Friday, September 18, 2009


SSWC09 Part Three

This is impossible. There is just too much going on to sit here and blog it up. Over the past couple days the town has been overrun with single speeders. This place is the perfect venue for this event, the riding out of town if amazing, the bars are abundant, and the food is cheap and really good. Yesterday we hit up a run called Test Tracks with a local named Robin. I ate it twice pretty good, overcooking corners trying to hold his wheel. Strong kid too. To me it was like riding on the moon. Fine powder of shale coating everything, incredible traction.

The camera...it's dead. I'm trying not to get too bummed about it. I may have to hit up the Walmart down the way and see if I can't get something cheap to get the job done for now.

Oh, Heather Irminger is filling up her water bottle at the cooler at the coffee shop here. Looks like she's heading out on a ride with Travis Brown and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski. She and Jeremy are looking resplendent in their 29er Crew baggie shorts.

I was going to head out and scope the course, but the sight of JHK has driven home the fact that tomorrow's race is just a giant group ride...with 999 or so other folks. Which means today we'll be doing a shuttle run out to Hermosa. My thought is that I'm out here to ride as much different stuff as possible.

Last night was the Run What You Brung bike show at The Irish Embassy. Standouts for me were the 3D Racing belt drive and Curtis Inglis' Retrotec step through rigid. The Bangers and Mash at the pub weren't bad either.

OK, I can't take it anymore, it's gorgeous and my legs are twitching, I look like a dog dreaming of chasing cats.

Tonight, should be nuts and tomorrow we race!

2 comments:

zencycle said...

"looking resplendent in their 29er Crew baggie shorts."

No one looks resplendent in baggy bike shorts. Baggy bike shorts were made for the mcmansion downhiller wannabes who needed something they could ride in that would hide the rapidly growing cottage cheese on their asses. It makes everyone of them look like Donny from The Wild Thornburys (that flea is a bad ass).

Hill Junkie said...

If at all possible, do try to get in one of these two rides before you come back:

1) Colorado Trail, from Molas Pass to Coal Bank Pass. This part of the CT is high country at its finest, see forever views on skinny ribbon of singletrack between 10,000 and 12,000ft. A few rough sections, but mostly non-technical. Engineer Mountain descent is best 3000ft plummet I've hit anywhere.

2) Junction Creek from the top. Shuttle to top for multi-hour plummet back to Durango. Not much view, but insane speed on skinny singletrack, very bony in spots, and fear of death exposure. A major climb part way down. I know you'd like this one.

Hermosa Creek is loved to death. Upper portion is ATV trail. Lower portion is still wide in most places. One good climb on the way down. Lots of bears. Still a good ride.

Keep the writing flowing!