My love affair with dirt began at a very early age. I remember playing with
my favorite 4-wheel drive hot wheel on a big mound of dirt my dad had delivered
to help raise our front yard back home.
I used to carve out roads and tunnels and the occasional rain storm
brought a whole new dimension to my unusual obsession.
In the early 1970’s my dad brought
home a Honda XL250. I still remember
sitting on the gas tank with my feet over the handlebars riding through one of
our favorite parks. Soon afterward my oldest
brother became the proud owner of a Yamaha YZ80. He and his buddies would take off and ride
all over the neighborhood and sometimes I was lucky enough to ride along. My brother would keep this bike in his
bedroom and I recall just staring at those nobby tires, I could really throw
some dirt with those, I thought. I
remember only making one attempt at riding the yellow and black machine, with
my brother switching gears while he rode in back.
It wasn’t long after that the YZ was
replaced by a late 70’s Suzuki RM250. We
still had the XL and my older brother, not the oldest, was the only one crazy
enough to let me take it for a spin while he rode on back. I can just imagine his regret after I ran us
into a wooden fence my first time out.
I had such a fascination with dirt
bike tires back then and still do to this day. I think I enjoyed dirt roads just so I could
work out those tires. Perhaps it is the
adventures possible on such a tread; those tires can take you just about
anywhere. My dad would take us to the
motocross races from time to time but it all seemed so far away until “On Any
Sunday” which opened at theaters in 1971.
For the first time I was able to observe the dirt life from those living
it. This movie introduced me to all
kinds of two-wheeled adventures and nothing more terrifying than ice racing
with a shot of a motorcycle tire adorned with what reminded me of ice picks. No dirt life is complete without the “OAS”
experience.
Well, time passed and as the old
saying goes, all good things must come to an end and so it was for my two
wheeled companions sometime around my sophomore year in high school. I gave the Suzuki one kick and it started
briefly before stalling. Frantically I
kicked it over and over again hoping for some sign of life but it was not to
be. Both bikes just failed to start after that day, it was like losing my best
friend, I was so bummed. (If I knew then
what I know now, I could have fixed at least the RM as I’m sure it was
something as simple as a fouled plug.)
Decades would pass before I found
myself throwing a leg over another dirt bike, an old and poorly restored Honda
XL250 in fact. Now living in Colorado, I
could really take those tires for a ride although early on I was quite limited
because I had no way of transporting a dirt bike. Consequently, I rediscovered the thrill of
mountain biking. Now, when I’m not on
the dirt bike or out catching Sunday motocross races you’ll find me threading
through some of Boulder County’s most beautiful mountain terrain. I dreamed of adventure all my life and
Colorado was where I would find it.
Colorado was my destiny and now I live here with my beautiful wife and I
want to share my dirt life with you.
Colorado is best known for its
winter sports but with over 300 days of sunshine every year residents know that
spring, summer and fall is our best kept secret. I’d like to take you on a 2-wheel journey
through our beautiful state and experience Colorado and all its splendor. Check back often for detailed ride descriptions
and trail conditions, helpful tips and best of all the many lessons learned as
an intermediate enthusiast. Mountain
biking and dirt bike riding carry additional risks so look for some safety tips
and words of caution to help you prepare for your own adventures. Also, nothing can ruin a great day of
exploring like an equipment malfunction so lists of recommended items to carry
with you will also be included.
This blog is dedicated to all who
have come to realize that the fountain of youth is actually a trail in the dirt.
Alan Romero
Nice work, Al.
ReplyDeleteRuss