The idea for Saturday was simple enough, get a group together to ride trails all day long up in the Colorado high country. My personal opinion is that as the summer comes to an end, an entire day of trail is needed to get the mind and body back in order. Given that the CO high country (and the CO Trail) is at higher elevations, its always a gamble for how late these trails will be rideable. Self, Crosby, and Angry Bhuddist met up in Breckenridge, glazed over a map and selected a route. We picked a route that mixed trails and chunky dirt roads to get to the top of Georgia Pass, then we’d just ride the CO trail back to town. We made sure all the gear was in order, picked up some supplies, and headed out.
We kicked it off by linking trail and dirt roads allowing the thin air at 10,000 feet to kick us in the collective balls. Riding by abandoned mines with yellow and orange leaves popping in the background provided a high end back drop for the first half of the day. These are sights that all folks, cyclists or not should be able to take in at some point. Eventually we found our way on the “flume trail” providing a conection between two gravel roads. The flume trail was tight singletrack, which never seemed to gain or lose much elevation, and provided plenty of chunky technical sections, in short it was an amazing mountain bike trail. From there we grunted our way to the top of Georgia’s Pass to soak in all our glory and enjoy a celebratory beer. After drinking, resting, and bullshitting, we mounted our faithful steeds and began the ride to town back on the CO trail. All of the great words you have heard about the CO Trail is true, and all I can say is that if you ever have the chance to travel it, you should. We made it back to town with only some minor mechanical and navigation hiccups, totaling something over five hours on the bike. High fives were slapping, and grins were wide as we said our good-byes and made our way back to our respective abodes, enjoying a great day of trail.
The buzz from the raddness of Saturday carried over to Sunday morning to where I was even midly happy about going to help out at work. I went down to the garage of my place to get my town bike. Low and behold my town bike, and my girlfriends two bikes (one mountain and road) had been stolen (they had been locked up in our “secure” garage). A feeling of total shittiness descended upon me due to the combination of losing three bikes. A police report was filed, the local craigslist ads were check, and ebay has been scoured, providing a glimmer of hope that the stolen bikes may be found. For now the memories that were created while riding those bikes will have to suffice, as I remind myself that with replacement bikes (hopefully) will come new cycling memories. With all that said, for any of you in the Denver metro area, if you come across someone on a green Kona Jake the Snake cross bike (converted to an SS with a surly singulator), a green Kona Blast mountain bike, or a silver Trek 1000C road bike, they may be our bikes that were stolen, and anything that could be done to help my our bikes back would be greatly appreciated.
That sucks about the bikes…if I see them in my neck of the woods I’ll let you know.
…jeez, 40…i was totally enjoying your ride story & then i was absolutely sickened by what happened…
…good luck, amigo…i hope your community is close knit enough that you find your rides…
…that kinda loss, in my book, is extremely personal & leads me to having fantasies of being in your situation & catching, incapacitating & then meting out a little homegrown justice to the perp(s)…
…it involves a sardonic smile on my face & a lotta broken fingers (8 fingers, 2 thumbs) on the perps part whether that’s accepted behavior or not…
Been there, done that, my sympathies.
That kick in the gut when you go into the garage & see an empty space where your bike used to be is indescribable.
That’s why now every bike in my garage is now locked to something immovable.
Weak fucking sauce, man. I will keep an eye out…
A couple years ago, my bro-in-law and I did a nice little ride from Chatfield Lake up to Wellington Lake on the Colorado Trail. Conditions ranged from 90+ degree sun-exposed trail through a burn area to 50-some degrees and a hailstorm around Buffalo Creek. It was wonderful…and only made better by a stop in Pine for some home-brewed beer and a killer burrito on the way home. One of my best days on a bike.
Only rode a motorcycle once and it damned killed me.
But all this talk reminds of a toy I had when I was a young.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an8eejlhadk
40, about 2 years ago I was using my Jake the Snake (2005 florescent safety cone orange model) that I had just rebuilt with new chain, rings, cassette, cables and housing a week before, as a commuter for school. I went into my class at 6:55pm. I came out at 7:45 during break it was still there. When I can out at 8:55 it was gone. It was locked with a ulock around the chain stays. a cable through the front wheel, and a mini-u through the chain-rings around the seat tube. All gone. All that was left was the velcro strap for the cable and a complete vomit inducing rage inside of my gut. I called the campus security. I walked all over downtown Fullerton for hours scouring trash cans, dumpsters, the homeless camps. I got home around 3 in the morning. Woke up at 7am and went to the PD (YES the same PD that killed Kelly Thomas) and was informed that even though that bike to replace was considered grand theft, they probably wouldn’t look into. I left there even more disgusted than the night before. I still look on the craigslist and ebay once a week, and whenever I see a bright colored bike I jump up to investigate. Shit sucks.
Balls man. On the positive, this inspires me to get lost on the bike like I stole it.
My man Matchew lost a custom SS Walt Works (orange) in PBH a few weeks ago. Fox FORX, King stuff etc. He’s currently lurking the streets on my borrowed Monkey seeking revenge. Beware bike thieves, he has a law degree.
I have no words to describe the severity of the high and then low you experienced. I can only imagine, as my high is only diminished by the news you shared. I am glad to have met you, and shredded a day away with you. Rest knowing a few good men/women are looking about for your steeds, willing to curb stomp the living hell outta anyone caught. If there can be no curb stomp, rest assured there will be a video that will warm the void left in your gut from the loss.
Holy shit, 40. I’m sorry for your loss.
Keep your bikes close, kids.
fucking fucks. get the testicle electrodes, the big, rusty clamps. we’ll get Sparky Joe to tap one leg of 480V three-phase.
oh dear, bicycles have been obsoleted:
http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/34840/could+this+tiny+electric+vehicle+change+transportation+forever/
stolen bikes in the front range area… i saw that cuntbag d2 riding all three stolen bikes – with the help of his crackwhore photo subjecks. he’s a serial thief and all around crackwhore employer. watch out he may steal your dog’s food too (so he can bribe his crackbuttwhores to steal again).
Yay big rides fuelled by Snickers bars and alcohol. Boo bike thieves!
Doable, Mikey, but with downsides.
1-Not every location has 3-phase.
2-Fatality is likely and it would come much too quickly.
I was thinkin’ more along the lines of moseyin’ on down to the local feed and grain store for an electric fence transformer. Anyplace with 120 volt (or even a car inverter) could run it, and the fun could go on for hours.
Jeeze, I think about this shit WAY too much.