Point A to Point B

Bikes roll over things. This is due to the roundness of their wheels.

Early in the mountain biking days the bikes were simple and versatile. Suspension had not yet been invented. Technical skills were required for negotiating trails strewn with rocks or roots. As time went on mountain bikes became more specialized. They got better at going fast, they got more comfortable, they handled better. Along the way though both on and off road bikes seem to have gotten more discipline specific. If you want to go road biking you take your aero road bike, if you want to shuttle fast dirt descents you take your long travel full suspension bike. This is all great. But I think there is a style of riding that has become lost due to specialization: The Point A to Point B ride. Road, dirt, trails, paths, singletrack, doubletrack, bushwacking. The point A to point B ride is fundamentally about compromise. There is no perfect tire for covering all manner of terrain. There is no perfect geometry for both road and trail riding. Point A to Point B rides require a certain degree of adaptation and even discomfort from those who undertake them. On the other side of that coin though there is a reward: On these sorts of rides your route is limitless, your terrain variable, and your challenges constantly shifting.

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Go chase the sunset.

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Last night was all about chasing the sunset, Team Dream Team style. I wanted to get up to Raptor Point to see the sun dip behind the hills. 5000 feet of climbing and a late start stood between me and my goal but somehow it all worked out and I got up there with a few minutes to spare. The sky is so dynamic at sunset. In the matter of a minute everything can change. Watching it all evolve while on a bike on my current favorite road was a pretty special thing. The realization hit me that being high up in the Rockies at sunset meant being high up in the Rockies after dark, alone, and without even an extra vest. Thankfully last night was a trophy summer night. Warm breezes and clear skies were my companions. Sunset was beautiful, but the light right after sunset was, to my surprise, even better. The colors became electric, the shadows were at their softest. I had nobody to share what I was seeing with, but as always I had my camera. This is why I started taking photos of my rides in the first place. I want to relate to people what I’ve seen and what I’ve experienced. Photos rarely capture the true feel of a place, but that is always the goal to aspire to. I’m still buzzing from the experience.

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