Have you ever dated someone you knew in your heart wasn’t for you, but they had potential and you wanted it to work? A thrill coursed through you every time you looked at them. You tried hard. When you spent hours together it started out awesome, but as time passed you always ended up arguing, until you eventually resigned yourself to the fact that you … Continue reading Winter Park to Boulder via Rollins Pass
All of the tension has been pedaled out of my body. I’m so relaxed that I could ride more miles or just as easily take a nap. Right now I have my feet up and wonder if we can buy a recumbent tandem before tomorrow, it feels so good. Today’s ride from Kremmling to Winter Park was a short 46-mile jaunt on tired legs. A … Continue reading Kremmling to Winter Park
Public Service Announcement: If You pedal at a 4.5 miles-per-hour pace near mosquitoes, be assured they will have their way with you. We spent today crawling along the rises between Carbondale, State Bridge, and Kremmling. Our ride was unlike the last couple of days, which have been a big up followed by a big descent and that concludes the day. Instead our route went up, … Continue reading Carbondale to Kremmling
Runaway train never going back Wrong way on a one way track Seems like I should be getting somewhere Somehow I’m neither here nor there… –Soul Asylum Ever since we started pedaling from New Mexico, “Runaway Train” has lodged itself into my head and essentially become my 2017 bike tour theme song. This is a song I haven’t thought about in years, I don’t really … Continue reading Buena Vista to Carbondale
I would have written you sooner, but I had to return the fire extinguisher to the hotel lobby. I borrowed it when my shoes became so hot that they burst into flames before our arrival in Buena Vista. Believe me, it surprised me too, especially after our relatively cool and comfortable climb up to 11,300 feet on Monarch Pass. They’re fine now, though – Sidis … Continue reading Gunnison to Buena Vista
Greetings from Gunnison! We’re on a rest day, which I’m quite happy about. I wish you were here so we could go grab a gluten-free muffin and chat about life over kombucha. Perhaps you could also help me look for my bike tour legs, which seem to have fallen out of the Carradice somewhere. My spidey sense told me that yesterday’s ride would be a … Continue reading Montrose to Gunnison
Guys, we are in Montrose and I just can’t believe this day! 115 miles point to point with three big summits: Coal Bank Pass, Molas Pass, and Red Mountain. And all over 10,500 feet. Fortunately for us, the final 40 miles of our day trended downhill or I’d still be out there riding. Today was a big day. We left Durango, and encountered some local … Continue reading Durango to Montrose
Update: the banana bread is gone and for a while today, so was my positive attitude. We planned for our ride from Chama to Pagosa Springs to be 50 miles. However, because of some gambles we made on exploring dirt roads – in hopes of avoiding the main highway – we ended up with almost 80 miles in our pockets. We hoped that one of … Continue reading Chama to Pagosa Springs
We’re in Chama, and I still have a few bites of Saturday’s banana bread left for tomorrow. Go me! This was our longest day so far, at 98 miles. We crossed over two, anonymous peaks on our ride from Taos on US 64 – possibly a third if you count the false summit of the second peak. En route to these anonymous summits, we crossed … Continue reading Taos to Chama
After a moderate ascent leaving Santa Fe, our route tricked me with 10 miles of downhill swoop and flat. But after leaving the frontage road and entering the Pueblo of Pojoaque, the road began to twist as the terrain undulated beneath us. Soon after, we rode our first surprise gravel section of our tour, followed by the first surprise creek crossing. Today’s ride was an … Continue reading Santa Fe to Taos
We’re back on tour, everybody! I spent the initial miles out of Albuquerque today feeling guilty about leaving work for vacation, but eventually I yet again realized that my employer is a bureaucracy, designed to continue happily along without me. I then resolved to check my bank balance periodically to make sure I remain on the payroll. Unlike the launch of, say – last year’s … Continue reading Albuquerque to Santa Fe, New Mexico
Tough as nails is the phrase that comes to mind as I reflect on my recent RUSA Member Profile of Michele Brougher of the Great Lakes Randonneurs. Michele is currently the RBA for the Great Lakes Randonneurs, and has spent much of the last two years recovering from a serious accident during Paris Brest Paris. In our interview, we discuss what it’s like to be … Continue reading RUSA Member Profile: Michele Brougher, Great Lakes Randonneurs RBA
This edition of RUSA Member Profiles turns to the Pacific Northwest for a conversation with Theo Roffe, active member of the Seattle International Randonneurs in Washington state (Yes, that Washington!). A randonneur since 2010, Theo talks about the appeal of the flèche, volunteering, and the ways randonneuring opens up the range of what we think possible. How did you become involved in randonneuring? I rode my first … Continue reading RUSA Member Profile: Seattle’s Theo Roffe
In today’s RUSA Member Profile, we head to San Diego to talk with Greg Olmstead of the San Diego Randonneurs. Greg shares how he first became a randonneur, what it’s like to ride around San Diego, as well as his diligent pursuit of the American Explorer Award on his custom Zinn 74 cm (!!) randonneuring steed. Which club is your home club? I’ve been a … Continue reading RUSA Member Profile: Greg Olmstead of San Diego Randonneurs
A little over one year ago, I began interviewing Randonneurs USA (RUSA) members for American Randonneur, the quarterly RUSA newsletter. I have the pleasure of talking with members from clubs across the country who not only ride brevets, but are active in their local randonneuring scene and volunteer for randonneuring events. In order for these interviews to reach a broader group and perhaps inspire others … Continue reading Randonneurs USA Profile: Jerry Phelps
