Author Archives: Steve Tilford

Todd and Ned’s Durango Dirt Fondo this Weekend

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I know it is a little late notice, but if you don’t have anything to do this weekend, and are looking for a road trip, Durango is calling.  I’m heading over to Durango for a dirt Fondo, Todd and Ned’s Durango Dirt Fondo.  This is a 30 or 50 mile ride around the city of Durango.  If you’ve never had the pleasure of riding the local Durango MTB rides, it shouldn’t be missed.

There are going to be a lot of my friends there, guys that rode the first MTB World Championships that were held in Durango, in 1990.   If you’ve never had the opportunity to talk to Ned, this is a good chance.  It should be a fun time.

I know Durango is kind of isolated, but that is part of the fun of it.  I looked at different ways of getting there and finally decided to just jump into my car and drive.  It is nearly 900 miles, but a pretty drive that I haven’t done forever.  I like driving, so I don’t really mind.  Chequamegon is next weekend, so it is going to be a fast turnaround to get back up to Cable early next week.

Anyway, there are a few slots left in both the 30 and the 50 mile rides.  You get a ticket to an 25th anniversary party of the Durango Worlds included in the registration.

Click here for registration details, etc.  

 

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The podium from the 1990 Worlds. Thomas Frischnecht, Ned and Tim Gould.

The podium from the 1990 Worlds. Thomas Frischknecht, Ned and Tim Gould.

Durango Bound

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By the time most of you read this I’ll hopefully be close to Colorado. I got up super early and started the 900 mile drive to Durango.  I’m not really looking forward to it, I like about 10 hours max driving a day, but that would be a pretty quick average.

Last night there was a crazy storm here in Topeka.  I’m not sure how much it rained but the gutters on my house started overflowing in about 10 minutes and they kept overflowing for a long time.  Then my phone alert went off saying that there was going to be flash flooding.  This was after just 20 minutes of rain.  It was downpouring.  I love midwest thunderstorms.  I went out on the front porch and watched the lightening for quite a while.

I got a bunch of new Shimano parts in the mail late yesterday afternoon.  I didn’t have time to put my new dual suspension bike together, plus I was missing a couple parts.  I’ll do it early next week when I get back from Durango or maybe up in Cable before Chequamegon.

I bought a plane ticket to Richmond on Monday after Chequamegon.  That would be too long a haul, there and back.   Plus Trudi has to drive a BMC team car back, so I don’t need to be driving too.  World’s are only in North America around every 15 years, so it would be silly to miss it. Plus, I have a few “business” things to do there, so it isn’t just a vacation.

Okay, a few days at altitude might help a little for Chequamegon.  I’m wondering how I’m going to feel riding there.  I wonder if I’m acclimated at all still?  I’ve really only been down for less than two weeks, so maybe I’ll be okay.

The long ride is 50 miles.  I really haven’t ridden that much around Durango.  I’ve ridden with Ned at the mountain bike park named after him, the Colorado Trail and have raced above the University, but I really don’t know the trails.  It should be a blast.

Okay, I need to get moving.  Driving on short sleep is always a little hard initially.  I would really rather have driven at night.  I like driving at night.  I think the last two times I’ve driven to Durango or Moab, I’ve hit deers/deers have hit me.  That is not a good average.

My new bikes is 650b, so I needed wheels for it.

My new bikes is 650b, so I needed wheels for it.

I think I might leave on Vincent's XT cranks for Chequamegon. The XTR is only a 38 big ring. The XT is a 42.

I think I might leave on Vincent’s XT cranks for Chequamegon. The XTR is only a 38 big ring. The XT is a 42.

The radar was crazy red, plus the tornado sirens were going on and off for a while.

The radar was crazy red, plus the tornado sirens were going on and off for a while.

I charged up this camera and hope to use it tomorrow on the dirt fondo. I only have the helmet mount that came with the camera. I'd like to have a handlebar mount.

I charged up this camera and hope to use it tomorrow on the dirt fondo. I only have the helmet mount that came with the camera. I’d like to have a handlebar mount.