Adventures / Fun Times

Scenes from Mountain Biking in Colorado, 2020

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Years ago (like 7ish?), we were mountain biking on a trail south of Denver and I freaked out turning on a simple switchback. I literally tipped over moving less than 1 MPH – my boney elbow dug deep into the back of my ribcage. About 2 weeks, and 5 airplane flights later, I realized a rib was cracked, but only after I almost passed out in a client meeting. That was awesome. I have hardly touched a mountain bike since….then along came 2020.

When Covid hits and all you have to do is play in the mountains of Colorado, you pretty much have to give it a go – if nothing else, to get out of your comfort zone and shake things up a bit. So I did. And I loved it. I bought a new full suspension bike that rides like buttah. Now I am obsessed with it and want to ride all the time. I still suck at it and am still afraid of breaking another rib or worse. But I do it anyway. Slowly.

“Feel the fear and do it anyway”

~Susan Jeffers~

Beginner/intermediate trails are about all I can handle. I’ll never be a bomber rider and that’s just fine with me. You will never see me on a black diamond trail on purpose. Fear is such a crazy thing – I do believe it holds us back from truly living a full life. It comes in all shapes and sizes.

Thought I would share some images of where our wheels took us this summer. I was scared and uncomfortable most of the time, but also felt free, confident and exhilarated!

“Life begins where fear ends”

~Osho~

Like everyone else, we are finding new ways to be entertained, feel alive and keep our sh*t together!!

Has anyone else picked up a new hobby this year?

Sure hope everyone is holding up ok!

…..i choose this….

Pam

76 comments

  1. Everybody disappears in front of me on the single-track. The fractures just take too long to heal anymore. Did the rib thing a couple of years back (with a wheelbarrow), so I get it! Fortunately a floater, so I was still able to breath. But it kinda’ took the sails out of the rest of the summer.

    Bought a “gravel” bike this year. Not so cushy, but better for racking up miles on the local asphalt and rural access roads. Been using it as an alternative to some of the running.

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    1. So good to hear from you girl!! I now want a gravel bike, only to give a little more comfort on the road AND be able to ride on the rural roads we have near Boulder. I used to road bike a ton, but have not found my mojo with it in recent years. Oh the riding, running and hiking in your neck of the woods – just superb!

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  3. With my health issues, no new hobbies for me. But I congratulate you for enjoying your youth. Those look like fun and beautiful trails to be on. I like the saying, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”

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  4. I restarted mtn biking about a year ago after a 25 year break. This summer, as a coach, I’m riding 3x per week. I’m actually starting to get pretty good. I can ride stuff I couldn’t touch a year ago and my fears are dwindling as I build confidence. But like you, I’ll never bomb down a hill. The consequences are too high for my aged body. Full suspension… I only wish.

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    1. Jeff, I am pretty sure you are a good athlete with anything you do. I am glad you decided to do the coaching thing :-). Yeah, I had a hardtail because I didn’t want to spend the $$$ for full suspension. That was a mistake. Pretty sure if I had a full suspension from the get go, it wouldn’t have scared me so much in the beginning. Sean has a part time job at REI, so we got a big discount on it 😉 and I had to cancel EVERY trip I had booked, so there was a little bit of cash left over.

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  6. Full-suspension … okay, maybe that’s the ticket! We’ve been hiking so much out here in the last few weeks, and I’ve been eying the mountain bikers, wondering if that’s in my future. I feel my bones rattling on a hybrid bike on a basic street, and there have been some rock piles and switchbacks on the trails that have given me major pause when contemplating such an adventure! You are always so game – glad you got back on the horse, errr, bike!

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    1. You should try it! I think you’d be able to use my bike. We can go to Bear Creek Park some time and ride, you can see if you like it. I bet you do! I don’t ride the switchbacks and if the rock piles are too big, I walk those too. I do a lot of Bike-hiking. LOL

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            1. YES, practice makes perfect. I pretty much don’t help Sean put up the tents anymore – leads to too many lively discussions. The only exception is this rig! I need to nail it down by myself! One more practice run this weekend – I am going to time it in hopes there are some marked improvements. lol

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  8. Beautiful pictures. I know I’ve said it before, but you’re so lucky to live there.

    I tried mountain biking many years ago on a day trip to Crested Butte. I was scared, too, and haven’t done it since, though I do do a lot of road cycling, which is scary for another reason (drivers!)

    Actually, I have picked up a new hobby in 2020: staring nervously into the middle distance as I rock back and forth while rubbing the backs of my hands over and over and over. 😉

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  9. Good for you for getting out of your comfort zone and trying mountain biking again. I am naturally a klutzy person and have steered clear of biking altogether. But it does look like such a great way to explore the trails and cover more ground. Glad you’re enjoying it!

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    1. Aww, thanks for the encouragement….The older I get, the more klutzy I become, but I am giving it a go. Don’t run like I used to – just don’t love it like I did years ago. I definitely love how much ground you can cover. We ride a lot of dirt roads – some that would be hard on a car, but perfect for the bike. Hope you are able to get out and about in your neck of the woods!

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  10. I have so much respect for mountain bikers. As we get older we definitely become more cautious. I tell myself my fear does not restrain me but just makes me wiser – to live another day. 🙂

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    1. Some of them are incredible aren’t they? They go flying down the mountain – I don’t know how they do it! Then they fall off, break a collar bone and get right back on. lol. Looking forward to digging into the deets of your adventure on the CT!

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      1. Thanks!😊.

        I have watched mountain bikers flip over the handlebars, stand back up with blood dripping off elbows and knees, brush themselves off, and then climb back aboard to continue barreling straight down boulder strewn trails – and these were not the youngsters! I’ve decided they are a unique type of personality – tough as nails! 🙂

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  12. I’ll admit, I’m way too chicken to try mountain biking. We just ended up sticking to hiking this summer… although a decent amount of it was in the form of backpacking! Not a new hobby for us, but maybe an expanded one.

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  13. Sometimes life makes choices for us, right? This year we all made choices to renegade in life. I would love to be better on my Mtn bike. More practice needed. Thanks for sharing your adventures! Ride On!

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    1. Agreed! And that is totally fine – good reminder you cannot control it all and sometimes you just have to roll with it. Practice is the only way to get better on the MT bike for sure. I am waiting for things to cool off here in CO and get after it. Cheers!

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  14. I think it’s best to push yourself a little bit at a time (especially if you’ve had a bad fall). Confidence comes slowly. I’ll never manage those tight right turns – left maybe, sometimes, but never the right. Weird that isn’t it? No new hobbies for me. I’ve carried on going out walking almost all the time – it’s the best way to keep away from people! 😊

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    1. I CANNOT DO THE RIGHT TURN either!!! What the heck??? I think its because I don’t feel comfortable taking my right foot off the pedal if I get into a bind. UGH. Walking is definitely a nice way to stay away from people,,,especially if you tend to go further then a 5k, the herd starts to thin out about that distance. 😉 Have a great week!!

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  15. Glad to see you are getting out and about Pam in such a beautiful area. Nothing wrong with a little caution out there. I’ve always been careful on my wilderness trips, which is why I can still get out and play in the woods at 77. 🙂 –Curt

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      1. We’ve made it back to Oregon, Pam. Our 8,000 mile trip around the US was a good escape for us and fun. Due to our paranoia about the pandemic, also safe. I’ll be doing a series of posts on the highlights.
        Fires… ugh! We’ve been fortunate so far with the fires wreaking their havoc 15-30 miles away from where we live. Our worst experience has been the smoke— some of the worst pollution in the world. Fire danger continues to be a reality we live with.
        For now, Peggy and I have escaped top Florence over on the Oregon Coast so we can breathe some fresh air. Escape is good. One of the advantages of retirement. 🙂
        Thanks –Curt

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        1. Ohhh, I am looking forward to reading about it!!! I need to make sure your posts show up real time for me. I am soooo sad about the fires in my future home state. I will be coming out there in late October to check on the house – hoping things will be somewhat normal by then. Glad you have found a reprieve from the smoke. Cheers to you and Peggy, Curt 🙂

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  16. Gorgeous! Glad you got back on the bike. Though I’ve not had a bad experience, I’m pretty wimpy on a mountain bike. I’m always fearful when my son hits the Vancouver North Shore trails…I can barely hike them, let alone bike them. I wish we had some nice beginner/intermediate trails close by. Enjoy!

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  18. Just the pictures brought me some needed serenity and smiles 🙂 Can’t imagine how refreshing it must have been in person! I’d say the only hobby I’ve tried to pick up is baking – but not when it’s too hot to use the oven! 🙂

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    1. I am soooo glad this brought you a little bit of joy MB! What are you baking these days? A friend of mine baked me some Ghiradeli (sp?) brownies for my birthday. omg – sooo good. I am sure you are doing some awesome things from scratch!

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      1. Well, I’ve mostly been focusing on homemade cookies, and I leave them in ziplock bags on the neighbor’s doorsteps to share the joy and also so I don’t get stuck eating them all haha. I also whipped up some risotto from scratch for the hubby the other night – it went over pretty well!

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  19. Your wheels took you to some stunning places, Pam!! I’d be a little nervous if I’d cracked a rib in the past as well. Heck, I’d be nervous no matter what. My kids have done some mountain biking. My daughter has a trail nearby that she likes. She’s much more of a daredevil than me!!! lol.

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    1. In the middle of all of the crazy stuff, we have managed to have a really good time this summer. Grateful to live where we do. I am NOT a daredevil…I wont downhill ski for that very reason. The one time I tried it, I fell down and so did my ski pants. Pretty sure my butt-crack was exposed for all to see on Copper Mountain. LOL

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  21. What a great hobby mountain biking is, especially in your part of the world where there are so many amazing trails and so much to explore. You could cycle every day and never go down the same trail. Great for fitness too.

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    1. It is so much fun! Lots of great trails near town. I need to get out there more frequently. Definitely great for fitness :-). So, I am working with this guy name Jano….every time I interact with him, I think of you all. LOL

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  22. My goodness – these are stunning views!
    Again, I am so inspired by your ability to push past fear (something I struggle with often) …. I often tell myself (and whoever will listen) that fear of fear is so much worse than of the thing itself.
    I haven’t been on a bike in years …. and when I was, never on trail. I continue to marvel at you ….

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  25. Pingback: Scenes from Mountain Biking in Colorado, 2020 — …i choose this… – Outdoors Life blog

  26. So glad you got back on the bike! Biking is addictive and can cure so many troubles in our lives, minds, and hearts. Loved your photos, made me want to be there. Enjoy every ride and continue to be safe!

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  27. Awesome read! I recently cracked a rib mountain biking in a scarily similar way. I love the extended version of one of the quotes you used as well “your body will give up a thousand times before your mind does, feel the fear and do it anyway”

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