#followcamfriday bringing a canon to the knife fight with Noah Sears in Granby, Colorado

There is a current trend that the bicycle industry seems to be getting behind. Riding bikes with an insufficient amount of travel is now cool again, according to the Pinkbike audience anyway..... Yes, mountain bikes are amazingly good right now, and you can probably ride your 110 bike down the Whistler Bike Park, but.... Do you really want to do that? Really?

If I am being honest, we were a tad overbiked for this one. It isn't as much of a travel thing in my mind, but more of a geometry situation. Slack bikes suck to turn in the flats. There, I said it. If feels like parking my van in the "compact car" spot. It will fit, but it isn't going to feel very good...  I am less concerned with the climbing efficiency, and even less concerned with weight. But I will say that a 68° head angle just feels so much snappier while dodging aspen trees on flatter grades. All of this said, I am certainly not complaining, I will ride any bike, anywhere, and have a smile on my face. Damn these flat trails!!!! lol

I am a man who doesn't mind pushing a bit of extra weight on the climbs. It just makes you stronger in my opinion at the end of the day. Unless you are entering an XC race, there is no real reason to have a 21 pound race machine. They just aren't that fun to ride. It should also be noted that riding XC tires and wheels is a recipe for disaster if fun is your focus. But that said, a 64° enduro bike feels a bit "poochy" on the flatter bits. What is a man to do? We are so spoiled right now. These are not real problems, just bike nerd thoughts that enter my brain at times. It is a good thing for me that Noah was not on his XC bike, because he would have torn my legs off. Hurt locker situation. 

Noah and I filmed this a while back, before the Colorado wildfire situation had escalated. Grand County is taking it hard currently. Despite recent snows, the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires are continuing to burn. If you are interested in donating to fire relief in Grand County, GO HERE. Several hundred buildings and residences have been destroyed, with many being displaced and evacuated.  A HUGE thanks to the people fighting to keep our public lands from burning. 

Fall was short-lived this year. We are now in that holding pattern that I like to call "drinking season" . As if I needed an excuse. Drinking Season sets in when snow closes the high country to riding, but doesn't produce enough white stuff to actually go skiing. With no major storms headed our way in the foreseeable future, the current foot in the alpine will be the snowpacks first and most stubborn weak layer. It always is. But that is a different story for another time. I am headed to the desert. Drinking Season.

#followcamfriday riding Herman Gulch with Jank Master James. 

Definition of Jank- Awkward, lacking flow, nonsensical trail construction, almost unrideable, not intended to be ridden smoothly on a bicycle. Jank. Trying to make sense of ridiculously eroded, and over-used hiking trails is an art. Live for it!

Of course, this trail is a 100 year old hiking route and was never intended to be ridden on a bicycle. That said, I have ridden a trail or two in my day, and this one has to be the most abused, and best examples of over-use, and lack of maintenance in the state. Maybe that is why I love it so much. It's close proximity to I70 has left this as the easiest option for hikers to get into the "forest".  Covid had exacerbated this trend. 

It is worth noting that as of October 21st, this trail and the entire Arapahoe and Roosevelt National forests are closed to prevent the further spread of wildfire.  Humans can't be trusted unfortunately and are banned from the woods. Basically, the entire Front Range is closed currently, so you are going to have to wait till the spring to give this one a go. Props to the people fighting the fires in our state and protecting the land. Please check into the local restrictions if you intend to ride anywhere in the state right now. Interesting times, to say the least. 

I prefer to ride this one from Jones Pass, but there was a closure in place on the CDT at the top of the divide due to the Williams Fork fire. So many fires.... We did this as an out-and-back, and it was still worth the effort to unlock the jank. Herman Gulch is basically a pile of anacondas with some gravel and rock mixed in. My happy place.

James is always keen for an adventure and keeps his hydration levels in check. Especially before stacking it to flat. Hydration is never more important. Herman Lake is likely very cold in the background. I do not recommend that you put your body into it. It does however make for a tranquil moment amongst the rocks.

You will notice that the aspens in this picture are devoid of leaves. This is due in part to the high winds the state has been experiencing for the last 2 weeks (also the reason the fires are spreading rampantly), but mostly due to the fact that winter is just around the corner. Colorado is setting up for a reasonable winter storm this weekend and I would be surprised if the alpine is rideable again this year. And so the cycle goes. Make the most of it friends. I am stoked to ski. 

#followcamfriday riding Suicide in So Cal with my homies from Worldwide Cyclery.

Strange as it sounds, this was my first time anywhere near Southern California. The crew over at Worldwide Cyclery was stoked to show me one of the local classics, Suicide. 

Just a touch of smoke and pollution make for epic sunsets. Health levels aside, this was one to remember. Jeff Cayley, owner of Worldwide, grew up around here, pushing his DH rig up this track to bang out laps. Now we have bicycles that pedal to the top and ride down faster than an a proper Dh rig from 10 years ago ever could. My how times have changed.  

Jeff and Jared enjoy tequila as much as I do.
​You can check out a podcast that we recorded while I was at the shop HERE

I also recorded a video for the Worldwide Youtube Channel in which we talk tech and, wait for it.... Drink tequila. Would you expect anything less? Watch the video HERE

I will have to come back and visit again when there is some moisture present in the ground. Most of the forest is also closed due to the wildfire situation, so another trip is definitely in order when things settle down a hair. 2020 par for the course. I'll be back!Perhaps if the global travel ban is still in order this winter, I will make some time to come here and train.

That afternoon light though.... Nothing better than running trains with the boys. 

This was my first trip out of Colorado since Covid. It was a bit strange, if I am being honest. I was self contained in my van, but still, things just felt different. Maybe this is just how LA always feels. It's probably less crowded now, thanks to Covid, but there is still an inordinate number of humans everywhere. I was passed by 100 Teslas while I was cruising at 80 in the middle lane. Complete culture shock, coming from small-town Colorado. 

That's good roost. 

#followcamfriday on segment 8.2 of the Colorado Trail with James Weingarten.

Fall happened amazingly fast in the high-country this year. It seemed as though the window of aspen color was shorter this season. The alpine still has a pleasant color to the ground, but it won't be long until these mountains are covered in snow. I am looking forward to some skiing in the coming months. It's not worth fighting the seasons. All you can do is make the most of what you have in front of you. 

I have always ridden Searle as and out and back, starting at Copper Mountain and climbing up to about 12,200, before sending it back down. The upper bit of alpine singletrack is nothing short of amazing, and well worth the 3000ft grunt to get up there. 

Janet's Cabin is hidden in the forest, as the trail rises above treeline. We stopped, searching for snacks, but the place was locked. This is a popular hut to rent in the winter, with skiing opportunities right out the door. It's way too nice to be just sitting up here locked in the middle of the woods. Very strange. 

The kinnickinnic was glowing in this particular section. Visually stunning, to say the least. Kinnickinnic. Say that ten times fast...

Somehow, James and I managed to each break a spoke within about 30 seconds of trail. No sooner had I wrapped mine around another one and carried on down the trail, than James immediately matched my effort, breaking one of his own. In all of my years of riding, I have never seen two spokes break on two different bikes in the course of 50ft of trail. Reasonably amazing.  I guess that is a testament to the terrain and how hard we are actually pushing these bikes. 

Bring back Slalom!

Just meadow-skipping along. The lower section of Searle is nuclear-fast with amazing sight lines. Hold on tight and jump over sharp things. Rules of the game. You will know when you do not adhere to the rules. 

Get out there this weekend! Our time in the alpine is limited. There is no time like the present. 

#followcamfriday fall color extravaganza continuing from Breckenridge, Colorado with James Weingarten. 

It seems as though every time I ride in Breck, I find myself in the alpine on Miners Creek or a section of the Colorado Trail, or Wheeler. That said, the town trails are amazingly fun in their own right. Throw in some peaking aspens, and it doesn't get much better actually. 

You will notice that James is wearing his down coat. Winter is rapidly approaching friends. Make the most of these crisp fall days. It won't be long before we are pursuing different sports in these mountains, and I am traveling to ride my bicycle. 

I am currently in Southern California, working on a project that will see the light of day in the coming weeks. It is well over 100 degrees in the shade. The contrast, going from this, to sweating my ass off is surreal. From down coats to the the beach in a couple of days. How strange. 

Found some jank. Choose your adventure wood situation on B Line. I took the skinny, James took the high line and we both rode the drop. Some sort of synchronized ballet shit. 

When people think about mountain biking in their dreams, I would imagine that this sort of scene is what they are looking for. Blasting through a tunnel of aspens on aptly named, "Aspen Alley". I wonder why they named it that.... This is as quintessential Colorado as you can get. I mean, would you just look at it. James loved this section so much that he needed to ride it on his back wheel. #backwheellove 

So grab yourself a PSL and get out there this weekend. The fall vibes are strong and these trails are not going to ride themselves. I am currently researching pumpkin Old-Fashioned recipes. Fall is in the air.