A bit of motivation from myself and James to get out there and start working on that ham storage. #followcamfriday holiday season sleigh rides and cold hands. 

When you see us dressed in down coats and riding bicycles, it can only mean one thing. December in Colorado. This also means that it has not snowed in the high country for a few days and my time is better spent chasing dry trail. As it turns out, dry trail is easy to find when the temperatures are well below freezing. 

I don't seem to drink enough water in the winter. Interestingly enough, I waited till the top of the climb to have my first sip, only to find that my water bottle was frozen solid. No water, all ice. Oh well, I wasn't thirsty anyway. Good thing I have been carrying this dead weight around for a while. Always be training. 

That look I get when Pete has to stay behind. Poor dude. He gets more walks that he can handle, but at 12 years old, his multi-hour bike riding days are behind him. He still gets excited, but I think he is pretty comfortable, curled up in the sun, taking a nap, dreaming of critters. But still, that look...

We think that Bergen Peak is best ridden as an out and back. This makes for a solid 2200' climb and a nice, chunky descent. There was plenty of snow and black ice to keep us honest, but we were pretty lucky to be able to get up this high in December if you ask me. The upper part gets little sun and plenty of snow normally. 

Jame's dog Karl also fires off that gaze of disapproval as we get ready to ride. Riding with dogs is not really a thing in the greater Denver area on public multi-use trails. That makes Karl sad, but I think he understands. He also realizes that the poop fairy doesn't exist, and makes his human pick up his brown presents. Good dog. 

James is Jewish, but that didn't stop him from wearing his Christmas best. When it's below 20 degrees in an arid climate, down coats make a lot of sense. Easy to stash in your pocket for the climb and absolutely mandatory for the descent. Skinny bike people get cold easily. Perhaps I need to work harder on my gluttony next season. If you need me, I'll be searching for pies and ice cream to keep me warm in the coming winter months. 

Well it's about damn time. Denver's first bike-only, directional, DH trail. #followcamfriday on Longhorn at White Ranch in Golden, Colorado. Thanks Jeffco!!

This has been a long time coming. Yes, it's less than a mile of trail, and no, people didn't normally climb this thing, but hey, it's a start. There are hundreds of miles open to hiking in the greater Denver area. Thanks for giving us 1 mile that we can actually ride full speed on. Good work Jeffco. 

To be clear, this only applies to the lower section. Normal etiquette applies to the rest. But once you go over the green metal gate, you have permission to ride with complete disregard for any and all personal safety, or the safety of other traill users, for that matter. Be my guest, crash your brains out. You can only hurt yourself. 

I am not a fan of Strava for many reasons. I race bikes in real life. It is worth noting however, that James holds the coveted KOM on lower Longhorn. If there is one KOM to get, Denver's only directional DH trail should probably on the top of your list. So go ahead and try to take that virtual crown away. After watching James ride, I wish you the best of luck. You will need it. 

Nothing to see here, just business as usual for Pete the dog. Pete is 12 years old and Longhorn is way above his pay grade. I can't tell if he is excited at the notion of a ride, or mad because he knows that he can't come along. He might be trying to flat me, or, he might just be crazy.... Who's to say?

Flat pedals win medals. They also make parking lot trials maneuvers a bit more inspiring. When is the last time you saw the White Ranch parking lot completely empty? It was well below freezing when we started, but still... Where is everyone?  I should have done some donuts in the van, just because. 

This photo looks like I got really creative in Photoshop and placed James in the air, but this actually happened right before my eyes. Flat pedals also help you jump over sketchy fences apparently. Who knew? 

Yup, December delivering the skating rink that we are somehow becoming far to comfortable riding. Black ice navigation levels are at an all time high. I have only fallen a couple of times because of the ice. Hopefully I don't break a hip before spring comes. 

James demonstrating perfect form here. There is much to learn from watching this man ride. I know that you haven't started your Christmas shopping yet because Christmas is still 4 days away, so here is a gift idea. 
James owns Float Apparel and runs weekly tee shirt campaigns, donating 8$ from each sale to an animal charity. I just saved Christmas for you! You can thank me next time you see me on trail. 

#followcamfriday from Chimney Gulch in Golden, Colorado with Mr. #lovesbackwheel, James Weingatren

After skiing for the last month, I was more than ready to start getting back out on my bike. With temperatures in the low 50's, Golden was looking mighty appealing. Tropical getaway, if you will. Sometimes I just need a break from the bike. Mentally and physically. Although I am "living the dream", a bit of time off the bicycle helps me stay fresh and motivated. Plus, skiing is rad. So, there's that. 

Winter riding in Denver is a mixed-bag situation. The sections of trail that remain in the shadows are typically snow-packed. When the snow gets enough traffic and some fluctuating temperatures, it turns to ice. Sprinkle some dirt on that ice and you basically have an accident waiting to happen. This makes what I would consider "mundane" sections of trail,  a bit more engaging. As a man who prefers to struggle, this makes me smile. 

I knew that James was the man for the job. My only Front-Range friend brave enough, skilled enough, and stupid enough to want to ride on the skating rink that is Chimney Gulch. When James is not risking life and limb in front of my lens for your viewing pleasure, he runs
Float.org 
Float runs a weekly tee shirt campaign, and donates a chunk of the proceeds to different animal charities. You like animals right? The holiday season is here, do the right thing.  

Pete the dog likes denver. After XC skiing for the last month, he is ready to basically not be freezing his ass off. Pete has short hair. Pete is cold always. He has a jacket but gets terribly self conscience when he wears it. The dogs with hair make fun of him. It's like when you show up for the XC ride and you decided that today was the day to wear full-body armor. Your spandex-clad xc friends might give you a hard time.  

Dear Pete, this is completely unacceptable and I wish I could cure you of this habit. Eventually, we are both going to get hurt because of you obsession with my tire. As  the delighted onlookers point and laugh, just remember that one of these days, this will end badly. 

But I digress. Where were we? Oh yeah, bikes. Chimney Gulch is often done as an out-and back or can easily be linked into Apex for a bit more mileage.  Apex has funny rules about what days you can ride on certain trails,in certain directions, so I typically steer clear. Chimney offers 1300ft of gain as an out and back and is a reasonable workout, especially when the climb is made even more challenging by the ice and snow. 

James rarely has to replace his front tire. For some reason, it just never wears out.... I can't figure it out. I replace mine every few weeks. I must be doing it wrong. #lovesbackwheel

Good work bru. Thanks for not dying on the ice on front of my camera. Nascar theory does not apply when I am filming. I am not secretly waiting for disaster, quite the opposite actually. Fortunately, James is a s solid as they come, and despite having a whole bunch of  moments, remained upright throughout the ride. Only a ninja can kill another ninja. I don't even know what that means, but somehow I find it fitting here... 

That look of satisfaction. Pete in his element. 

#followcamfriday Season 4, Episode 2. Riding Khyber Pass to Babylon By Bike with Ariel Lindsley and Matty Ryan. 

Here we have what I would affectionately refer to as Whistler "side country". These are trails that are accessed from the bike park, but are not really in the bike park. There is a informative sign at the top that lets you know that you are definitely leaving the bike park. Only good things can lay behind these signs....  

This is akin to leaving the backcountry access gate from the ski area in the winter. In the summer, you don't need a shovel, probe, beacon, or the knowledge to properly use these tools. Instead,  you do need to know how to ride your bike and be ready for anything that might happen out there. Basically, manage your life. Personal responsibility is paramount. 

tIf you start seeing sketchy dilapidated wooden stunts, you are in the right place. As janky as this thing looks, it rides surprisingly well for a feature that has existed for at least 15 years. Lower Babylon feels like a history lesson. I have much to learn apparently.

Ariel and Matty are legends. There is a spicy drop below that is rarely ridden. By rarely, I mean never...  It is basically a 12 footer into a chute, which is hard to ride on it's own, complete with a sketchy run-in to start the line. The dirt needs to be absolutely perfect for this sort of thing. Traction is necessary to avoid death. Today was not our day. We will live to fight another. There used to be a rope to lower oneself into the chute, through the rocks, but a go-around was constructed to avoid the rope section. The go-around is really hard in itself, part of me misses the rope however... Jank. 

Janky wood, to nose-pick, to more janky wood. Oh Whistler, how I love you. This trail was constructed before the existence of the modern trail bike that we all have come to love these days. How in the hell is someone supposed to get around this one on a DH rig? Haha, so good. Man we have it good nowadays. Our forks don't hit our steerer tubes when we turn, but we still didn't clean this one... Matty did. Legend. 

This marmot tried to kill me. He fully charged and then stood on this rock and puffed his chest up at me. Everyone was laughing. I was scared. This dude meant business. Like I said, once you go past that boundary sign, you have to be prepared for anything. Manage you life friends.