Team Bar2Bar (or is it Beef?) Rides Again!

In one week Jonny Rocker and I will head to Salida, Colorado, for the start of Ride the Rockies 2017. Although the ride officially starts in Alamosa and ends in Salida, we are meeting up with our teammates in Salida on Friday and will ride 80 miles to Alamosa on Saturday. That way when we roll into Salida on the following Sunday, roughly 520 miles later, we will be back at the start!

In true Team Bar2Bar tradition, The Hankster had T-Shirts made with the official team bars in each of the overnight destinations and the official team motto, "drinkers with a cycling problem."

So, you may have noticed that various times I will talk about riding with Team Beef and Team Bar2Bar and maybe even Team DFL. So which is it? Well, it's complicated!

After a one-year hiatus, Team Bar2Bar returns to RTR for the Reunion Tour 2017!

On my first RTR in 2005 I registered as a team of two with my friend David from Kansas City who had recently moved to Colorado (I still lived in KC at the time). On the evening of Day Zero (the day everyone arrives and registers) we met two amazing women who called themselves Team DFL

"What does DFL stand for," I asked innocently. 

"Dead 'Something' Last," was their reply. 

I met Patty (left) and Kris (right) on my first RTR in 2005.

I got the point. DFL is the moniker given to the last rider on the route. Imagine 2,000 cyclists trekking around the Colorado Rockies and the significant logistical challenge of keeping track of them all. The organizers and volunteers can't pack up an aid station until the last rider comes through. Imagine being that rider. Kris took pride in it!

Team DFL President Kris with Team Bar2Bar legacies Lora and Robert "Woody" Woodworth.

Don't get me wrong, Kris is a strong rider. She is also one of the most social people I have ever met. She can (and will) talk to anybody who will listen. Kris and Patty would set up temporary tattoo parlors at every aid station, apply Team DFL tattoos, and make friends with the other riders. The end result is they were often among the final riders on the route -- occasionally dead something last. We became fast (slow) friends. I rode with them for several years after that as an official member of Team DFL. 

Kris applies a Team DFL on the Mayor of Chama, NM, on RTR 2006 (the only time Ride the Rockies has left the state of Colorado).

Sometime during that first RTR Kris and Patty introduced me to a group of riders that call themselves Team Bar2Bar. The name is derived from their habit of riding directly to a bar (the first on one the left, unless it's on the right) in the overnight destination town. We became fast (drinking) friends.

Team DFL and Bar2Bar reunion at the start of RTR 2006 in Cortez, CO.

Seriously, though, these guys had the plan. Ride straight into town and to a bar. While everyone else rides straight to the campsite (typically a school) and sweats in the midday sun they were sitting (usually a local brewpub or dive bar) eating and drinking -- refueling for the next day. I have been a member of Team Bar2Bar ever since, whether I registered as part of the team or not.

The official T-shirt is a Team Bar2Bar tradition.

So where does Team Beef come in? Just prior to my second RTR in 2006 I interviewed for a position at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association in Denver. I have always loved beef, grew up visiting my grandparents in Colorado, and was hooked on riding over 12,000 foot mountain passes after my first RTR. This was my chance to combine all three. They offered me the job and I took a week to think it over -- while riding on RTR 2006. I made my decision about halfway through the first day.

The first official Team Beef was just me and my friend Shawn.

After joining NCBA we came up with the idea for Team Beef when several of my colleagues signed up for a 10K run in Denver, sponsored by Arby's. At the end of the run Arby's employees were handing out coupons for a free meal. I eagerly took one anticipating an Arby's roast beef sandwich. The coupon was for a grilled chicken sandwich. "What the something?" I asked. "We figured runners would want something healthy," was their reply. Wrong answer.

I have been promoting beef on Ride the Rockies since 2007!

Thus the impetus for Team Beef -- now numbering thousands of beef-loving athletes around the country demonstrating that beef is powerful fuel for physical activity and an essential part of a healthy, active lifestyle. 

From left: The Hankster, Woody and I rode as Team Beef one day on RTR 2013.

Team Beef registered an official team for the first (and only) time in 2014 but, just like Team Bar2Bar, many people consider themselves part of Team Beef and sport Team Beef jerseys on the ride. This year is no different. Seven of us registered as Team Bar2Bar but on any given day 10 of us could be wearing Team Beef jerseys. Either way we will be enjoying plenty of beef and beer. That's just the way we roll.

Ride on...

Daren

Ride the Rockies 2014: Day Zero is Here!

It's June 7. Day Zero. Time to pack up and head to Boulder for the start of Ride the Rockies 2014!

I like it when the start (and finish) are somewhere along the Front Range. It makes the logistics of the ride a lot easier. Last year involved a 6+ hour drive to Telluride, Colorado (getting to Telluride is not easy but worth every minute of the ride). This year Woody and Mrs. Woody are picking me up in Castle Rock as they head North from Colorado Springs (45 minutes south of here) and transporting me about an hour to Boulder -- a much easier journey.

Leslie and me at the street party at the start of Ride the Rockies 2013 in Telluride.

This Ride the Rockies may be the easiest logistically of the eight I have done (over the past 10 years). My first RTR in 2005 involved flying from Kansas City and driving 4+ hours to Grand Junction. Others have included long bus rides to start on the Western Slope. RTR14 starts and ends within an hour of my home. I could easily ride to start!

Team DFL friends Kris and Dave on the long bus ride from DIA to Cortez on Ride the Rockies 2006. 

I'm also packing a lot lighter this year with no tent, sleeping bag, pillow or towel. That's right, for the first time I caved in and booked hotel rooms along the route. In the past I have camped most nights on the ride, occasionally booking a room in the middle of the week for a nice respite from the routine of setting up and tearing down camp every day. But this year I decided to give myself a 50th birthday present and go for the comforts of a soft bed and hot shower every night. Given the ridiculous amount of climbing we will be doing every day I think it will be well-earned!

Camping on RTR is a great way to experience Ride the Rockies on days like this. But it also has it's drawbacks: weathering a storm in a tent and setting up/tearing down camp every day certainly adds a little adventure to the ride!

One of the reasons I have preferred to camp is avoiding depending on buses to transport you around town to your hotel, then to the beer garden, then back to your hotel at night (if you don't miss the last bus!). It's a lot of waiting and sitting and I like to keep moving.

In talking it over with Woody last night we decided to go pack Team Bar2Bar "old school" style. Given no need for all the accessories of camping we can pack a bag small enough to carry on our bike (after picking it up from the late truck*) so we can ride to our hotel and around town, if necessary. No buses, no lines, just more miles in the saddle :)

My friend Woody is the son-in-law of Team Bar2Bar's founder and keeps many of the old traditions alive. 

So here's my packing list:

• flip flops
• 2 pairs of shorts
• 6 shirts (2Ts, 1 short sleeve button down, and 1 long sleeve)
• swim suit (for the hot springs in Steamboat!)
• 2 pairs of cycling shorts
• 3 jerseys (TEAM BEEF, just plain BEEF, and Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here**)
• helmet
• cycling shoes/socks/gloves
• toiletries

Well, I'd better get packing. Looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the start party in Central Park in downtown Boulder. But I'm thinking I might take it a little easy at this year's start party. Day 1 is an 88-mile ride to Winter Park with 8,800 feet of elevation gain! According to the article in yesterday's Denver Post, it will be "one of the toughest day's in tour history." Yikes.



Ride on!

Daren

*Ride the Rockies transports one bag from stop to stop on three 18-wheelers: the early truck, middle truck and late truck (for late risers like me!).

**My girls gave my this jersey for Father's Day at the start of Ride the Rockies in 2005. I have worn it on every ride.

Just Registered for Ride the Rockies 2012!

Six days, 442 miles, 5 scenic mountain passes, 2 national parks, 1 century option and 24,937 vertical ft. of climbing. That is what I just signed up for. Now comes the waiting part. Registering for Ride the Rockies is a lottery system so I won't know if I am in until next Friday, March 2. But now that I have registered I want in more than ever. After two years off I am once again Ready to Rock!

Patty and Kris of Team DFL on RTR 2005

The first year I entered the lottery for RTR (2005) my friend David signed us up. I have to be honest, I was a little scared. When we got the letter notifying us we were in I was very scared. Living in KC at the time I wasn't sure I could handle the altitude or the mileage. I had never ridden more than 150 miles in a two day stretch. That year RTR average 75 miles/per day for six straight days!

The 2005 finish line in Breckenridge!

I'll never forget my first RTR. It was such an amazing experience riding over 12,000 ft. passes by day and partying every night, showering in school locker rooms and camping out, and making new friends like Kris and Patty (Team DFL), Jeff, Nick, Woody, Skinny Dennis and Paul the Pilot (Team Bar2Bar), and Bob (Team Bob). Reaching the finish line that year will always rank among one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life.

Over those five years I checked off epic climbs like Grand Mesa (10,800 ft.), Monarch pass (11,312), Independence pass(12,095), and Cottonwood pass (12,126) while experiencing awesome Colorado towns like Aspen, Salida, Leadville, Pagosa Springs, Glenwood Springs, and many more.

I hope to see my democrat friend Bob on the ride this year :)

This year the ride will traverse the Rocky Mountains from Gunnison in southern Colorado to Ft. Collins near the Wyoming border, passing through Hotchkiss, Carbondale, Leadville, Granby and Estes Park. For the first year I am registering with my friends from Team Bar2Bar. The name is pretty much self-explanatory. It will be another epic adventure...if we get in. Wish us luck.

Ride on!

Daren

Where in the World is Elephant Rock?

I woke this morning feeling very stiff after yesterday's 65-mile Elephant Rock Ride from Castle Rock to the northern edge of Colorado Springs and back (At left: at the rest stop in Palmer Lake). It was a great ride, despite the stiff headwind that beat us back for the first half of the ride. Otherwise the weather was perfect: sunny and cool for most of the morning and the tailwind was great when we turned back north for the home stretch back to Castle Rock.

The Elephant Rock ride begins and ends in Castle Rock, Colorado but is named for an Elephant-shaped rock supposedly somewhere near Palmer Lake, Colorado (one of the stops along the ride). I kept looking but never saw the elusive Elephant Rock. And I asked a number of other 7,000 riders and nobody seemed to know which rock was THE rock.

I searched Google and found an Elephant Rocks State Park in Missouri, a picture of Elephant-shaped rock, Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, Elephant Rock Nature Park in Oklahoma and even le Rocher aux Elephants (the Elephant Rock) in the Republic of Chad in central Africa...but no Elephant Rock in Colorado (like most people, I only checked the top 10 listings in Google -- who has time to sort through the other 391,990 hits for "Elephant Rock"?).

Back to the ride...according to my Garmin Edge 705, I completed the 65.62-mile route in 4:39:45 -- an average of 14.1 miles per hour. Not particularly fast, but I was happy with the time given the 5,426 feet of elevation gain (most of which was into the wind headed south). And I was just happy to be back on my bike with thousands of other crazy cyclists.

I wasn't happy about all of the riders who insisted on riding 3, 4, and 5 abreast on Hwy 83 as we headed south out of Castle Rock. Hwy 83 is a state highway with a fair amount of traffic. State Troopers traveling the route for our safety had to constantly remind riders to move right and let traffic pass. It's no wonder some drivers hate cyclists and there have been several attempts to ban or limit large rides in Colorado.

After the ride I hosted a BBQ at my house for my friends from Team DFL (my Ride the Rockies team). After burning 3,069 calories on the ride I was ready to refuel. When I got home I pulled the brisket off the smoker, where it had been slowly cooking since midnight the night before (for my instructions for smoking a brisket, check out Life is Good, Part II).

Team DFL members Kris (our fearless, earless, rearless leader), Patty (faithful domestique) and Amy (team doctor) joined us after the ride. Kent (official Serotta test rider) called to report that he was on his couch with an icepack on his knee and was not getting up.

Unfortunately Kris and Patty weren't able to ride E-Rock. Kris has been suffering from an "equilibrium" problem and can't ride (I didn't say she was dizzy...she did!). And Patty had a run-in with the pavement on Saturday that left her sporting 11 stitches in her chin...ouch! At least there were no broken bones, so she'll still be able to do Ride the Rockies. Kris, on the other hand, thinks she's going to have to sit out this year. It just won't be the same without her!

So, we're looking to change our name from Team DFL to Team Accident Prone. First, Amy went down while training in April '07 and broke her wrist, causing her to pull out of RTR. Later, Canada Jane withdrew with a nagging injury. Then Kent did a sommersault over a car that decided to turn in front of him as he hurtled down Rabbit Ears Pass on day one of last year's ride, dislocating his shoulder and tearing up his knee. Next, I pulled a Kent and broke my collarbone on that fateful day last September. Now Kris is out of commission and Patty has some funky new hairs on her chinny chin chin.

Nitin/Jay, please be careful out there!

Daren

On a (Broken) Wing and a Prayer

The deadline for entering the lottery for Ride the Rockies 2008 came and went this past Friday. After much waffling, flip-flopping and good old procrastination, I found myself driving home from Manhattan, Kansas, Friday afternoon, having done nothing to get my entry form filled out and sent in. So I resigned myself to bagging it for this year. Probably no way I could recover from my collarbone surgery on March 18 and still get ready by June 15.

Things had seemed to be falling in to place...one of the guys I met on Ride the Rockies last year had offered to lend my his old bike to train on until Allied/Nationwide insurance company ponies up for a new one (thanks, Mark!) . But then Mark got sent overseas on a new job assignment and needed to take his old bike with him to train on. And Allied/Nationwide is still refusing my claim.

So there I was on I-70 in the middle of nowhere having failed to get registered...and then Kris called! Kris is the leader of Team DFL, the team I have ridden with for the past two years after meeting Kris on my first Ride the Rockies in 2005. Kris and Patty (Team DFL's faithful domestique), were on the way to turn in the team envelope and wanted to know if I still wanted in (up to 10 riders can register in a single envelope). So, on a (broken) wing and a prayer, I said YES!

[Above (from left): Patty, me and Kris pose in front of Mt. Massive on the last day of the 2005 Ride the Rockies)

After registering I decided I'd better start working on getting a new bike. And while looking at the new '08 Cannondale models online I decided that I was just going to have to go ahead and bite the bullet and buy a bike, not knowing how the insurance claim is going to turn out. Let's face it, I'm not going to let this debacle keep me from getting back on a bike. It's been over five months already. Enough is enough!

I chose a new Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 (triple) with Shimano Ultegra components and Mavic Aksium Race wheels. Check it out (at left)!. Isn't she a beauty? I placed an order through Treads in Parker, CO (my local bike shop). My new ride is supposed to arrive in late March (new bike models are different than cars, which start hitting dealers lots several months before the actual model year). No hurry. I'm not going to be able to get on it before then anyway.

My plan is to get a CycleOps indoor trainer and start spinning my wheels three to four weeks after my surgery (mid-April). I figure I can put in 500 miles on the trainer from April 15 to May 15. By then, hopefully, I'll be able to take it to the streets and put in another 500 miles before June 15.

I really happy I went ahead and bought a new bike. It was like a huge weight off my shoulders. No more waiting. I now know when I'll be "on the road again"!

Daren

Ride the Rockies 2008!

Well, today's the big day. No, not the Super Bowl (although it was a great game). Today the route for Ride the Rockies 2008 came out in today's Denver Post. It's the day many cyclists all across the country look forward to each year. It's the day I have been anticipating with some trepidation for the past four months. I am excited, but the fact is that I may not be able to ride in my fourth consecutive RTR.

[At left: at the finish line of my first Ride the Rockies in 2005)

It looks like a great route, 435 miles from Durango to Breckenridge passing through Cortez, Telluride, Montrose, Crested Butte, and Buena Vista. Seven serious climbs, including up and over Cottonwood Pass (elevation 12,126 ft.). Four out of six days are over 75 miles. Wow. It'll be a challenge for even the strongest, best conditioned riders.

Which brings me back to my situation. I met with my orthopedic surgeon last week and the news wasn't good. There is still no bone forming in between the three bones that used to be my collarbone. His recommendation: surgery to put everything back in place using a steel plate and pins. So I am scheduled to go under the knife on Thursday, March 20.

The reason for the delay is I have travel scheduled every week between now and mid-March with trips to Reno, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Austin, Manhattan (Kansas), Lincoln, Dallas, San Antonio and Kansas City. So, surgery on March 20 followed by three weeks in a sling and six weeks of "no heavy lifting." That means the earliest I could be back on a bike is mid-May -- about a month before RTR (June 15-21).

[Above right: In Leadville with Patty and Kris, my "camp girlfriends" (as my wife calls them), on the '05 ride (that's Mt. Massive in the background)]

I have three weeks to decide whether to register (deadline is Feb. 22). Should I do it? Can I do it? I think I can. But it will take some work. Here's the plan: I begin training now on a stationery bike, take a break from March 20 to April 10, get back on the stationery bike until May 15 (my 44th birthday), then put in at least 500 miles on the road before June 15. I think I can do that...if I ride to/from work when I'm not on the road.

[Above: At the continental divide on the 2006 ride]

Should I do it? Can I do it? I'd love to hear from my family and friends. Vote on the poll (in the column on the right) and submit your comments by clicking on "comments" below. Stay tuned to DDublog for updates.

Ride on!

Daren

Ride the Rockies Retrospective

Ride the Rockies 2007 was a seven-day, 422-mile, cycling adventure featuring snow capped mountain passes, scenic mountain lakes, a forest fire, gusting headwinds, temperature swings from 35F to 95F, and plenty of local wildlife!

After arriving Saturday afternoon in Frisco, CO, I met up with old friends from Team DFL, Team Bar2Bar and Team Bob at the Moose Jaw pub to share a pint or two and get reacquainted. Then it was off to dinner to fuel up for the 99-mile ride from Frisco to Steamboat Springs on Sunday. The first -- and longest -- day on RTR07 began with a 500 ft. climb around Lake Dillon (over Swan Mountain) before dropping over 2,000 feet in the next 50 miles! But when riding in the Rocky Mountains what goes down usually has to climb back up...and climb we did, up Rabbit Ears Pass, ascending from 7,500 to over 9,500 in the next 27 miles. But once we reached the summit it was all downhill to Steamboat.

[Note: click on the link to "My MotionBased Activity Log" under "DDubs Favorite Websites" (at right) to view maps, elevation profiles and other information on over 200 rides and runs I have recorded using the Garmin Edge and Forerunner GPS-enabled cycling and running computers.]

Day Two was a "short" 44 mile ride to Craig, so we stopped about halfway in Hayden for a long lunch at a restaurant across the street from the Aid Station. With a belly fully of food (and a couple of Fat Tires), I rode on in to Craig where I enjoyed a refreshing Skinny Dip at the city pool (No, I didn't go suitless -- Skinny Dip is New Belgium's new summer brew!) . After dinner at a local pizza joint I decided to turn in early to prepare for another long day on Tuesday -- 89 miles from Craig to Rifle.

The ride to Rifle was probably my best day on the bike this year. My legs felt good and the scenery was beautiful -- especially around Aid Station #2 where I ran into Team Biker Chick (don't worry, Les, they just wanted free Garmin gear!). Seriously, though, it was a beautiful ride through a valley with interesting rock formations on either side and pastoral cattle ranches lining the road.

Upon arriving in Rifle I realized we had ridden 232 of the total 422 miles – almost 55 percent of the mileage in just three of the seven days. So, I decided to celebrate along with several dozen other riders who packed a local bar for karaoke and dancing. The locals never knew what hit them! After we shut the place down I headed back to my tent for a few short hours of sleep, taking comfort in knowing the next day was the shortest ride of the event – 36 miles from Rifle to Glenwood Springs.

The ride to Glenwood Springs on Wednesday featured a rest stop in New Castle about half way through the day's ride. As we dismounted at the city park one of my partners in crime from the night in Rifle noticed a store across the street advertising "The coldest beer in the West." So, of course, we decided to test their claim! As we approached Glenwood we rode past a major forest fire burning just outside town and we were treated to an air show of firefighting helicopters working to help the firefighters on the ground extinguish the flames with water from the Roaring Fork River. It was an amazing site -- nearly every rider stopped to take pictures --but I’m sure the local residents view it with different eyes.

On Thursday day we rode uphill to Aspen for a wonderful afternoon at the Sky Hotel lounging around the pool bar (voted “Top Five Places to View Wildlife” by Skiing magazine)! It was the perfect place to rest and rejuvenate for Friday’s 61-mile climb over Independence Pass (elev. 12,095 ft.).

[Note: Check out my custom "Beef. It's What's for Dinner" cycling jersey we had made just in time for Ride the Rockies! I highly recommend Pactimo for custom jerseys -- minimum order is only 5 and the quality is unsurpassed.)

The Day Six ride over Independence Pass featured 5,700 ft. of elevation gain in 61 miles and left me wondering if I’d have any legs left for the final day (that's me on the left climbing the last few feet to the summit of Independence Pass). After climbing up and flying down the pass I was really dreading the last 16 miles -- a long, slow pull up to Leadville (elev. 10,200 ft.). But then Team Bob came along and I jumped in line with the guys and we cruised on in to town.

After a final night of fun in Leadville we all packed up our tents, sleeping bags and dirty laundry, strapped cycling shoes on our aching feet and climbed onto the saddle (ouch!) for one last ride. And what a ride it was. First we climbed up and around Turquoise Lake with amazing views of Mt. Elbert (the tallest peak in Colorado) and Mt. Massive. Then came our final climb to the summit of Fremont Pass. From there it was all downhill back into Frisco for the final party at the New Belgium beer tent.

So I finished my third Ride the Rockies having ridden every mile of the official route, visited the official bar in every town (as designated by Team Bar2Bar) and officially sampled the coldest beer in the West! And along the way I made some new friends. You meet some amazing people on Ride the Rockies, which is really what’s it is all about (it’s not about the bike!). And one of the most amazing we met this year was Ed Acevedo. Ed is riding across the United States in a solo effort to honor America’s disabled veterans and their sacrifices for our freedom. Ed heard about RTR and took a little detour to join us on the ride. Check out his website for more information, photos and journal entries about his RTR experience at http://www.bike4vets.org/.

So now it is on to me next big challenge, the Vineman 70.3 Ironman Triathlon on July 22. Stay tuned to DDublog for updates on my training progress…

Ride On!

Daren