Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my East Coast friends.
The adventures we had, the local dirt roads, the zany cyclocross “race” that I looked forward to every year.
It’s just different here.
Since it hasn’t even been a full year yet, I need to temper my expectations. I have had a few great bike rides this year – some with new friends, some with long-time friends, and a few by myself because sometimes that’s what the soul needs.
The last event I went to was Grassroots Gravel in Pueblo, CO. If you are looking for truly inclusive vibes, this is an event for you. I opted for the Lil Chile (39mi) because I really haven’t been doing much outside of everyday riding. And being solo, I didn’t take advantage of all the fun events offered. But the ride was beautiful, the city welcoming, and the organizers very friendly. I suspect the really beautiful stuff is on the longer Half (75mi) and Whole (115mi) – perhaps I will try to get in shape for the event next year to go the distance.
My friend Dave from New York has a part-time home in Denver now and invited me to a casual ride on the High Line Canal with a small group of friends. We’ve literally been saying, “we should go for a ride together!” for something like 5 years… It’s ridiculous. So of course I went.
It was so much fun! We got to catch up, I met cool people, and we came upon both a bull snake and a rattlesnake. I was the only one not on a gravel bike, although my Surly Ogre is probably technically a gravel bike – just looks much more casual with a front rack and basket.
I’ve mountain biked a few times with my friend Derek and have been humbled by trails that start straight up for a mile. It’s so different – sandy, marble-y, and loose-over-hard. Also, the trail tends to be either straight up or straight down – there aren’t many gradual trails that I’ve been on yet.
I want to do more of this. Mountain biking is so much fun, and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface out here. Already dreaming about trips to Fruita and Moab if I can find a few friends to join me.
Makes me think of the long weekends at Kingdom Trails, grabbing an hour ride in Woodstock, VT while crewing for Karen’s extremely epic VT50 mountain bike race, that one time in New Hampshire when I went OTB in slow-mo while my friend Gail watched. Breaking trail on fresh snow in Stewart on our fat bikes with Dave, Kyle, Jeff, and others. Exploring with the Girls Gone Gnar crew. Groomed Nordic trails with Gail, Matt, and Karen. Bikepacking with Curt all over Vermont. Beartown State Forest.
Too many memories flood my brain when I think of all the fun I had living so far from home.
I know more adventures and fun are ahead. I’m enjoying this phase of being a more casual cyclist. Every time I head out on my Ogre, I feel released from the construct of what a cyclist is and looks like.
I’m also enjoying doing other activities. I recently picked up swimming again, and while I’m nowhere near my high school and college mediocrity, I like heading to the pool for 30min of moving through water. As much as I try to schedule my time, I deeply value variety in my active pursuits.
I’m already starting to think about what I want to do this winter and next year on my bike. Part of that will be finding more bike friends to have more adventures with.
Talk to me