2014 Caribou Classic: A Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance Special Event

The 2014 Caribou Classic is behind us so we’ll have to wait another year to do this all over again.  This year the start was in the north meadow of Caribou Ranch and a great deal of thanks to the Guercio’s for hosting such a great event.  The BMA did one heck of a job putting it all together and many thanks to all the volunteers who kept the wheels rolling safely and responsibly.

It was a lollipop loop through a rocky climb up Sourdough to Left Hand Reservoir Road and the main aid station.  We then traveled up the rather steep Left Hand Rez Road to the sublime Little Raven trail.  We spilled out onto Brainard Lake Road to connect to the Brainard Cutoff.  We then connected to the boulder fields of South St. Vrain to checkpoint D and the start of the climb back up Sourdough.  You had the option of adding another grueling loop at checkpoint D but in the interest of time I decided against it.  We finally completed the loop back at the main aid station on Brainard Lake and Left Hand Rez Roads and the final stretch back to the staging area.

You would have thought I was out partying with Guns N Roses the night before the way I was riding.  I took an endo early trying to hang on with one hand on a descent as I reached for my sunglasses – the BMA sweepers were awesome offering all kinds of assistance on the trail.  The ride seemed uphill both ways and the rocks beat you up mercilessly.  The pros made it look easy but for most of us this was an absolute Sufferfest, even without the extra mileage at checkpoint D.  Click here for the ride profile (does not include extra miles).

I had a fantastic time and so did everyone else, it was a raging success and September 2015 can't come soon enough.  None of this would have been possible without the extrodinary effort and support from the following sponsors:

Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance - Improve the Trail Experience for Everyone in Boulder County
Caribou Ranch
Oskar Blues - Time For Beer
Cyclehops - Home Made Liquids & Solids
The Pros Closet
Sports Garage
Reeb
Redstone Cyclery
Full Cycle
Contour Logic - Planning + Design for Smart Trail Systems
University Bicycles
The Fix
Bicycle Village
Eldorado Springs - Natural Spring Water
Spot Brand Bikes
Kelty
RockyMounts - Boulder Based Bike Racks
Liberty Home Loans
NanaCakes - Life Is Too Short To Eat Boring Pancakes
RC Special Events - An Events Solution Company
Skratch Labs - Natural Hydration
Motion Fitness
Shaving Peggy - Colorado's Rock-n-Roll Band !!!

Thank you all for the memories!  -Dirt Life

West Magnolia: School Bus

School Bus sounds innocent enough but make no mistake this is a bully of a ride.  The slope doesn't look intimidating at first but the loose and often rocky tread will leave you crying uncle all the way to the top.  I actually never made it to the bus, apparently you need a teacher's note and a chaperon to find it and I had neither.  Report cards are in and it seems I'll need to repeat this class.

I began the ride up Sugar Mag to trail 355 then caught the Hobbit south for a short class on West Mag single-track.  I met back up with 355 then single-file through the gate onto School Bus - School Bus and 355 at this point are one and the same.  The tread here is nice hard pack with a thin layer of crushed gravel but don't get too comfortable because your first pop quiz comes quickly and it's a tough one.

Your first and perhaps steepest climb comes shortly after entering the gate on 355.  This is a short but steep grade and will take a lot of leg strength to complete; make it on two wheels and you're king of the hill.

The road levels off at the top when you reach your first trail junction with 105.  Trail 105-2A is like the last day of school, it's such a relief and like summer you'll wish it would never end.  If you only have time for a couple of miles then do yourself a huge favor and ride 105-2A; this section is precisely why we ride fat tires.  For 2.5 miles, out and back, you will be treated to superb Dirt tread on tacky double-track under a canopy of tall dense pine and soon to be colorful aspen trees.  Clear those nasal passages because with the recent rainfall the scent of pine oil and moist Dirt will overwhelm you.  Unfortunately the trail ends at private property so it's back to School; bus that is.

Back at the junction you'll rejoin School Bus on 105.  The climb starts immediately on loose rocky tread.  Gear selection and a bit of finesse will pay huge dividends here.  The extra energy expelled for spinning your rear tire will cost you your lunch money so tread wisely.  At 5.92 miles you'll reach a split with 109; 105 to the left will take you down to Rollinsville while 109 loops around through open meadows and dense forest before meeting back up with 105.  Note that the final descent down 109 can get sketchy when wet with all the exposed roots and rocks along the way.

For an intermediate rider this ride was exhausting, a beginner would absolutely hate it although anyone willing to hike their bike up the first climb will absolutely love 105-2A and it's suitable for all skill levels.  Click here for the trail profile and use the search bar on this blog to find your next ride.  The Fall riding season is here and you won't want to miss the most colorful trails around.  Thanks for clicking in and I hope to see you on the trail.

Dirt Life