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photos: those western winds

Riding in Lyons, racing an oncoming storm.

After returning from the Northwest, fall had made its arrival. On Saturday afternoon we took advantage of the weather window and drove to Lyons to enjoy some of the best riding near Boulder. During the ride we chatted about the strangest phenomenon of bicycle ownership: if you ignore all maintenance, you can ride it forever, indefinitely. The moment you approach a resting bicycle with an allen wrench, a new squeak will manifest in a space inaccessible without finding a fifth dimension. Whatever you do, don’t purchase a bike stand online for a reasonable price. You aren’t as handy as you think. Bicycle maintenance victories are short lived. Entropy always wins; better to just ride.

We made a quick stop at the high point to activate Kelly’s manual dropper post. Actually, the best move on this trail is to snack until sunset to avoid crowds on the descent.

Under gathering clouds I demanded that Kelly wait before descending to catch some of the low-angle sunlight. With my gloves on I managed to turn my camera to self timer mode and missed the shot. I am not Jimmy Chin.

Long’s peak already had a nice dusting, and Boulder ended up getting 8 inches the following evening. The early season yahoos are out gouging and maiming their skis no doubt.

My bike rides low after some air time on the upper loop.