Twenty Mile Loop

Pi Guy and I revisited the Homestead Ridge Trail, today. We left early to avoid the pesky winds. We took the same approach as last time.

The climb after the Penrose Park started out well, but in the same location that Pi Guy slipped his chain last time, his tire went flat. Remember the pack with all the preparedness goodies. I did. Coolness, to have a spare tube.

We went through the changing drill. I got out the offending thorns, and we had the bicycle ready to go in less than ten minutes. (Not trying to be a pit crew.)

When we had reached our previous turn around spot at Barnes, Pi Guy agreed that the ride was easier this time.

We continued this time, pedaling through Old Farm, and up more hill,… and more hill. I wasn’t expecting so much hill. We ended up by the water tank in Stetson Hills. Fortunately it was all down hill from there.

Heading North we hooked up with Cottonwood Creek trail, which we took heading west. A city storm water project was fully engaged in improvement in Cottonwood Creek. We paused at a picnic table to eat a Zone Bar, and hydrate.

Everything was going well until we met up with Academy Blvd., where I expected more trail there wasn’t any. We went south on Academy, up hill, to Dublin, then went west on Dublin.

We had to drop back onto the Cottonwood Creek trail to pass under I-25.

Pi Guy needed a restroom, so we stopped at the Criterium Bicycle Shop. This is the bicycle shop just off the east side of the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail and on the west side of Corporate Drive. The building is relatively new, and the restrooms are right up front, almost the first things you see. I chatted briefly with a sales guy. He said that it was the plan of the owner to place the restrooms there, for cyclists like us. Smart marketing.

If we weren’t a little pressed for time I would have purchased a new tube to replace the one that flatted earlier. Criterium's placement is so convenient for stocking up on those consumable items. I’ll head over later to get that tube.

There is a reservoir just south of Garden of the Gods Blvd. next to Fountain Creek. “Look, up in the sky, a Blue Heron.” Or is it the same one we’ve seen before?

Except for the tired legs, the rest of the ride was uneventful.

When we got home I mixed up some vanilla milk, with vanilla syrup and 1% milk. Joe Friel in “Cycling Past 50”, suggested skim milk and sugar as a recovery drink with in thirty minutes from the end of a ride. Skim because fat delays digestion.

Our distance for the day was about twenty miles. We’ll be doing the short distances for a week once the weather stabilizes warmer.