Ride Reports

An awesome group of 18 riders came out to ride from Trails End Monument. We started with a warmup on the Santa Fe to Palmer Lake, then tested our skills in Greenland Open Space as it was incredibly sandy. The headwind in what seemed like every direction didn't stop us. We were rewarded with a rainbow. Then we did some climbing on Furrow road and had a nice descent back into Monument on Woodmoor to end with a beer at Trails End Taproom. I was so happy with the turnout!

It was a great night for a mountain bike ride in Palmer Park. After a very hot day, it looked like it would rain and it held out for us to have a beautiful evening to ride. We ended up splitting the group up in two so that the more advanced riders could get a longer ride in while the beginner riders could work on skills. The group really pushed the pace and we were able to cover a lot of the park. We sessioned a few spots and it was a lot of fun. Most of the group had never ridden at Palmer Park and I was glad to show everyone around! I hope to continue to have regular MTB rides moving forward. 

We had a great turnout for our weekly Tuesday Gravel ride. Twelve riders came out to explore Stratton Open Space and Cheyenne Canon Park. They tackled a bunch of single track and some steep ascents and descents on gravel roads. The group did great pushing out of their comfort zone and gaining some new skills on the gravel bike! We had great weather and even better company. 

Fourteen club members ventured out for a chilly 1st outdoor gravel ride of 2024 up to Palmer Lake and back.  The temperatures were much colder than anticipated with a start in the high 30s.  We stopped at Ice Lake for a quick nature break and then proceeded up to Palmer Lake regrouping on several occasions.  At Palmer Lake, several members expressed interest in stopping at a local cafe while others wished to make the return trip back to Criterium Bike Shop so we split the group to accommodate everyone's wishes.  The trail was in pretty good shape with the exception of some ruts between Monument and Palmer Lake.  Unfortunately, this caught one of our riders off-guard and they had a tumble.  Luckily, the rider's spouse was in the area and picked up the rider to ensure proper medical checks were conducted.  The rest of us proceeded back to Colorado Springs on the Santa Fe (fighting the wind the whole way).  

It was a great group of riders and, as always, it was nice catching up with everyone's stories, checking out new bikes and gear, and just sharing laughs along the way.  I can't wait for many more of these rides in 2024!  

I'll start by stating this is a very challenging ride that I typically like to do once a year (one and done).  I was joined by a great group, Chris F., Austin, Al, Anthony, Curtis, Robin, Helen, Kimberly and a guest Cindi B.  We regrouped often and at one point going up Rampart, Helen decided to ride solo to the overlook and back while Curtis and Robin turned around at the radio towers.  The rest of us continued the relentless climb up Rampart Range and descended down into Monument where we had a quick refill at Trails End Taproom before heading back on the Santa Fe to Criterium.  

Could not have asked for better weather or company and l'm already looking forward to this epic ride next year.  

The weather forecast was not very predictable and a few people dropped out prior to the ride start; however, those of us that showed up enjoyed perfect weather and a great ride up Rampart Range road.  A big thanks to Christine, Nico, Jeremy, and Kimberly for showing.  

Shorter ride and I ended with 18.64 miles, almost 2k feet of climbing at a 12.3 mi/h average.  

Eight of us enjoyed a beautiful morning wandering through areas of the Black Forest. After riding over to the Cathedral Pines area we enjoyed the secluded roads and nice views. We had some challenging climbs, and some fun descents as our reward, and regrouped periodically to stay together. The mostly downhill final section of the ride down Sanctuary Rim and Gleneagle was welcomed after all the earlier climbing.

An awesome evening for a fun ride through Red Rocks.  We had a great showing with John, Matt, Nico, Tessa, Kevin, Robin, Kimberly and I.  Of all the Tuesday gravel rides, I think I prefer this one over the others due to the challenging climbs and the rewarding sweeping single track that brings us back down into Red Rocks.  I ended with 20.74 miles, almost 2k ft of climbing and an average of 12.3mi/h.  After the ride, most of us hung out at Red Leg and had a cold beverage.

After just a little mist and maybe a rain drop or two in the parking lot before we started the ride, all twelve of us decided to brave the elements and proceed to the Air Force Academy. One of the guards opened the second security gate onto the Academy for us, so we were quickly proceeding with the ride. After a moderate pace down Stadium Blvd, the riding got more spirited on the Pine Drive and West Monument Creek Climbs. We regrouped several times at the top of climbs, and then enjoyed the descents. A few opted for a single lap, while the rest of us went for a second. Mother Nature cooperated, and we stayed dry, and enjoyed riding in some cooler weather after the heat we've had.

There was a request for a short notice gravel ride on Sunday, so I obliged and led up a spirited ride to Palmer Lake and back on the Santa Fe trail.  Great smaller group and we had a brisk pace to the lake and back.  Conditions on the Santa Fe kept us on our toes with some deep sand in locations.  As I rode from home and back, I ended up with 52.5 miles, 2000ft of climbing and a solid 15.3 mph average.