I’m finally back home after a long trip back to Michigan and I am reflecting on several lessons learned while riding in the Rockies this year… Animal Crackers sound better on day one than on day seven. We are more efficient as a group than on our own (thank you pace lines). Shade is a very good thing. “The Wall” … Read More

The ride from Salida to Canon City started off with a fast descent, and I must admit that I enjoyed every part of it. As the miles ticked off on my odometer I began to think to myself “This will be just like another recovery ride.” I was happy about the possibility of reaching my hotel room without being completely exhausted. Even after turning off Highway 50, … Read More

Every once in awhile you are both amazed and inspired at the same time. This morning, as I left the only aid station on the route from Gunnison to Crested Butte, I was passed by a father-son riding duo. What immediately grabbed my attention was how young the son was and how effortless his cadence seemed to be. I was determined to catch them and watch this … Read More

There is a time for ego and there is a time to come to grips with reality – reality hit me square between the eyes today and it came in the form of an unrelenting climb. The truth is that the Grand Mesa kicked this Michigander’s butt. I did Berthoud Pass last year, so I was filled with all kinds … Read More

I have never been to this side of Colorado, so even though I rode in Ride The Rockies last year I was pretty stoked to see some new views – I was certainly not disappointed! The landscape in the Colorado National Monument was breathtaking, and the perfect weather only added to the prestige of all the monoliths and red rock … Read More

Everyone rides for different reasons, and everyone participates in Ride The Rockies for different reasons. I will tell you why I ride, but I am even more interested in hearing why you do. What drives you? What gets you on that saddle when your body is telling you to lounge on the couch and eat more Pringles? What inspires you … Read More

I am not a fan of micromanaged environments; I prefer things a little tempestuous, things on the edge of something else; like dawn and twilight, when changing light is transforming everything, or a storm front, when the atmosphere brings the transformation. Something in me is charging at that point, about to be released, and riding during those times is better … Read More

When Charles Dickens wrote “It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade” I believe he must have been writing about Michigan. I love my state, especially by Lake Michigan, but training for Ride The Rockies during the spring months … Read More

I started road cycling in 1988 – the year I graduated high school. My parents had just moved from northern Indiana to St. Louis, Missouri, and that meant leaving the home where I grew up, all my friends, and my comfort zone. It was a miserable experience for me (nothing against St. Louis or Missouri…they’ve got a great baseball team!), … Read More