fat bikes

[subzali]

...A good Saturday loop is White Ranch/Chimney/Apex/Matthews-Winters and back to Golden. This is the morning half of the Tour d'Front Range. The whole Tour would add Green Mountain/Bear Creek/Mt Falcon/Lair of the Bear in the afternoon and typically is about an 8ish hour tour.

More info please. Do you park in Golden and ride from there? At White Ranch, east lot up to the top and then back down the same way or different way? At Matthews-Winters, ride to the top of the mesa and loop back around? Clockwise or counter clockwise?

For the afternoon, do you climb Green Mtn. or just skirt it to get to Bear Creek? Circle Bear Creek before heading to Falcon via Morrison?

Let me know, I've been working my legs getting ready to ride this summer.

I've got thoughts on linking a ride from Apex/Chimney Gulch to Mount Galbraith to White Ranch to North Table to South Table and back to Apex. Someday soon...

Let me know if you want to do any riding. I love all those trails.

There's also Centennial Cone which is up US6. I like that one.

I'm assuming you know about MTB Project?

Centennial Cone is good too. Did not know about mtbproject. That could be great.

 

[DaveInDenver]

More info please. Do you park in Golden and ride from there? At White Ranch, east lot up to the top and then back down the same way or different way? At Matthews-Winters, ride to the top of the mesa and loop back around? Clockwise or counter clockwise?

For the afternoon, do you climb Green Mtn. or just skirt it to get to Bear Creek? Circle Bear Creek before heading to Falcon via Morrison?

Let me know, I've been working my legs getting ready to ride this summer.

If you can get a shuttle to White Ranch (assuming starting in Golden), but generally:

White Ranch: Belcher Hill-Longhorn-Shorthorn-Longhorn-Belcher-Mustang to top
Golden Gate down to 93, pavement to Chimney Gulch
Chimney Gulch, Windy Gulch to top of Lookout to Colorow TH, down Enchanted Forest and Apex to parking lot
Colfax up to Mathew-Winter parking lot (good place to stop for lunch)

Choice:
Dakota Ridge to Zorro directly to Green Mountain
Mathew-Winters-Red Rocks Trail-Morrison Slide- Red Rocks Park and then either Alameda or up Dakota Ridge backwards.

In Green Mountain, assuming I came down Zorro and skipped Mathew-Winters, I do Box of Rox to Summit Trail, Rooney Valley down to the Utah St TH (by Forsberg park), down to the Bear Creek on the bike path by the golf course.
Out of Bear Creek by 74, through Morrison on pavement to the east lot of Falcon.
Climb Falcon on Castle Trail, out of west lot to Parmalee to O'Fallon, down through Lair of the Bear and back to Morrison on 74.

From here it's your choice, but most likely back to Golden via Red Rocks and bike paths. Or go to Morrison Inn, get three margaritas and wait for wife to pick you up. If you got a shuttle at about 8AM, it would be about 5PM when you get to Morrison Inn.

 

[subzali]

If you can get a shuttle to White Ranch (assuming starting in Golden), but generally:

White Ranch: Belcher Hill-Longhorn-Shorthorn-Longhorn-Belcher-Mustang to top
Golden Gate down to 93, pavement to Chimney Gulch
Chimney Gulch, Windy Gulch to top of Lookout to Colorow TH, down Enchanted Forest and Apex to parking lot
Colfax up to Mathew-Winter parking lot (good place to stop for lunch)

Choice:
Dakota Ridge to Zorro directly to Green Mountain
Mathew-Winters-Red Rocks Trail-Morrison Slide- Red Rocks Park and then either Alameda or up Dakota Ridge backwards.

In Green Mountain, assuming I came down Zorro and skipped Mathew-Winters, I do Box of Rox to Summit Trail, Rooney Valley down to the Utah St TH (by Forsberg park), down to the Bear Creek on the bike path by the golf course.
Out of Bear Creek by 74, through Morrison on pavement to the east lot of Falcon.
Climb Falcon on Castle Trail, out of west lot to Parmalee to O'Fallon, down through Lair of the Bear and back to Morrison on 74.

From here it's your choice, but most likely back to Golden via Red Rocks and bike paths. Or go to Morrison Inn, get three margaritas and wait for wife to pick you up. If you got a shuttle at about 8AM, it would be about 5PM when you get to Morrison Inn.

Dave, is the Tour d'Front Range something you made up or is it a "thing?" EDIT: nevermind, Google'd it:
http://trailcentral.blogspot.com/2007/09/2007-tdfr-history-in-making-part-i.html

I've thought of similar rides but have never brought myself to do it. On my bike I get pretty beat up. Maybe a new fork would help. Or a new bike. Ha.

I could probably do either the front half or the back half, but not both in one day. Cripes.

I'm glad you skip the "long" part of Longhorn Trail. That descent and immediate climb sucks. I think you need to add a Maverick connection on there for White Ranch though if I'm following you correctly?

 

[DaveInDenver]

I didn't make it up, it's been going on for a number of years. I first heard about it on the Telemark Tips forum about 10 years ago.

 

[nakman]

Great to see all you guys are getting fat bikes.

 

[DouglasVB]

Great to see all you guys are getting fat bikes.

Having a fat bike to get to work today would be pretty useful.

 

[smslavin]

hey dave, i expect to see you racing this next year...

fat bike worlds

 

[DouglasVB]

hey dave, i expect to see you racing this next year...

fat bike worlds

I like biking but I don't like it enough to get branded on my backside! (last photo in that link)

 

[DaveInDenver]

hey dave, i expect to see you racing this next year...

fat bike worlds

Exactly. All you need is some nordic skiing trails and you're set. The Cloud City Wheelers have been been racing at the ski areas for years and not just the nordic trails, but singletrack and snowmobile trails, too.

 

[RockOn]

Anybody doing the Old Man Winter Rally this weekend?

Also - I've heard it called the 'Morrison Monster' before, but tour d' front range works too. I've got a couple races this year so I would be up for some bigger rides as snow thaws.

 

[smslavin]

here's appropriate use of fat bikes and i have to admit, it looks like a helluva good time. except for the title. that's gotta go.

https://vimeo.com/152095123

 

[nakman]

here's appropriate use of fat bikes and i have to admit, it looks like a helluva good time. except for the title. that's gotta go.

https://vimeo.com/152095123

cool. even the night run stuff looks like a blast..

 

[LARGEONE]

Cool video...even Dave has to admit that looks like fun

 

[DaveInDenver]

Cool video...even Dave has to admit that looks like fun

Never said it wasn't fun to ride in snow. Just that the number of places that a fat bike actual excels is small. I can fall in the snow like Wade Simmons on most any bike and until the snow got packed down they weren't having any more luck than you or I would. Fat bike tires don't magically allow you any super powers. You still have to wait for snowshoers to pack the trails before you can really ride them. The other 99% of the time it's either a toss-up or a disadvantage. I find that having actual winter riding boots (mine are Diadora with Thinsulate and Gore-Tex) and light studded tires (I've always like Nokian Hakka) were more of an improvement than anything else. I've had my eye on Schwalbe Spikers, though, if the price would just come down a bit ($170/tire! in 29x2.25).

 

[smslavin]

You still have to wait for snowshoers to pack the trails before you can really ride them.

I s'pose you could move to Marquette with their fat bike trail groomers...

https://vimeo.com/clearcoldcinema/coldrolledfull

 

[RockOn]

For folks looking to check it out fo' free, Salsa is swing through town with their fattie demo bikes 2/11 @ 3 Sisters, and 2/12 @ Flying J.

 

[nakman]

Yeah, so I bought Jason's.

 

[MDH33]

40 is looking beautiful Tim, nice job!

Let us know how you like the fat bike too. I'm tempted to get one for riding here in the flatlands. looks like fun!

 

[Cocarlisle]

They are a blast Martin
They work great in about every type of terrain
Maybe not the fastest but they put the biggest grin on your face
I love riding in storms and foyal weather
No one usually on the trails and it adds an element of fun you don't normally get in 85 and sunny weather

 

[nakman]

I bought a cheap medium one for Michele at the start of the year, and it's fun to poke around on. she and Gavin both like riding it.. but for me my feet keep hitting the tires and my knees hit the handle bar.

So I feel much better on the Large here.. my only initial complaint is it feels like the steering is right under you, like the tube for the front fork is pointing more straight down than I would have thought. So I slid the seat back, and it seems better now. Perhaps they set them up like that as it's easier to turn in rougher terrain? All I did last night was some city cruisin.. will be hitting some dirt though on Labor Day weekend, looking forward to it.

this is the first bike I've had in 30 years with no front derailleur.