Peak Cycles – BikeParts.com Blog

Woodward Copper Mountain.

Woodward at Copper Mountain

Sking, skating, boarding, biking.  This place is going to have it all!

Epic Eric.  You dont get a nickname like that doing your casual, everyday, normal rides.  If you think you have done a big, “epic” ride, mostly like Eric has done 5 times the distance in below zero deg weather at 18,000 feet in another country on 1 clif bar with no map!  No kidding!

Eric in Tibet or Nepal or Mars

I met Eric in college in an engineering class we had together.  We were also riding for  CSU on the cycling team together, so we became roommates.  It was then I could tell he was going to go a different route.  On the weekends I  was heading to CORPS races and he was going to Rocky Mtn National Park for epic mtn climbs.  After college, Eric worked in Denver as a Civil Engineer, but Colorado proved to be too small for him.  He is now up in Alaska making frame packs and other cool things to pack as much as you can on a bike…  

If you are planning a BIG ride soon, shoot Eric an email and he can make you a custom pack for your bike.  And who knows, maybe some day you may earn nickname like Marathon Mike, or Ambitious Aaron!            

From riding the Alaska Pipeline to the desolate deserts of Bolivia, this photo essay is from my collection of Epic Eric photos I have collected over the years.  Keep exploring Eric, you inspire us all!!  Much respect brother, Swift

Here is a classic photo of a Slickrock Sunset  from Team Bikeparts.com rider, Bill Turner.

Did you ever want to ride your bike, but your dad made you mow the lawn?  Here an answer to that dilemma!  🙂

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/rac/758895089.html

“Looking for a more out of the box way to excersize. Be the coolest guy on your street cutting the lawn with this bad boy. you can save gas and get those rock hard abs you always wanted. This bike will cut your grass to emaculate conditions. It comes stock with this excentric two tone seat. The rust on the mower gives it an antique look that will have the cat lady next door going wild for your loins. For Ten extra dollars i can throw in a basket and headlight. Is your kid bouncing off the walls, ile even throw in some training wheels so you can put that bastard to work. This model is a three speed so you can really tear it up. Do your neighbor kids have an annoying bike ramp in the streets all the time. well snag that sucker and set it up infront of your trees, this bad mother will easily catch 6-7 feet of air allowing you to trim those troubling branches, as well as demolishing the ramp into oblivion so those damn kids wont be gathering infront of your house to practice for the x games. Comes with your choice of 12/40 oz beer holder that doubles as an ash tray.”

On the Line – A new film about Canada’s bad assness!

On The Line

🙂  Here is a flashback photo of Parker Macy attacking Bladwin St in New Zealand in early 2002!  

From ‘El Toro’ in Santa Fe…

“Hey Jesse – I ditched it all dropping into an eroded arroyo last sunday. On the way to ground my upper outer thight landed on the only rock in the creek bed. Check it out!”

If you are yearning to put on some base miles, head up north every month for the Winter Ralley Series!  Tons of food/water, and fenders are recommended!

Log Drop trail in Pueblo

With my day off before Thanksgiving, I headed down to Pueblo to ride with an old college friend, Jesse Jacobs. He was the first mtn biker I met down at FLC in ’94. I remember the moment cause we are both named Jesse.  I think it was the first time I had met another guy with the same name.  He also had the same Yeti had on that I did and we got to talking and also both had the same bike, brightly colored anodized GT Zaskar.  We became good friend and rode a lot down in Durango. After we graduated, both of us have moved along the Front Range, Boulder, Ft Collins, Denver, CO Springs with Jesse settling in Pueblo.  Jesse had gone back to school to become an Xray tech and this was the first chance to ride in a couple years.  Jesse took me out to Pueblo reservoir and we rode on some of the mtn bike trails on the south side of the res.  They were nice, rolling trails with great views on cool broken slate rock.  It was good to catch up, see where his life has taken him and just ride like the old days! – Swift

You know when you are racing fast when your site goes black and white!

I got a text message from a number I didn’t recognize asking me “if I was going to the race?”.  I soon realized that it was one of my 7th grade students talking about the cyclocross race happening in Golden.  I hadn’t been planning on going, but decided I would stop by and cheer him on.  I have only been teaching about 4 years and have gotten to know 450-500 students.  In that short time I have realized it really rare to see a 13 year old kid go out and try something unique, something different.  They are quick to follow others, so its nice to see one out doing their own thing!  It was inspiring to see him trying so hard.  He isn’t the biggest kid and that mtn bike isn’t the lightest.  I was very proud that he invited me to watch him race and hope he keeps on riding and creating his own path!  I can imagine the conversations in the middle school hallways tomorrow when the other kids ask what he did this weekend…

Golden youth

The White Rim Trail

Every year, Brian Smith, leads a group out on to the White Rim Trail for his birthday ride.  Normally I would head out and ride with them, but… they do it in 1 day….. all 100 miles of it!   Parker Macy is a 5 time vet of the ride and finally talked me into joining them.  Now in November, I usually spend more time on my dirt jumper than the XC bike.  I knew I couldn’t motivate myself to train for it this late in the season, so I called up another White Rim virgin, Josh Kravetz and easily talked him into it.  Long story short, we did it!  Here are photos from The White Rim Trail…

The last Golden Cruiser ride of the year happen on Oct 28th.  Being October in Colorado means it can be 70deg or snowing, luckily we had the first!  Everyone at the shop got dressed up and headed out.  Check out the photos of the costumes!  Everyone had something cool on I personally think New Matts costume of AWESOM O wins the shop costume contest!    Overall it was a great night and lots of fun!  Make sure you come out in the spring for the 2009 cruiser season!  

It was “Fall Break” at school, which meant we had Thursday and Friday off…  but I am not complaining!  I took advantage of the time and headed to Boulder for some dirt jumping at the Gunbarrel Jumps.  I called Laiho, Mr. V and a new buddy to Colorado, Pete.  

Pete steppin up!

We had a good session!  I scrapped together some courage for Main Street, but after landing upside down on my back, I stopped pushing my self too much farther.  Pete was getting in the groove on the step up jumps, but came up a little short and ended up separating his shoulder.  Just another day jumping…

Laiho dusts off his camera and catches Jesse in flight.

I was riding to work on Thursday and as I rode by the gas station I realized I must have time traveled back to 2001…

Cheap gas

I didn’t like paying $4.00 a gallon for gas this summer, but also think that is the only way to get people to think about their consumption of non renewable resources.  I am curious to see how much longer the gas price drop will continue…

Dave Wiens, AKA Woody, contemplates life in Gunny

New York Times article
By SEAN D. HAMILL
Published: October 13, 2008
link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/sports/othersports/14cycling.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1