Peak Cycles – BikeParts.com Blog

From the website spokemagazine.com

Gnarly bike accident.  If you are a pussy and have a weak stomach do not open this link….. http://www.spokemagazine.com/2010/04/hand-brake/

skiing and melting snow

What I hate the most about April.  Fifty degree days in the mountains followed by highs in the twenties and a foot of snow.  Huge life decisions like……. Do I go skiing today or do I ride my bike.

Somehow I managed to make a perfect weekend out of these huge life problems.  The past two weeks have been pretty painful in the backcountry around Breckenridge.  Decent spring storms have been leaving a solid snowfall.  Only to be immediately followed by sunny and warm days.  Turning the fresh powder into a sticky, grabby mess, that throws you easily over the “handle bars” without reason.

After spending some time trying to figure out what to do Sunday morning, I decided I’d give the backcountry one more try.  The snow thankfully wasn’t a sticky mess, instead it was greasy, slushy, and very fast.  I reached the summit of one my new favorite places and hung out long enough to take some pictures and realize that I was higher and steeper than I should have been.  Oh-well nothing like taking your skis off and walking down the first pitch.  Things like that happen.

Later that evening I knew an epic ski day needed to be followed by an epic day on the bike.  So me, my road bike, a lot of oil tankers, dirt bag snowboarder kids, and tourists all made our way up LovelandPass Monday morning.  A true Summit County Spring classic.  It was sunny and in the fifties in Breck, but on the summit it was no more than thirty five with a brutal south west wind.  As always I forgot how painful the decent is.  What kind of downhill isn’t fun.  I mean who would think coming off a 12,000 ft pass in early April would be down right cold, with a brutal headwind, and a body numbing pain that turns into the hippie shakes as I desperately tried to hold on for the eight miles to Keystone.

Well I have to take the rest of the week off, the Imperial Challenge is on Saturday! – Jason K

at the summit

loveland pass is somewhere over there, the view from frisco

the way back down

another interview of Ross Schnell from Bikeradar.com…

It’s just after 10am on a Tuesday in Laguna Beach, California and professional mountain bike rider ‘Rad’ Ross Schnell – the 29-year-old considers riding, not necessarily racing, his profession – just rolled into work.

His commute on this particular morning consisted of a six-block townie ride down the Pacific Coast Highway from the Casa Del Camino, the beachfront hotel he’s crashing at, to his sponsors CrankBrothers’ office.

The Grand Junction, Colorado native has been here for a week, shooting photos, giving his opinions on the brand’s components, riding and glad-handing media.

Yesterday, he was up before sunrise for a trip up north to shoot photos and test kit with Jason First, CrankBrothers’ sports marketing manager. Then it was back to Laguna for a ride with BikeRadar, but not before a stop at In-N-Out Burger for a double-double Animal Style and a large shake.

Click here for the rest of the article….

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/interview-rad-ross-schnell-the-burger-king-25377

Here is a great article on a talented racer.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/436522/jonathan-vaughters-on-the-enigmatic-tom-danielson.html

or child rack?  

http://www.grace.de/

German company GRACE produced the world’s first e-motorbike. It might look like a futuristic version of a regular bike, but it is actually the world’s first e-motorbike that you are allowed to ride on the street. The bike is handmade in Germany, using euro-fighter plane parts and formula one parts and will be coming out this month. All controls are included in the handlebars, such as lights, battery management, & alarm system. The grace can be ordered now for prices starting from 5877 EUR + VAT.

http://www.aztrail.org/

The Arizona Trail is an 800+ mile recreation trail from Mexico to Utah that connects mountain ranges, canyons, deserts, forests, wilderness areas, historic sites, trail systems, points of interest, communities, and people. It serves dayhikers, backpackers, equestrians, mountain bicyclists, trail runners, nature enthusiasts, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and mule and llama packers.
The trail can also be described in two other ways; for its features, and for the experience it provide.

Calfee Design is working towards assisting entrepreneurs in the developing world to make their own bicycles out of locally sourced bamboo. The reasons to do this are so strong that it would be foolish not to try:

1. Bicycles are in great demand as a major labor savings device. Transporting water, people, food and other items is six times more efficient.
2. Bamboo bikes cost less than inferior imported steel bikes.
3. Bamboo is plentiful and does not need to be imported as a raw material. Bamboo is easy to grow and can be cultivated in dry areas with minimal irrigation.
4. Bamboo bikes require a significant amount of labor to produce, providing skilled employment and an apprenticeship model that helps youth find opportunity.
5. Bamboo bicycle production is not easily done in large factories. This keeps large industrialized countries from getting into the business and competing on an unfair level.
6. Making Bamboo bikes does not require electricity or a large investment in equipment.

Bamboo Cargo Bike:

Check out this company from Colorado, Green Guru, that makes messenger bag, tote bags, wallets and a whole bunch of other products from recycled tubes and billboard signs.

There is one more Winter Ralleye left… head up to Fort Collins on March 24 for the Deadman’s Haul!

Winter finally decided to show up in mid February this year.  It’s turning out to be a big surprise after the long dry spell and occasional storm up until then.  So I did my obligatory snow shoe race in early January and promptly traded the snowshoes in for skis.

Now I’m setting my sights on the Imperial Challenge in April.

http://th-th.facebook.com/group.php?gid=72193934114

Wasn’t sure if it was going to happen this year, but the ski resort decided to pull it off.  Also new this year in Breckenridge is the 5-peaks challenge.  A 10,000 foot plus amount of climbing and descending the peaks around Breck.  I’m considering doing the race but I need a partner that can crush the competition with me.

http://www.ussma.org/race/cosmic/2010-04-09/five-peaks

I’ve been getting some backcountry skiing in with Yves Piecoup of Montezuma’s Revenge fame.  Last Friday we hit French Pass, there are a couple photos below.  It’s a long slog out there and the great thing about it is you’re the only one out there.  Conditions were perfect until the top of the pass where the wind, snow, and cold were brutal.

–Jason K, Breck, CO

The final vote for the Golden Bike Park is this Thursday, March 4 at 7:00pm!   Don’t let the opposition be the only voice heard!  If you cant show up to show support, you can send a letter, send an email or even call City Council before hand!

Email CityCouncil@CityOfGolden.net

Lets work together and make this park happen!

Lookout Mountain

Check out these photos from the Peak Cycles New Years Day Ride! The route was up Lookout Mtn, then down through the snowy trails of Apex.

Golden, Colorado - January 1, 2010

Ever wonder how those professional cycling team cars get all prettied up?!  A Golden based, Victory Circle Graphix, has been taking care of biker stickers needs all over the world. Velonews recently caught up with AJ and he explains all the steps to sticking up vans and the top tour rider’s bikes.  Check out the story here…

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/02/teams/tech-feature-rare-vinyl_105954

Aj's workhorse via Velonews.com

vc_graphix18.jpg

We received an email from a friend of a couple who are traveling South America.  The couple’s adventure took them to Bolivia and the famous El Camino de la Muerte.  Check out their tale of riding bikes down 62 miles of Death Road!

Death Road, Bolvia - Alt 15,000ft +

Its snowy and cold here in Colorado right now, all that means is it give me time to make some summer plans! Every year, I try to add a new biking adventure into my schedule.  This year, I am going to head down to Colorado Springs and check out the Ring the Peak Trail.  I’ll post a report some time in July! 😉

Bartlett Wash 2005