Four Spoke Folks met in Morrison on Saturday. By the time Tom checked in afterwards, the ride report included bighorn sheep in Waterton Canyon and a rattlesnake near Chatfield. That’s a pretty good return on a Thursday message asking if anybody wanted to ride.
Saturday’s Front Range ride. Photos by Tom and Alyssa.
Alyssa started the conversation. When she lived in Summit County, her trainer got a lot of attention in winter while friends on the Front Range were still getting outside. She wondered if some of us might want to ride down there when conditions made sense. Before long, people were talking about road routes, gravel bikes and carpooling. Tom offered seats for the drive down, and four people made it out for a loop that was mostly pavement with a little gravel mixed in.
Some of us know Alyssa from the mountain bike side of Spoke. She raced downhill and enduro professionally before moving into cross country racing. She was also one of the people who helped Patrick get into mountain biking this year, alongside Lee and others who welcomed him into the sport. After Saturday’s ride, one rider thanked her for easing up a couple of times so they could stay with the group. That’s worth calling out. When you’re the one wondering if you can hold the pace, it makes a difference when somebody notices and gives you a chance to settle back in.
Bighorn sheep and a rattlesnake spotted on Saturday’s ride. Photos by Tom and Alyssa.
We had a couple of other rides during the week, too. Two riders got out Friday morning in Golden for 18 miles and about 2,500 feet of climbing. Back in Summit County on Sunday, Lee asked if anyone wanted to do a lake lap. A few messages later there was a meetup in Frisco, and by early afternoon there were photos and a thank you for the ride. Thanks to Alyssa and Lee for putting those invitations out there, and to everyone who answered one.
Sunday’s Summit County road ride. Photo by Lee.
Our regular summer schedule has wound down, and we don’t have an official Spoke ride on the calendar for November 9 through 15. If you’re getting out and would like company, drop a note in the Road, Gravel, Mountain or Fat Bike WhatsApp group. For plans on snow, try Nordic or Alpine. Tell people where you’re meeting, how long you expect to be out, what the terrain is like and what pace you have in mind. Those details help someone decide whether to come, especially if they’ve never ridden with us.
If you joined Spoke this week, welcome. Feel free to ask what a route is like or say you’re looking for an easier spin. If you’ve been around for a while, introduce yourself to the person you don’t recognize, explain where the group will regroup and make sure they know how to get back. Most of us remember how much easier it was to come back a second time once we knew somebody’s name.
If you’re heading out on skis or a board, local resorts are starting to open and early season terrain is limited. Check which runs are open before you go, take it easy and give each other some room.
Looking ahead, Lee will host a Global Fat Bike Day ride on Saturday, December 5. We’re also aiming for an early December social to wrap up the season together. We’ll share the date and details for the social once they’re set.
Thanks, too, to everyone who shared feedback in our season survey. We’ll use it as we plan for 2027. In the meantime, we’ll take the November days as they come. If you have a ride in mind, we’d love to hear about it.
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