Dear Ride The Rockies Riders: The other day my 18-year-old daughter asked me why I have been going to the mountains so much? Why am I on my phone so much? Why are you staying up so late typing notes? She of course knew that I got a new job as interim ride director for Ride The Rockies at the … Read More
Every Victory Counts
“Please tell him that he is not allowed to ride tomorrow!” I begged the ER doctor on Thursday following Doug’s second crash during RTR. On Monday Doug nicked the barrier wall of the bike path next to I-70 which brought him down and a rider behind him. On Thursday, exhausted and unsteady after riding up Tennessee Pass, he lost control … Read More
The Renassiance Dad
re·nais·sance – From Old French renaistre: To be reborn. Rebirth. Revival. A period of new growth or activity. My dad Greg is in the midst of a renaissance, and he’s wearing it well. Watching him take up cycling has been a joy, and sharing in the ride is even better. For years Greg has worked. Not just punching a clock, … Read More
Goodnight Boulder, Lovely Meeting You
The bikes are assembled and ready to go at Fairview High School. The contents of my bike box lacked pedals and the front wheel skewer, nothing $130 and a trip to a bike shop couldn’t fix. We flew in on what I would call a micro jet with insufficient air conditioning. It took us over three hours to reach our … Read More
My Body: Your Cautionary Tale
Trivia: What is the average age of a Ride The Rockies Participant? Ok, admittedly I don’t know. But it’s not 19. Chances are, you’re hovering near middle age. And if you reach your glorious midlife on a bike, adventuring through the Rockies, your previous years, like mine, were probably the epic type, the kind that did some damage to the … Read More
The power of team
At first glance cycling seems like an individual sport. A sport where you hop on your bike, take off for miles and ride till you die. The opposite is true. Cycling is a team sport where together as a unit so much more can be achieved. Together, a team is powerful. Together, a team can breeze for miles climbing hills … Read More
The Seven Deadly Sins of Ride the Rockies
[Or How I Learned to Love the Ride and Forget the Rest] Over the course of my first Ride The Rockies, the same lessons kept smacking me in the face from time to time and I thought that I – now the seasoned vet – would shed some light on what you (next year’s rookie) can expect to encounter and … Read More
Fajitas are all in the family
They say the sense of smell is a powerful trigger of memories. Each time Kathy and I roll our tandem into the lunch stop on the day’s RTR route, the aroma of grilling onions and peppers takes us back to RTR 2011. It was our first RTR, and our first extended bike tour on our tandem, period. Day 1 began … Read More
Running with the Pack
Two days complete and I am impressed by the courtesy being displayed by riders on this year’s tour. Our departure from Telluride started with immediate climbing to the top of Lizard Head Pass. Cyclists climbing with very different speeds were continually passing around, between, and beside each other. I heard only a few polite warning announcements before passing and only … Read More
Hot day for a honeymoon
The bride wore Lycra. So did the groom. And no sooner was the ceremony over and the honeymoon begun than the newlyweds ran into difficulty. But then, so did the other 2,000 Ride The Rockies cyclists who began the 2013 tour Sunday at Telluride High School. Only a few miles out of Telluride, we started the first big climb of … Read More
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