This morning I packed up my Project Dale (a rejuvenated 1993 Cannondale M700 mtn bike) on to the Yakima bike rack and headed down to Fort Collins, CO. Today was going to be the first 'real' ride on the 'Dale and it was going to be with my brother on the Spring Creek Trail in his city of Fort Collins, Colorado.
The only incident I had today occurred while I was securing the bike to the rack. As I was cinching down the wheel strap, the strap broke! I bought the rack in late spring or early summer of last year, so this was a surprise! I own another Yakima rack (a roof rack) that was purchased by a good friend back in the late '80s and the straps are still in perfect shape. I'm a bit disappointed by this, but I'm going to email Yakima and give them a chance to right this.
Anyways I got the bike loaded and drove down to Fort Collins (about an hour drive from Laramie). I got suited up at my brother's house. Now I have to admit that it's been quite a while since I've put on my cycling gear, so putting on the bib shorts (thanks Aero Tech Designs for making cycling apparel for us clydes!!), cleated cycling shoes, and helmet felt like being back with old friends.
We (mostly because of me) made the end of the Spring Creek Trail as our turn around point. My brother, the bicycle master, took pity on me for being out of shape. We made a few pit stops along the way, but the fact is, according to Strava, we rode a total of 13.4 miles that day! Not bad for an uberclydesdale who hasn't been on a bike in probably 5-6 years! Even then, I don't think I could have done more than 10 miles on a good day!
On the way back to my brother's house, we stopped at a trailside gazebo and give me a chance to catch my breath. I took advantage of the moment to snap a picture of the bike. I have to admit that we did a great job with the Project Dale! She performed flawlessly today on the trail!!
As I also dabble in photography (as strictly a learning hobbyist), I took a few opportunities on our return trip to take some photos of the beautiful sights of the trail. For this photo of a bridge that crossed over Spring Creek, I pulled over to the side and grabbed a quick photo with my brother coming back to make sure I was doing ok. I think he was worried I was going to faint from exertion!
As we rode the trail, my brother also acted as a tour guide. One thing that he pointed out were these "work stations" placed alongside the trail. The workstation provided a padded area to hang your bike, a tire hand pump, and a selection of Park tools secured to the stand by cables. Yes, you read that righ, Park tools! That's a pretty serious commitment to providing the necessary facilities for the users of the trails. Park Tools are among the best professional tools when it comes to bicycles! I was really impressed and I know that if I ever need some tools while on the Spring Creek Trail, I would have a selection of quality tools to repair my bike. Kudos to the City of Fort Collins!!
One of the must see sights on the trail was the headquarters for the bicycle manufacturer "Niner"! If you are into mountain bikes, you know the name. During my time working in a southern California public high school, I saw a few Niners appear on the school's mountain bike team,. Unfortunately for me, Niner is closed on the weekends, else I might have seen if they had a factory we could have gone on. Definitely want to investigate another time!
--UberClydesdale
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