Monumentally Afflicted

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Gravel Grind #5 - Balanced Rock

Distance - 21 miles Climbing - 3300 feet BGR (Brad's Gravel Rating) - 50 CRF (Cage Rage Factor) - medium Scenery - great Location - West of Monument Parking - Red Rocks Rd Trailhead General Description - A fairly long ride around Mt Herman on mostly decomposed granite forest service roads. Sustained climbing and descending with some really nice scenery. Essentially go up Mount Herman Road, take the old connector over to Balanced Rock Rd, descend past the Palmer Lake Reservoirs and return via Red Rocks Ranch. Traffic on Mount Herman Rd can be bad at high volume times (weekends), with idiot's drifting corners. The connector road/trail used to be accessible to motor vehicles until the USFS decided they'd had enough with all the irresponsible shooting, wheeling, and general destruction. The closed off section is now pretty awesome with great scenery that is usually devoid of other people. This section gets very little traffic and frequently has washouts

Gravel Grind #4 - The Terrible Triad

Distance - 17.2 miles Climbing - 1365 feet BGR (Brad's Gravel Rating) - 45 (sand!) CRF (Cage Rage Factor) - low- Scenery - good Location - North of Palmer Lake, West of I25 Parking - Spruce Mountain Trailhead, just north of Palmer Lake General Description - So, you like wind, sand, and hoof prints? Well then, this might be your little slice of heaven. For the 95% of other riders, these trails can be an exercise in persistence and patience. So, why bother? On occasion, the stars align and 1 or more of the terrible triad are absent. When this happens, you get to experience riding blissful trails through the high plains with nary a soul in sight. Detailed route description Park at the Spruce Mountain Trailhead (there are several other TH's you could use, Spruce Meadows, Greenland, County Line Rd). Head west and then immediately south and uphill. Head downhill then through the tunnel under the road. Take a left and follow the trail to the Spruce Meadows

Gravel Grind #3 - Short and Single

Distance - 5.1 miles Climbing - 520 feet BGR (Brad's Gravel Rating) - 45 CRF (Cage Rage Factor) - low Scenery - good Location - Monument / Palmer Lake - west of I25 Parking - Pothead Corner (Schilling Ave and Lindbergh Rd) General Description - This is the good stuff. A short loop through the Monument Preserve, consisting of fire road, doubletrack, and singletrack. Wander through the nice ponderosa pine and gambel oak forest. Mostly non-technical, with some loose sand, rock water bars, some roots, and one rock ramp thrown in for good measure. Loads of more technical riding around the area if you want to challenge yourself or come back w/ your mountain bike. Explore and have fun. Easy to lose the trail, but hard to get truly lost. Detailed Route Info Head west from the trailhead past the green gate. Continue to the Memorial Grove, where the road winds up and right. Continue til you can veer left up the skinnier trail (Wishy Washy). If you hit a gate, you'v

Gravel Grind #2 - SFT -> Palmer Lake -> Forest Lakes Loop

Distance - 16.8 miles Climbing - 1270 feet BGR (Brad's Gravel Rating) - 35 CRF (Cage Rage Factor) - medium Scenery - not bad Location - Monument / Palmer Lake - west of I25 Parking - Sante Fe Trailhead at Baptist Road and Old Denver Highway General Description - A combined gravel / paved ride around the Tri Lakes area. About 75% gravel. Fairly nice mountain and lake scenery with a reasonable amount of climbing, but nothing sustained. This loop can be started from many different trailheads around the area (Baptist Rd, Mount Herman TH, Palmer Lake TH, 105, etc). Traffic is generally light except through Palmer Lake. Finding your way through the Glen can be a challenge, with a maze of roads (sometimes one way). Detailed Description Park at the trailhead and head north on the Sante Fe Trail. This can be windy and/or sandy depending on conditions. Once you pass Palmer Lake, take a left on County Line Rd and cross the railroad tracks. Take a left on 105 and go int

Gravel grind #1 - Tour de Hood

Tour de Hood (first installment in a series of gravel ride descriptions) Distance - 7.2 miles Climbing - 875 feet BGR (Brad's Gravel Rating) - 28 CRF (Cage Rage Factor) - low Scenery - meh Location - west of Monument, near the Mt Herman Preserve Parking - Pothead Corner (Schilling Ave and Lindbergh Rd) General Description - A short 95% dirt road loop through the neighborhood roads near the Mt Herman Preserve. A decent amount of sustained climbing. Plenty of optional detours to explore. Mostly good dirt roads that are sandy and loose in the summer, and sloppy and muddy after snow or heavy rain. Fairly exposed when windy. Detailed route info Park at Pot Corner and head east. At the first intersection, stay right on Schilling. Take first right on Vincent. Take first left on Vandenberg. Veer right onto Doolittle. Hit the pavement (gasp), go left/right (essentially straight) onto Doolittle Take first left onto Rickenbacker and after a short descent an

New Year, New bike!

It's been abnormally warm and dry here in Colorado, so I've gotten out for a lotta rides. I'm already up to 22 outdoor rides this year, which is a healthy amount for the 30th of January. Since Salsa's announcement about 1.5 years ago, I've been jonesing for a Salsa Spearfish. I'm convinced that 29ers make a difference for me, and the lure of a full suspension 29er has been strong. Well, Bikeman has a closeout deal on last year's Spearfish frame, with a Rockshox Reba RL and a nice headset for $1199. I couldn't resist! Here are the build specs: 18" Salsa Spearfish frame Rockshox Reba RL fork Cane Creek headset Carver MyTi handlebars Titec titanium seatpost WTB seat Magura Marta SL front brake Avid BB7 rear brake RaceFace Dues crankset (22/32/42) SRAM cassette SRAM Attack shifters (9 speed) FSA PF30 bottom bracket Stan's 355, WTB Laserdisc Lite wheels XT front derailleur XT rear derailleur Geax Saguaro tires Total weight is about 27.5lbs. I t