2008 TdFR - Leg Two

Recently I wrote about the first leg of the epic Tour de Front Rage (TdFR), which covers three major trail networks, 21 miles of trail, and 4,375 vertical feet of elevation gain. As I look back at the write up for leg one I can't help but loose my breath just thinking of the challenge.

I wish I could tell you the second leg is easier than the second leg, but that is not the case. In fact, you can expect more of the same and I do emphesize "more of."

After lunch at Matthews/Winters riders once again take to the trail. From here riders will ride through four more major trail networks on their way to the finish, including: Matthews/Winters, Green Mountain, Bear Creek, and Mount Falcon/Lair o' the Bear.

During this leg riders will pedal 34.73 miles. From this total, 14.75 miles are uphill, 17.67 downhill, and only 2.29 miles of flat riding. The good news is there is more downhill than uphill. The bad news is that the uphill will take riders another 4,958 vertical feet into the thin Colorado air. Maybe now you can see why I emphasized "more of" when talking about leg two? Without a doubt there will be more miles and more elevation gain than leg one. Ouch!

For those up to the challenge, the group will swing their leg around their bikes and make their way on Village Walk Trail at Matthews Winters. This section of trail offers a nice warm up after lunch with rolling, smooth single track. Riders then connect to Red Rocks Trail, where they dip into the valley before starting the 3rd major ascent of the TdFR. While ascending, riders take a right onto Morrison Slide Trail. The trail continues upward to the top of the mesa before descending the most technical dowhill of TdFR. Once past the technical descent of Morrison Slide, riders are once again connected to Red Rocks Trail where smooth downhill riding guides them to Highway 26. The highway is crossed and a tough single track ascent up the hogback is required.

From the top of the hogback riders connect with paved road and descend towards Green Mountain. From the western trail head at Green Mountain riders cross over C-470 via the overpass and ride towards a three way intersection. Either the center or right branch can be taken (Don't take the left branch) and the southwest corner of Green Mountain is ridden to the newly constructed water tower. Here is where it gets a bit tricky.

From here we have to weave our way through neighborhood roads on our way to Bear Creek. I leave it to your own descretion on how to get there. Follow any route you like in Bear Creek Lake Park towards the west entrance. From the entrance you are able to pick up the Bear Creek bike path towards Morrison. Follow the bike path to Highway 8 in Morrison and turn left. Follow the paved road up Highway 8, turn right on Forest Avenue, and another right on Vine to the Mount Falcon Trail head.

Once at the Mount Falcon trail head, climb the final major ascent of the TdFR by riding up Castle Trail to the upper parking lot. Having ridden this in the past, I can warn you that this is by far the hardest climb in the TdFR. By this point you will be tired, hungry, and you will likely be climbing it during the hottest part of the day. Be prepared. Castle Trail is a wide ascent that can normally be ridden with an average effort. However, given the circumstances, you will need to dig deep to get over the waterbars, and keep traction on the rocky dirt trail.

Once at the upper parking lot at Mount Falcon, riders will Once at the upper parking lot at Mount Falcon, riders will once again ride paved road down and ride Parmalee Gulch Road to Pence Park/Lair o' the Bear. From here riders will start the final descent of the TdFR.

Known as one of the best parts of the TdFR, Lair o' the Bear (LOB) will treat riders to a much deserved descent, but remember, it isn't all downhill. This twisty-turny single track does have a couple small ascents so save some gas for them. Other than a few slightly technical spots, sit back and let the tires roll, while still being respectful of the other trail users. Chances are you will be pretty whipped by this point so treat the descent with respect and ride within your impaired limit all the way to the creek. Once at the creak, ride the final flat section of trail to the LOB trail head where you connect with Highway 74. Ride Highway 74 to your shuttle in Morrison.

For those who make it this far, Congratulations! You will have accomplished the most difficult route ever ridden as the TdFR and you should be proud!

2008 TdFR - Leg One

Welcome to the first of three reports regarding the 2008 TdFR course. The 2008 TdFR course was announced earlier in the month and I took it upon myself to head out to the course with my GPS so riders could have as much knowledge as possible before the big day arrives on September 20th, 2008.

While looking at the course list there isn't a doubt in my head that this will be the hardest course in the six year history of the event. That being said, I think the trails being used will make you work on the uphill, but will reward each of the riders handsomely on the descents.


Leg one is what I will be focusing on today. It includes White Ranch trails, Chimney Gulch, Lookout, and Apex trails. In all, leg one is 21.27 miles in length with 9.5 miles of ascending, 1.1 miles of flat riding, and 10.67 miles of descent. At the end of this leg riders can expect to have climbed 4,375 ft and descended 4,229 ft.

In years past White Ranch has been a bit of a disappointment for me. It has always been a long arduous climb up Belcher Trail before hitting some nice single track and then descending again on Belcher Trail. That will not be the case this year. After riding this years trails at White Ranch, I can actually say I'm excited for the White Ranch portion of this ride.

From the parking lot riders will slowly make their way through the sandpit and up Belcher, but instead of climbing the wide dirt road, riders will take the first trail split onto Whipple Tree Trail. Whipple Tree Trail treats riders to a nice single track ride as it winds its way into the valley before intersecting with Longhorn Trail. Riders will take a left onto Longhorn, which is where the real climbing starts. Climb your way up Longhorn, take a right onto Shorthorn, then take a left again on Longhorn. Longhorn will provide one more difficult ascent before intersecting with Maverick Trail. Maverick will let the riders regroup a bit as it has a couple small ascents, but for the most part winds it's way parallel to the hillside slope before connecting with Belcher Trail. As you may have gathered earlier, I'm not a fan of Belcher Trail, but the best way in my opinion to ride this trail is to ride it downhill, which is exactly what will be done all the way back to the White Ranch parking lot.

From the White Ranch parking lot, riders will get on paved roads and head towards Chimney Gulch.

At the base of Chimney Gulch you have to get back into climbing mode because this trail takes you all the way to the top of Lookout Mountain. The most difficult portion of the climb is the initial climb out of the valley, which is only about a mile in length. Once past the switchbacks the slope of the trail decreases and you are able to spin with realative ease towards the top. Midway up the climb riders need to cross the road and pass through a parking lot before reconnecting with the trail. If the climb has started to wear on you a bit, feel free to take a breather on benches near the parking lot before tackling the second half of the climb. Although the trail is not overly technical, the long climb can make the last effort needed to summit Lookout Mountain a bit difficult.

Once at the top of Lookout there is a visitors center. Bathrooms and water is available for those who need it. Once rested and watered, riders will hop onto Lookout Trail, which will terminate at the top of the Apex Trail.


In years past, Apex Trail has been a straight shot down the mountain to the Heritage Square parking lot. That is not the case this year. In fact, Apex Trail proper will only be ridden a short distance with additional spurs from the trail adding distance and difficulty to this once easy section of the route.

From the top of Apex Trail, riders will ride to the intersection of Apex and Enchanted Forest. Riders will take a right onto Enchanted forest where they can enjoy this challenging section of trail before reconnecting with Apex. A right onto Apex trail again will lead riders downhill until they reach Sluicebox Trail. Riders will need to take a left onto Sluicebox and prepare themselves for the final climb before the lunch break at Matthews/Winters. Sluicebox Trail winds its way up the mountain before connecting with Grubstake Loop Trail. Once on Grubstake Loop, riders will be treated to a non-technical, but extremely gratifying descent towards Apex Trail. Riders will follow Grubstake Loop until reaching the Pick 'n Sledge intersection where they will take a left. Pick 'n Sledge then reconnects with Apex Trail and riders will continue to the Herritage Square Parking lot.

From Herritage Square it back onto the road as riders head towards Matthews/Winters. There riders will have a chance to refuel, before hitting the trail once again to finish the ride.

So... What do you have to look forward to once you are at Matthews/Winters? That is easy, Two more beyond category climbs, and one incredible descent. I'll post more about that in the weeks to come.

Longs Rides In My Future...

I have two (possibly three) big endurance rides coming up in the next couple months, which I badly need to prepare for. First on the list is the 2008 Tour de Front Range, which if you squint slightly while looking at the elevation graph above, you should be able to see the first two major climbs of the TdFR in there. I've been riding the single speed exclusively this summer and I'm pretty excited to say I'll be riding it for the TdFR. If I finish, I'll be the second person in TdFR history to finish it on a single speed. The first and only single speed finisher to date is Chris.

The second is 24 Hours of Moab. I'll be part of a two man team this year with my good friend, Dwight. I couldn't ask for a better person on a bike to ride a duo with. Since grade school we have always been able to push each other to the limits on our bikes. I think we'll make each other ride to and beyond our limits at Moab.

The third possibility is the 12 Hours of Snowmass. My 24 Hour of Moab teammate from last year sent me an email about the race yesterday. I was stoked to see it and thought it could be a good prep ride for both the TdFR and 24 Hours of Moab. However, I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it since it is such short notice. However, the Solo Clydesdale Category is coined as the 12 Hour Solo Clydesdale World Championships!!! I mean, how can I resist that?

2008 TdFR: Date and Route

RIDE DATE:
Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008

THE ROUTE:
ESTIMATED DISTANCE -- 59.35 miles

WHITE RANCH -- meet at 8:30 a.m., wheels rolling at 8:45 -- Belcher, R
on Whipple Tree, L on Longhorn (new, challenging climb), R on
Shorthorn, L on Longhorn, L on Maverick, L on Belcher and back down
(8.65 miles).

ROAD -- Ride Highway 93 to Chimney Gulch (4.1 miles)

CHIMNEY GULCH -- usual route up Chimney to Apex (4.6 miles)

APEX -- Enchanted Forest, RIGHT Apex Trail, (NEW ADDITION STARTS HERE)
L Sluicebox, Grubstake Loop, LPick 'n' Sledge, L Apex Trail (5.8)

ROAD -- Colfax Avenue to Matthews Winters Parking Lot (2 miles)

LUNCH @ Matthews Winters Picnic Area

MW -- Village Walk, L Red Rocks Trail, R Morrison Slide Trail, R Red
Rocks Trail, X Highway 26, continue on Red Rocks Trail over hogback to
Alameda Pkwy (4.3)

ROAD -- R Alameda Pkwy, L Rooney Road to Green Mtn Parking Lot (1.5
miles)

GREEN MOUNTAIN -- Take trail over C-470, STRAIGHT at the 3-way
junction and follow usual route until you hit the 4-way trail
intersection near the water tower (do you know which one I mean?), L
on gravel road to Alameda. (NOT SURE ON MILEAGE -- 2.5 - 3 miles?)

ROAD -- I'm not sure if you dump out on Alameda or Bear Creek, but we
want to take Bear Creek Road south to Morrison Road, cross Morrison
Road and enter Bear Creek Lake Park. (1.7 miles)

BEAR CREEK LAKE PARK -- Follow any trail you like west toward
Morrison, eventually picking up the bike path near Bear Creek Lake
entrance station. (2 miles???)

ROAD/BIKE PATH -- Follow the Bear Creek bike path to Highway 8 in
Morrsion, turn Left. Turn Right on Forest Ave, Right on Vine to Mount
Falcon Trail Head. (2.5 miles)

MOUNT FALCON -- Climb Castle Trail to upper parking lot (3.8 miles)

ROAD -- Ride Mt. Falcon Road to Parmalee Gulch Road, turn RIGHT and
ride to Pence Park/beginning of LOB trail (3 miles)

Pence Park/LOB -- Standard route (8 miles)

ROAD -- Descend Hwy 74 to Morrison (4.4 miles)

END -- Dirt Parking lot at Morrison Road and Rooney Road

BIG ASS DISCLAIMER:
This is not an official event, and you can choose to do all of it or
parts of it. The course is not marked, there are no course marshals,
and there is zero, nada, zip support. You are on your own and will be
riding AT YOUR OWN RISK. The only thing we do is decide the route and
pick a start time. The rest is up to you and requires your own
planning.

AND FOR THE RECORD:
1) The Tour de Front Range is scheduled for September 20th at 8:45 AM
and will be starting from the lower White Ranch parking lot.

2) This will be a point-to-point ride so arrange a shuttle with a
friend or expect an additional 5+ miles to be added to your ride since
you will need to ride from Morrison back to your car at White Ranch.

3) All trail rules and etiquette are to be strictly followed during
this ride. If you are looking to ride it as a race and not as a
social ride, then stay home! Please be embassadors for our riding
community during this ride and prove that mountain bikers respect and
belong on the trail.

Tour de Front Range - Jersey Ceremony

This past week 23 riders showed up at the White Ranch trailhead near Golden, Colorado to begin an urban epic coined The Tour de Front Range. Of those 23 riders (many of who where part of the A-list of mountain bike racing) only 7 persevered and finished the ride. These seven riders pedaled over 52 miles, climbed 9,209 ft, and they did all of it on a sunny day with temps in the 90 degree range.

All Grand Tours have special jerseys that symbolize special achievements. Well the Tour de Front Range is no different. This year we are providing virtual jerseys to our finishers.

The Tour de Front Range, unlike other Grand Tours, does not have a yellow jersey. Instead, All jerseys have a yellow stripe. The yellow represents the spirit of the Tour and no one person can harness that. All riders that are honored with a jersey have the spirit and for that reason all jerseys have a yellow stripe.

The Jerseys:

Red Polka Dot - Richard Eddy: The climbs are what make the Tour de Front Range a challenge. The steep, loose rock trails make the Front Range a suffer fest. The hill climbs are difficult when you have a support system of other riders. Take that support system away and it is just the rider and the mountain, which is enough to make grown men cry. After lunch, Richard rode the final climbs solo, determined to finish the Tour. Richard took on these solo ascents in 90 degree heat, and a full face mask helmet. Richard was driven to finish and he did so with great style; earning him the Polka Dot jersey.

Green - Chris Plesko: Aggressive riding is what the color represent. However, Chris was not aggressive in the sense of bumping elbows with fellow riders. His aggression took the form of doubling the number of miles he rode. At the trailhead before the ride, I asked Chris how many miles he had already ridden. He casually replied, "Forty miles and I plan on riding all of this." At the lunch break Chris had a stifling 60 miles and over 10,000 ft of vertical climbing. And in Morrison he was only ten miles short of a century. He opted to ride to the restaurant in order to hit the century mark. By the end of the day, Chris rode over 100 miles and 13,000 vertical feet of elevation. Chris, you deserve this jersey!

White - Bill Henderson: The white jersey represents the best performance by a first time Tour de Front Range participant. Bill gets this honor due to a comment that he made at lunch. When asked how he was feeling, he said, "I feel great! This is the longest ride I've ever done." When asked if he meant the longest ride this year, he replied, "No... Ever!" Bill has cycling in his genes and even when the Tour finished in Morrison, Bill kept on riding his bike and rode to the restaurant to enjoy Mexican Food. Well done, Bill!

Blue - Scott Zarret: The Blue jersey is worn by the man who puts down the most amount of liquid. The heat was a big factor and Scott complained about a headache during the lunch break at Matthews/Winters. Filling up his camel back, he hit the trail again to ride Red Rocks and Morrison Slide. By the time he started the base of Mount Falcon his camel back was again empty! After the Tour, Scott was unable to join us for the post ride Mexican food because of a concert he was going to attend, where he would put down even more liquid libations.

Gray - Jim Bergman: The Gray jersey is worn by the rider with diesel like commitment to the ride. Once the engine is wound up and running smooth, Jim did not want to take a break. Jim finished the Tour with a diesel like pace that he could have maintained for another hundred miles if he wanted. Even when stopping for lunch, Jim did not dismount his bike. He stood there, straddling his bike, ready to ride for 15 minutes. Like a diesel locomotive, there was no slowing Jim down once he gained momentum.

Black - Steve Sieders & Tony Shouse: Two riders share this jersey. This rider represents those riders that with stealth like ability finish the ride without me getting a chance to know them better. These dedicated riders flew under my radar, attacked the Tour de Front Range course, and came out smiling at the end. Before going into Stealth mode Steve could be heard at the white Ranch trailhead encouraging the men into battle by blowing on the duck call that was attached to his bike. Tony, only came out of stealth mode long enough to introduce himself at lunch. Without lunch he rode towards the finish with the same diesel like determination as Jim. To both these stealth riders, I salute you! You did a great ride!

To all the finishers, wear these (virtual) jerseys with pride! You have earned them and you will forever be immortalized in the annals of the Tour de France history as men that took on the challenge and made it look easy...

2007 TdFR - History of the Tour - Part I

The Unauthorized History of the Tour de Front Range - The Beginning

It all started a few short years ago when a few men had a dream of creating a ride that would ensnare the senses, capture the spirit, and demand the utmost respect from riders that dare take on their challenge. Their challenge was known as the Tour de Front Range.

In part one of this unauthorized history of the TdFR; we visit the roots of this epic event held every September.

During the summer of 2004, two men (Kyle and Stu) sat in a living area and drank beer. A lot of beer. As they drank, they began to think about all the great trails at their access. As most dreamers do, they started using their mind's eye to connect those wonderful trails.

Most dreams come up with ideas to find solutions that make things easier and less burdensome. These two had different plans. They began to plan a ride that was not easy. In fact the purpose of this course would be to ride as many trails as they could, while riding as little pavement as possible. Plus, because they were a bit drunk, they wanted the pain factor included in the ride as well.

Those that understand mountain biking, understand why they wanted the pain factor. With pain comes a sense of satisfaction once the pain is over. With this in mind; they planned the first ever Tour de Front Range.

After a long long night of drinking the men decided on the course and went their separate ways.

Tune in next time for Part II of the Unauthorized history of the Tour de Front Range entitled "Then there were three."

Learn more about this urban epic coined "The Tour de Front Range" by visiting the 2007 TdFR forum on TrailCentral.

Trail Advocacy Regarding Tour de Front Range 2007

Trails on the Front Range haven't melted and already my mind has been focused on the annual Tour de Front Range. A bike ride that in years past has signified the end of the riding season (at least for me).

I got to thinking about how we have been able to connect really great trails together for this event. Trails such as: White Ranch, Chimney, Apex, Matthews Winters, Green Mountain, Mount Falcon, Lair 'o The Bear, and others in between.

All of these trails are available to the lucky riders on the Front Range all year. It got me wondering if there was any way to give a little back to these trails that challenge us during the TdFR?

These trails are part of Jefferson County Parks and I'm not sure the best way to handle this idea. Is a monetary donation the way to go? How about trail work?

If a monetary donation, does that mean there needs to be a entry fee or do we do it as a optional donation at the trailhead. How about corporate matching? Would there be a company out there that would be interested in helping the trails in the name of mountain biking by matching any donations that the TdFR raises?

If it is trail work, would the County Parks even want our help. There are full time employees that maintain these parks. I'll be the honest and say that I truly don't know the best way to organize a trail work day that the county would approve of.

My head is full of questions and right now I don't have any answers. However, I do believe I'm thinking about this early enough in the season to be able to have answers by the time the TdFR 2007 hits the trails in September.

Do you have any ideas on how to give back to the trails? If so, I'd love to hear about them!

More Info (2006) TdFR:
TdFR Course Analysis (1 of 3)
TdFR Course Analysis (2 of 3)
TdFR Course Analysis (3 of 3)