Happy Trails!

I’ve just got back from this week’s races at New Belgium Brewery and before going any further, I must clear something up. Last week I estimated the racer count to be 100.  It was actually closer to 130 and this week 143 bikes showed up pulling their riders along!  That’s quite a showing for a grass roots race!

Now for those not racing, if you own a bike and did not go for a ride last Sunday after all the rain we had during the week, you were definitely in the minority.  I jumped on the road bike and took a spin up around Horsetooth Reservoir and had plenty of company!  If you live in Fort Collins, I don’t think I have to tell you about the quality of our road rides from virtually every garage door in town… but that doesn’t even scratch thesurface of the biking we have at our disposal.  No matter what your age or discipline, there is some place for you to spin your pedals around Fort Collins……OK, we may have to talk more about a velodrome but hey, they have my vote.  Name your game– bike path, mountain bike single track, terrain park, jump/pump track, and even a nationally listed BMX track — they are mere minutes away from every household in town!

Starting from the east end of Drake Road, the Poudre Trail is a bike path that winds itself north west for 12 miles or so to the town of Bellvue.  Most of this trail parallels the river for which it is named and if you ride far enough, you can ride over a bridge that is pretty impressive.  The Spring Creek trail forks off of the east end of the Poudre trail and brings its riders 8 miles to Spring Canyon Community Park and the Pineridge Natural Area.  You’ll have to guess where this trail got its name but you can bet there’s a slight grade in one direction.  The Mason Trail and the Power Trail then both run north and south and aren’t as rider friendly as the Poudre or Spring Creek Trails. One has to be willing to cross some pretty major roads when using these trails, but they both offer access to the other trails and when linked together, can make for quite a relatively motorist free ride.  The Cathy Fromme Trail on the southwest side of town is also a nice ride and once it’s linked to the Mason Trail and Spring Creek Trail, it will make quite a nice loop.  For a detailed trail map go to http://www.fcgov.com/bicycling/bike-maps.php or http://www.fcgov.com/parks/trails.php for distances etc.

Now for my bread and butter……If you have not been mountain biking on the trails around Fort Collins you are missing out on some of the best mountain biking in the state.  Yes, I know there are a lot of people who say that Fort Collins isn’t in the same league as Fruita or Grand Junction, never mind that other place called Moab (UT by the way) but if you can ride the trails in FC, you can ride any trail anywhere short of Whistler.  People from here can travel, key word is travel, west and have such a good time on the trails there because of our trails.  From super easy and flat to super technical and steep, you can find it within 15 minutes of town.  Those just beginning to get their tires dirty would enjoy time spent in and around the Pineridge Trail System, Blue Sky Trail and the Valley Trail in Horsetooth and Lory Parks.  Those riders

with a few scratches on their bikes would do well with some time spent at Coyote Ridge, Maxwell, Shoreline, Devil’s Backbone and depending on their lung capacity,  perhaps head up into Horsetooth Mountain Park or Lory State Park.  Yes, now we start talking some elevation and doing some work for the privilege of coming down.

Is that it?…..Nope.  A perfect place to polish your technical skills is in the terrain park in Spring Canyon Park.  The park has logs and ladder bridges and raised skinnies, not to mention this crazy track sling to test your skill and your heart.  Spending an hour in the park is like spending four days on the trail trying things over and over.  Hopefully you build your confidence each time you make it just a foot farther on a given obstacle.

Finally, don’t forget the Epic BMX track just down the hill from the Epic Center and part of the American Bicycle Association.  This is a great family venue and is host to many races throughout the summer.  Abilities of all levels are welcome and the different classes make everyone feel like they belong on the track.  For more information about the ABA or the Epic BMX track visit ABABMX.

Now for this week’s tip — Play a tune!! Your wheel that is…Your spokes must be kept at the proper tension to keep your wheels spinning true.  An easy way to check is by playing a tune on them (if you’re still a fan of Andy Gibb, you may want to skip this method).  To get started – turn your bike over so the wheels can spin freely. Using the valve stem as a guide, tap on each spoke with a screwdriver or something held loosely in your hand.  Each spoke should make a ‘tinging sound’ when tapped.  When you tab a spoke and it makes a dull thud, it needs to be tightened using the correct sized spoke wrench.  Tighten the loose spoke in small increments while checking for the ‘ting’ sound.  Once you hear it, stop and keep checking the others.  All the spokes should sound the same. Alternatively, stop by the shop, we would love to help out.