The weather finally let us RIDE!

Well it's been really cold and snowy lately, Feb. hasn't been kind to us as far as riding goes this year!! We did get out on Sunday, Feb. 16th. and got in a good 18 miles RT. This time of year it's just re-doing the same trails but it FEELS so good when it finally warms up into the low 50 F's. and we can ride without ICE, SNOW and COLD!! The only bad thing is it got warm enough to start a melt, so the plowed trails are covered with melting water which makes a mess of the trikes even with FENDERS! :(

We headed South on the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail then over to the Fontanero St. Trailhead and then over to a trail that has no name, it goes south along the sound wall of I-25 S. but it does make it so we don't have to ride in the semi-muddy dirt of parts of the Greenway Trail!! :) We took that over to pick up a bike lane over to Walnut St. and down to pick up the Midland Trail just past the main junction of the Greenway and the Midland Trail in America The Beautiful Park. Headed towards the little park that has the Manitou Springs, Swimming Pool and again ran into a lot of water on the trail. At 18th. Street intersection the way was blocked by a fairly deep puddle, lucky for us it didn't get up to Seat Level so we just slowly rode thru it!

We arrived at the park and ya gota LOVE Manitou Springs, not only do they keep the restrooms OPEN in the winter some are HEATED!! :) We made up our Brown Bag Lunch at the only picnic table with a dry spot around it!! Then we headed back the same way, the day was partly sunny and it did get chilly when the sun went totally under the clouds at times. We got back to the storage unit and cleaned up the trikes the best we could, cleaned and re-lubed the chains and tucked the trikes in! :) Alas, more SNOW coming in Tues. and Weds. with very LOW temps for highs, RATS! Spring is a long ways away here in So. Colorado.

Riding the Templeton Gap Trail

Sunday, Feb. 2nd. We got lucky and got a rare 60F+ weekend this Sat/Sun so we took advantage and got in a ride both days!! We got over to the storage unit and I got a couple of adjustments on my trike but it took longer than I thought so we finally got on the trail at 11 AM. it was a beautiful SUNNY day, a bit of breeze but it felt more like "late spring or early summer" than the first weekend in February!! We headed north on the Pikes Peak Greenway and ran into a Runners Event of some kind the Greenway was quite crowded but we took the Templeton Gap Trail heading east and at the top of the first incline we ran into a "DETOUR"!! We waited for YEARS for this section of the trail to be paved and now, it looks like there installing sewer piping and took out a section of the newer concrete trail so we had to "BMX" the dirt and bumpy detour and then got back on the trail and up the 2nd. very steep incline!

We headed north/east as the trail follows a huge ditch for flood drainage so it's out of traffic and pretty quite! We passed Portal Park and then headed to our favorite city park here in Colorado Springs, the Nancy Lewis Park off Old Templeton Gap Rd. it's a bit off the actual trail but there is short back street and Bike Lane access to the park.

The view at our favorite city park, Nancy Lewis Park, it's always full of families on a Sunny Day! :)

We ate our brown bag lunch and talked to a very nice senior lady from Germany who's moved to the USA with her husband, who sadly passed away. She was really interested in our trikes as they rode bicycles in Germany for years! We headed back up to the trail and headed north but vered off to the east thought I was taking us back to the Greenway but my memory isn't as good as it used to be we ended up back at the Bike Lane on Old Templeton Gap Rd. and then pick up the Rock Island Trail back to the storage unit and LOL, I did a hours worth of more "adjustments" to our trikes. Tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 3rd. it's going to drop "40" degrees from today's record high temp. of 70F and we've got SNOW coming late in the day and most of the day Tuesday, YUCK!! :( We walked home and started dinner! :)

Rode a big loop ride

On Saturday Feb. 1st. we headed north on the Greenway to pick up the Sinton Trail up to Angletech to have a couple of adjustments done to my trike but sadly we found then CLOSED! Oh well seems they were at a dealers event out of state so we headed up the trail to Garden of the Gods Road, using the "double wide" side walk up to 31st. St. to pick up the Foothills Trail and decide weither we just wanted to take the foothills trail and go by the outside of the Garden of the Gods or actually ride the Bike Lane that circles the park. The ride around and thru the park is quite hilly but it's very pretty and we just took it very slowly and enjoyed the ride! We ended up at the Garden of the Gods Trading Post and stopped to eat our afternoon snack! Then we headed into Manitou Springs to pick up the Midland Trail back into down town Colorado Springs. Hooked up to the Greenway Trail and headed north and the storage unit it was a harder ride than we do most of the time, lot's up hill grades, some pretty steep!! We put in about 20 miles and got back to the storage unit just as the sun was going down so we headed up to Burger King for "buy one get on FREE" whopper burger and salad!! Then a our short walk home! :)

Cottonwood Creek Trail Ride

Sunday, Jan. 26 2020. We headed up the PP Greenway and then headed east on the Cottonwood Creek Trail up to the Cottonwood Recreation Area and Park. It was a breezy semi-sunny day and although it's a slight but constant uphill grade in that direction. We turned around as it's a real fun ride heading west back to the PP Greenway, we ate our brown bag lunch at the close but still usable eating area of the Crit Cafe next to Criterium Bicycle Shop. Heading south on the Greenway towards the storage unit to tuck the trikes away and a short walk home.