it's slow going for us on the tandem trike, "without E-assist" but it's a really nice concrete trail with great view for a "urban" trail! We got to CCT and Academy Blvd. decided to get lunch, thought there was a place at Academy and Woodman but there wasn't so we had to go a couple of miles north on Academy, finally found a 5 Guys burger joint and got a really great grilled Hot Dog!! We headed back to the CCT and again headed north-east, the concrete part of the trail ends up by Austin Bluffs and turns into a "dirt single track trail", which is no place for a recumbent trike tandem!!!! So we just turned around at the "dirt" and headed back to the park for a shade break and excellent Fuji apple! :)

Going back on the CCT, it's mostly "DOWNHILL" grade so it's a blast on our heavy tandem trike we can really fly down the trail but we keep it mellow as there is a lot of bike, peds, dog walkers, etc. on this trail, still a really enjoyable ride! Here's a vid from our You Tube site, enjoy! :)

Just too nice of a day not to RIDE!

Wed. July 31, Our HEAT WAVE continues, today is suppose to be 95F+ but there's not a cloud in the beautiful blue sky so I decided to get on the Bike E and head out to see how I can handle the heat! Decided to use Hwy. 85/87 up to Las Vegas St. just far enough to get to the southern extension of the Sand Creek Trail to hook up with the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail into Colorado Springs since it's got more SHADE than any other of our routes from Security to Co. Springs. Man the shade from the tree canopies feels much better than the blazing sun so it take it all the way to America The Beautiful Park, stop use the restroom and eat a apple, just sit in the shade under a tree and take in views of Pikes Peak and watch all the kids splashing under the Julie Penrose Fountain! :) Was going to ride all the way to the Crit Café next to Criterium Bicycles but time was getting away from me so I headed via back streets to the "Drive Inn" a little 50's style burger joint for a hot dog! YIKES, I forgot my wallet so NO LUNCH but lucky for me I still got two kids Cliff Bars so I ride back to the park and chow down on a bar, then head back on the PPGW trail. Stopped at the baseball/scoocer fields in the shade and ate the 2nd. Cliff Bar, then headed home! 25 mile RT and was glad to get back to the house with the swamp cooler running! :)

Quick photo op at the "Low Bridge" on the PPGW trail!

One HOT Ride!!!

Sunday, July 28, Wow we've had a lot of days in the 90F+ in July and that's rare here in Southern CO.!! We headed out for a lunch ride, using a different route into Colorado Springs from Security than normal. We headed up Hwy. 85/87 to Las Vegas St., now back in the 1970's when I was in high school we used to ride our bikes into the Springs via Las Vegas St. all the time but over the last 20 years it's gotten insanely busy with all the local, prisons and rehab places and a lot of big trucking companies!! You'd NEVER want to ride a bicycle or trike on it from Mon.-Sat. but since it was Sunday, we decided to give it a try! It turned out to be ok, just mostly car traffic and not super busy so we rolled into down town and had the only, "thin crust" pizza we like at Louie's on Bijou and Tejon, one great pineapple and ham pizza and a big salad, next time we only order 1 salad and share!! Headed back the same way, went thru a lot of water and ice but still enjoyed the ride! Here's video of the ride, split into two parts! :)