4-25-2021-Just "Out and About" on the Bicycles!

Well after Saturday's very HILLY ride we decided to take it a bit easy and just headed up the Pikes Peak Greenway then EAST on the Cottonwood Creek Trail up to the Regional Park for our brown bag lunch! As stated before the CCT heading east is a constant uphill grade, no real steep parts but it's always a bit uphill. When we got to the park, we noticed the "wind" was getting stronger and we'd be fighting a headwind if we continued northeast on the CCT to it's current ending point so we bailed and headed south for a very mellow ride back down to the PPG and then home. 17 miles RT, Sunny, 70 F partly cloudy with a stiff breeze but kinda a tailwind and with the "down hill" grade it was a very fast return!! LOTS of folks out on the trails today, yes, even though we have had both Covid shots we still wear masks when we ride!! Starting to plan on a Overnight Ride up to Castle Rock, CO. 60+ miles via Hwy. 83/86 as we are now "officially" in training mode for Jo's American Diabetes Assoc. "Tour de Cure" virtual ride on the 28th. of August!! 

If you'd like to make a "donation" to her ADA Ride, here's her "TdC Page" link: JoLynn Ondo's Tour de Cure donation page!  Any amount is good and helps find a CURE for this dreaded disease that literally "takes total control" of your LIFE and is not easy to live with, Thank You very much!! :)

 

4-24-2021- We rode the "Motorless Morning" ride at the Garden of the Gods Park, here in Co. Springs, CO.

Got in a excellent ride today with my wife Jo, we rode in the Garden of the Gods in Co. Springs, CO. A few times a year the City opens the GoG park roads to "Bikes, Skaters, Walker/Runners ONLY! NO AUTOS allowed from 5AM to 12 Noon! We woke to a beautiful sunny but "slightly chilly day" so we did have to bundle up a bit for our ride over the Sinton and Foothills Trails over to the entry way into the GoG park! We got in about 27 miles RT so it was a good ride for us, with a stop for lunch at a local, long time drive up diner that open today, got a great grilled hot dog!! Then headed out to the Templeton Gap trail to head back home!

Here is a short video, enjoy!

April 18, 2021-Riding for "ERIC HESS" on the ALS Walk, Run, Ride bike ride event 15K

 At the March 27, 2021,  Walk, Run and Roll for Daniel charity ride they were handing out flyers for a 1st. time walk, run, ride for ALS for those that can't!! A few years ago a very dear friend and fellow bicycle rider of, Eric Hess, pass away from ALS, ie: Lou Gerigh's Disease! :( It's a terrible thing to watch he went from a very vibrant personality to being a  totally wasted physical husk in 1.5 years!!!! :( So when we saw the flyer, we KNEW we had to ride for "Eric"!! It was on Sunday the 18th. starting at 9AM. Well Sat. the 17th. came and on our walk it was very lightly snowing, gray and CHILLY!! We got lucky and the heavy snow didn't make it down from up north so the ride was ON!! 

We arrived at 8:30 AM with lot's of sun but temps around 28 F with a slight breeze, (when you check out the video, look at how much of the mountain range is covered in fresh SNOW!!), So we basically got there as they were setting up, booths etc. Finally it came close to starting time and we found out Jo and I were the ONLY bicyclist to sign up for the event!! :( Luckily they had a very good turn out of walkers/runners so the event was a success!! :) We headed of and rode the 15K route of urban trail with the "Ride Guide" on a recumbent trike, it was a slow ride for us but it felt good as the sun slowly warmed up the temps on the ride. We got back and then rode to down town Colorado Springs to eat a Panino's Restaurant for lunch then picked up the Shooks Run Rail Trail heading north back to our apartment. A total of 20 miles of riding for the day so we hope they will have it next year, Here's to you ERIC HESS!! :)

April 10/11, 2021-A weekend with nice weather in the insane Spring weather in Southern Colorado!! :O

Ah, Spring time in So. CO. well our weather is "insane" at this time of year, could be 75 F and Sunny or Howling WIND and SNOW from one day to the next, arrugh!! So when you get a weekend that going to be 60 F, mostly sunny and lighter winds, well you just have to RIDE!! :) We did a mix of urban/rail trails, bike lanes and back streets so get in our miles, 22 on Sat. and 20 on a Sun. LOL, yes I know that's not a lot to some but it's early in the season and at 66 years old we like to slowly work up to longer day rides! Here is a link to Sat. ride video:

It felt good to feel the Sun warming on our backs and being able to ride in shorts and short sleeves! We are still getting use to our new "fitness/comfort combo" bikes, as stated before we came off a few years of riding "recumbent trikes" and then "crank forward" type bicycles. The regular "diamond frame" bikes take different mussel groups so we are still working on waking up, dormant mussels!!! Really enjoying the "ease of rolling" with the 700 C sized wheels and tires!!! So for now we were just enjoying and hoping to work up to possible overnight or weekend touring as the temps warm up towards summer. Here's a link to Sun. ride video:

 Oh, I must apologize for the constant, "FLUTTER" in this video, I found a old "handlebar mount" for the video cam and decided to see if it would work on this bike. Sadly it was a "EPIC FAILURE"!! :( The imperfections in the trails and streets cause the "flutter" so I've now gone back to the "Helmet video cam mount", RATS!! Well enjoy, good vid's to use on your cycle trainer or exercise bike, if you like US and the weather is every-changing in the Spring Time. BTW, we've got WIND, Mix of Snow/Rain from Tues. thru Sun. this week, BUMMER, oh well looks like the "Stationary Exercise Bike" will be getting a full workout this week!! Till next time, Take care, Ride Safe, have FUN!! :)

 

4-4-2021-Riding the Lake Pueblo State Park Trail, along the Arkansas River

We packed the bikes into the old Ford Ranger PU and headed 40 miles south of Colorado Springs to Pueblo, CO. to ride one of our favorite trails, The Lake Pueblo Reservoir State Park Trail that follows the Arkansas River thru the city of Pueblo. Two totally different landscapes on this concrete trail, heading west, it's like a desert with mesa's and to the east it's like a old forest till you get to where the trail turns north and goes thru the city of Pueblo Down Town areas up to end at the University of Southern CO. It's 21 miles one way from "end to end". We wanted to just do the River portion of the trail BUT found out the trail was closed at 4th. St. looks like they are building a bridge? So we turned around and headed WEST and ended at the Reservoir's South Marina then headed back to the truck and home! 17 miles for us, 85 F, SUNNY, breezy, a taste of SUMMER to come!! :)  

Here's a video:

4-3-2021-The day you wait for all WINTER, the first ride in shorts and short sleeves!!

 I had to take my old bike to the old shop to be packed and shipped to the new owner and the shop didn't open till 10 AM so we got a late start for our ride! Man, what a day, going to hit 75 F, sunny with a bit of breeze and LOTS of SUN!! LOL, we've been having a "NEED a HOT DOG" jones for a couple of weeks so we headed out on different urban trails finally heading west to end up in Manitou Springs, CO. We stopped at the 8th. St. 7-11 and got a BIG BITE Hot Dog and what luck they were on sale for 2 for $3.00, what a deal!! We chowed down the dogs and then continued west on the Midland Trail over to the Creek Walk trail in Manitou Springs, ending at Schriever Park and took a nature break and ate a apple for desert! :) We took a couple of photo's of the new machines, (Giant Escape 3 Comfort and LIV Alight 3) and then headed back, added a bit of distance to get over to the Shooks Run Trail, heading north and back to the Apt. about 3 PM. 19 miles RT! Just so nice to ride in shorts and jersey and not be chilled, wish it would stay but here in So. Colorado it can SNOW all the way to Memorial Day so we have to get in a RIDE anytime we can!!:)