Justin Simoni as: THE LONG RANGER - Almost falling off mountains by bike and by foot, one misadventure at a time

Bikepacking Longs Peak Chapter has been Released

I’ve released the first draft chapter of what is hopefully going to be a full-fledged guidebook on bikepacking to the Colorado 14ers. It’s about my favorite mountain to ride bikes to: Longs Peak.

Check it out, and share your feedback. I’ll be moving forward with other mountains in the Front Range, as well as chapters on topics brought up from the survey.

I’ve decided to write this book in small pieces and share drafts of the chapters publicly. I’m doing so for a lot of reasons which I’ll expound upon in a separate post.

Survey Results for: Bikepacking to the 14ers Survey

First off, thanks for filling out and submitting the survey. I got almost 40 valid responses, which I thought was a good turnout! Without further adieu, here are some of the results:

Ultimate Direction Product Picks: My Favorite Gear To Use

I’m proud to be an ambassador for Ultimate Direction, especially since my outdoor adventures tend to defy easy categorization. I initially met Buzz Burrell, then Brand Manager of UD in 2014 on Longs Peak while completing the Longs Peak Radical Slam (which I’ve now done a few more times). Turned out, he was doing the same thing! Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t keep up with his pace on that day.

Luckily, Buzz found my Tour 14er trip I completed a few months later inspiring enough to invite me to become an ambassador for UD. Ultimate Direction is a local company to me, based only a few miles from my house – close enough that I’m always happy to stop by, say hello, give my feedback on products, and pet all the office dogs. Here’s a list of the UD gear that I love the most:

SURVEY for, Bikepacking to the Colorado 14ers Guidebook

Would you help me out?

I’m gathering information information about a guidebook for bikepacking to the Colorado 14ers. Check it out, answer some questions, (and optionally:) join my mailing list and/or become a member of our Facebook Group.

Continue Reading...

Training Journal 11/10/19 – 11/16/19

Training Journal 11/4/19 – 11/9/19

Gerry Roach’s Top Ten Classic Flatiron Routes in a Day

I was actually going to mention this day only in passing in my training journal, but realized that it’s not actually an itinerary altogether done that often. If I am to believe Danny’s trip report (which lists a history of completions supplemented by Bill Wright – one of the keepers of such records), the Flatiron Classics TTIAD linkup has been done only a few times.

Continue Reading...

How I Plan a Bikepacking Route

With the early season snow coming to Colorado, some of my bikepacking plans have had to be delayed for a few weeks. Even though I’m ready and my bike’s ready, I’ll have to wait for the weather and roads to clear up.

Enjoying my first summit on the Tour of the Highest Hundred, July 2017

Training Journal 10/28/19 – 11/3/19

A bit of a difficult week for someone like me – it snowed quite heavily a few days this week, making getting outside a little more difficult than usual. I managed to do something to my left ankle, which didn’t really make me want to get outside all that much as well. Better to dial it back and allow the ankle to heal.

Review: Nite Ize SpokeLit – Disc-O Select Rechargeable Light

Note: this product was bought by me at retail. All opinions are mine. Interested in me reviewing your product?

Purchase Options: REI | Amazon

Pros: inexpensive, compact, fun, eye catching light used in an angle not always thought of as a blind spot to other road users. Rechargeable via a micro USB port.
Cons: Probably too fun and colorful for your local bicycle curmudgeon, but buy one for them, anyways.
Weight: 1.2 ounces/35 grams
Run Time: ~ 6 hours; Charge Time: 1.5 hours
Price: $20
More information: NiteIze Website

Get On Board