4 starters and 2 finishers rode the inaugural July 600k. Temps were toasty and the weather not entirely dry.

Thanks to Chris Grealish for suggesting this tune-up for PBP, and for leading the brevet, his first time leading!

jle

11 starters and 9 finishers rode this summer's Indy 200 ride. Brevet leader and route designer Mike Moerk reports:

"A strong group of riders helped us make short work of the approach to Twin Lakes. Great scenery and great weather made the first climb enjoyable, and the descent into Aspen was exhilarating as always. After a short stop at City Market, we headed back up. The sound of the Roaring Fork River was ever-present for our 2nd ascent, as the abundant snow-melt came tumbling down, and we witnessed stunning evidence of the many avalanches that slid this winter. The heat of the climb was broken up by some welcome sprinkles, and the group finished the climb without any thunderstorms chasing us. Another great ride of the Indy 200!"

As you can see from Twin Peaks and Independence Pass photos, lots more snow than you'd expect to see in July! (This after our big snow season.)

Many thanks to you, Mike!

jle

Mike Moerk (MM) and Paul Foley (PF) photos

Climbing Independence Pass - MM

Riders on the climb - MM

Avalanche debris - PF

Twin Lakes - PF

Independence Pass - PF

View down the pass - PF

3 starters and 1 finisher rode our solstice brevet offerings. Traditionally our "early bird" longer brevets in May and early June have been cool if not downright frigid, making way for scorching brevets mere weeks later at the solstice.

Not so this year! Despite some concern about snowfall and snow accumulation (!) on the Peak-to-Peak Highway, in the end there was only fog, showers, snow flurries, and chilly temps at altitude, and then an even chillier descent.

Effervescent ride leader Billy Edwards greeted his rando colleagues on a rainy, chilling, 4:00 am start. Our visitor Eileen Lloyd from the Bay Area, though extremely well prepared, succumbed to a lack of time on the second day of her 600k. It was a pleasure to meet Eileen and share restorative coffee with her that next morning.

Mateo was riding the 1000k for other reasons, and in the end did fine, though he said that the blustery weather meant that he only found his rhythm again on the afternoon of the second day. (Weather the third day was brilliant, as it was for last year's 1000k day 3.)

Given the conditions, good thing most of our PBP aspirants were able to go for our "early bird" brevets. Many thanks to Billy for leading!

-jle

Pawnee Grasslands (Day 2) - MR

Billy Edwards, Mateo Ramos, Eileen Lloyd at 4am Start

Eileen in Milliken

Shadows herald sun on Day 3! - MR

Estes Park (Day 3)- MR

Devil's Gulch (Day 3) - MR

4 starters and 2 finishers rode the Lefthand Canyon 600k, while 7 starters and 6 finishers rode the 400k. Riders included two visitors from California and one from Texas. With temps ranging from the 50's to 70's, it was ideal weather for a long randonnée.

-jle

Jeremy Shlachter photos
Dawn near Platteville	Cars on Rd. 24	Spring at Ward
Indian Peaks	Snowmelt in St. Vrain	Afternoon Shower

3 starters and 3 finishers rode the Rawhide Ramble 300k, on a day with very nice weather and a small ridership but high spirits! After Vernon Smith said he couldn't lead his Cripple Creek 300k because of travel, that 300k slot was up for grabs, and Paul Foley grabbed it, selecting Rawhide as a pleasant route that would still be good conditioning.

Our riders met an unsuspected surprise as a movie was being shown in the Louisville-perm-ride parking lot complete with food trucks. A festive end for tired randos!

Big thanks to Paul Foley for leading, riding, and enjoying!

-jle

At water-plentiful "Great Falls" on Rd. 29 and Rd. 22H Catherine Shenk photo

10 starters and 10 finishers rode the North Park - Loveland Pass 600k. Event organizer and ride leader Corinne Warren reports:

"All ten riders who started were able to finish this new and adventuresome brevet up into Wyoming, designed by John Mangin. John took riders up the most direct route to Poudre Canyon to save their legs for the long, gradual 58 mile climb to the top of Cameron Pass, where there is still a considerable amount of snow. After a lunch stop in Walden, riders left in roughly two groups of five to head north into Wyoming, where they were greeted with rocks and rollers and an awesome descent into Woods Landing. From that point, the famous Wyoming wind picked up and it was a bit of a battle into Laramie. Then a short leg on the interstate made everyone appreciate the scenic Happy Jack Road, a long and gradual descent into Cheyenne. The smart riders got a hotel room in Cheyenne for a couple hours of sleep.

The brave (and foolish) proceeded to cross back into Colorado and were rewarded with a pelting hailstorm in the middle of the night. The riders trickled into Louisville in ones and twos over the course of the next day. It wasn't easy, but everyone agreed it was a nice change of pace and somewhat of an adventure to do the whole 600k in one big loop."

Thanks to Corinne for organizing, and John Mangin for designing the route!

-jle

Cameron Pass - but with less snow

North Park - on High Country Pre-Ride

26 riders finished the Poudre Canyon 300k, 400k, or 600k. Recent "Early Bird" Poudre Canyon brevets have run afoul of snow, chilling rain, and rescheduling, but we lucked out this time!

A big thanks to Oksana Kovalenko for leading these brevets while I was out of town!

-jle

Paceline with aerobars - Ray Rupel photo

Oksana K. and Tom Ehlman at Rustic

Debbie Bush, Oksana, and Tom Ehlman

13 starters and 13 finishers rode the Poudre Canyon 300k.

11 starters and 11 finishers rode the Poudre Canyon 300k.

27 starters and 25 finishers rode the Black Forest 300k. It was chilly but dry, a switch from hot and windy, or cold and drenching, or colder and snowpacked as in years past. A great turnout, thank you, fellow riders!

We are back to our classic Ken Caryl outbound + Black Forest on the way back route. But not quite classic in an important way, because the Chatfield Reallocation Project means we again couldn't transit beautiful Chatfield Reservoir for that home stretch.

Special thanks to Foon Feldman for leading this BF 300k!

-jle

Ominous upslope clouds on the way to Sedalia on a pre-ride.

And the nice tulip mélange on Pearl Street heralding spring!

18 starters and 17 finishers spread across four teams completed a highly successful Colorado Front Range Flèche. Weather was ideal - mild and sunny during the day - although a bit chilly at night. Routes spanned as far north as the Rawhide Plant near Wyoming and as far south as Colorado Springs.

7 team members were flèche rookies. And we welcomed one visitor, Doug McLerran, from Aurora, IL.

Thanks to our team captains for organizing, designing their route, and leading their teams, and to team members for having as much fun as possible!

-jle

Post-Ride Brunch at the Sweet Spot Café -- Dustin Harding, Oksana Kovalenko, JLE, Chris Leoni, Corinne Warren, David Nelson, L. John Mangin, Nate Hartokolis, Steve Le Goff, Catherine Shenk, Vernon Smith, Ray Rupel, Doug McLerran -- Michelle Grainger photo

Deer With Headlights Doug McLerran, JLE, Ray Rupel, Catherine Shenk

Quartier Lanternes Rouges Ted Warm, Pascal Ledru, Michelle Grainger, Mike Turek, Steve Le Goff

Pteam Ptarmigan Dustin Harding, Vernon Smith, Chris Leoni, Oksana Kovalenko

Garden of the Gods as seen by Just a Flèche Wound Corinne Warren, Nate Hartokolis, John Mangin, David Nelson, Bryce Walsh

34 starters and 32 finishers rode the Stove Prairie 200k under comfy, mild conditions, temps ranging from the 50's to the 70's, with some overcast to start, becoming sunnier in time for the big climb to Stove Prairie. And a great turnout, too. Thanks to Paul and Foon for pre-riding and scouting out construction and the sandy descent from Stove Prairie.

-jle

Oksana Kovalenko and Tom Ehlman summit Stove Prairie

New Stove Prairie School sign

Steve Le Goff, Dustin Harding

Deb Bush, Dustin Harding, Tom Ehlman, Oksana Kovalenko

Henry Snavely

14 starters and 13 finishers rode the On-A-Lark 200k. With temps into the 60's at the lower elevations, it was a welcome turnaround from late-week snow that delayed the On-A-Lark by a day. Good turnout, too!

Thanks very much to Vernon Smith for designing the route and leading this brevet!

-jle

JLE and Vernon identify Pikes Peak and a windmill as landmarks on the route. Paul Foley photo

Vernon and Paul Foley exuberant at almost the top of Palmer Divide Road.

12 starters and 12 finishers rode the Horsetooth Hop on a bright, windy day. High spirits abounded despite the windy buffeting!

Thanks to Paul Foley for leading!

-jle

Brett Cook

Len Szmurlo

Don Ward

On the road!

Coneheads!

27 starters and 25 finishers rode the Kersey Kick 200k. Some forecasts called for precip on the eastern part of the route, and those forecasts turned out to be correct: 40 miles of chilly rain and gritty roads greeted randos, buoyed up hopefully by enjoying a tasty burrito in Kersey.

A big thanks to Corinne Warren for leading this brevet!

-jle

At least not hail on Kersey Road like last June!

24 starters and 20 finishers rode the Carter Lake - Campion Populaire. It is our first event this year to be held on schedule (that is, not delayed by snow). Riders had sunny, quiet weather, and we had a good group of new and veteran riders!

Thanks to Paul Foley for leading!

-jle

Paul Foley signs riders in at the start

Makoto Miyazaki, Paul, Len Szmurlo, and Jane Feldman at the finish

Ice retreats from Carter Lake

13 starters and 13 finishers rode the Rawhide Ramble 200k. This was another scheduling challenge, as snow moved in on the originally calendared date. By the time the events actually took place, it had been three weeks since the first pre-rider (Corinne). Wind was the salient feature of this ride, as is often the case on our Rawhide excursions, but the sturdy randos persisted and finished in good form.

Thanks to Pascal Ledru for leading!

-jle

Snowpack on Rd 29 at Rd 22H

Snowmelt on fields, Rd. 13 Sunset glow at the finish

25 starters and 25 finishers rode the Windsor Wanderer 200k. This brevet was originally scheduled for January 12, rescheduled for 1/19 because of snow and icemelt, and then rescheduled again because of more snow! In the end, it went off smoothly and sunnily, with an enthusiastic crowd, despite crisp weather with highs in the 40's.

Thanks to Paul Foley for leading this kickoff 200k for 2019!

-jle

Paul Foley addresses an attentive crowd at the Louisville start