To be outside…
ROUTSIDER
Stories of…
Bike | Run | Hike | Ski
Mother & Son - A Perfect DH Race Duo
Ben Goodman and his mom both competed in the Angel Fire Downhill Mountain Bike Race this past June in New Mexico. It was the first time they’d ever raced together like this…
Kristin and Ben post ride. All smiles, even if you can’t see Ben’s behind his helmet.
Team Routes staff member, Ben Goodman, and his mom both competed in the Angel Fire Downhill Mountain Bike Race this past June in New Mexico. It was the first time they’d ever raced together like this…and they loved it.
Ben originally learned of the race through a post on Instagram from the organizers - Downhill Rockies. He signed up in preparation for this summer’s downhill Nationals at Winter Park. Gravity racing has been a passion for him for the last few years.
Ben’s mom, Kristin, is getting back into racing after a 20 year hiatus. Before having Ben and his older brother, she did Ironman triathlons and XC mountain bike races. Her passion started to rekindle as she watched her son dive into multiple MTB racing disciplines.
Kristin, a high school science teacher herself, now has Ben, a Palmer Ridge High School student, as her teacher on the DH tracks. He has become her coach and instructor and shows her what lines to ride and how to execute a clean DH run.
Ben loved Angel Fire and the race because the cat 1 track was super fast, with some chunky tech, jumps, and deep drops. Overall, he was very pleased with his time. He enjoyed the atmosphere as folks were extremely laid back and really liked to have fun.
Ben airing it out on his race run.
Kristin enjoyed her experience at Angel Fire as well - even though she had to take one of Ben’s buddies to the hospital for a broken collarbone.
You know? It happens.
She raced on the cat 2 track and was very happy she didn’t fall. She appreciated that the race was well organized and that the riders were highly supportive of each other.
Ben and Kristin camped with a few other families nearby in a parking lot designated for camping. The two shared the area with a few other Team Routes staffers as well, including the owner who was there racing with his son. The weather was in the 80s and 90s and pretty dry - in part because of recent fires nearby. And despite the lack of moisture to wet the terrain, it was an epic time on the mountain racing for all.
On the 4 hour drive back home to Colorado Springs, they agreed they would definitely do this race again.
KIDS ON BIKES - CREATING COMMUNITY THROUGH CYCLING
By Nate Van Noord (RO Staff)
Back in Detroit, where I moved from in the summer of 2021, there is an organization, Back Alley Bikes, that gives kids the opportunity to work on bikes and eventually earn a bike. They empower kids to get on the road for fun and for transportation. They have been very influential in changing the transportation culture of Detroit beyond being just the “Motor City”.
When I moved there in 2006, there was one bike shop in the whole city. When I left, there were seven. That same year, I rode in a Critical Mass bike ride event…and there were seven of us total. Now, Critical Mass ride events in Detroit regularly have over 10,000 riders.
After moving to Colorado Springs, I immediately was struck by our access to the trails around town and was hyped to see all the folks out there riding for recreation. I was disappointed though, to see so few peeps riding the roads for transportation.
Where were the bikes carrying commuters each day on our city streets? Where were the kids cruising across town to their friends’ houses? Where was the population that carried a mindset and torch…to promote alternate forms of transportation as a great and positive community dimension?
Fast forward about a year later, a community influencer named Mark Schenberger stopped by our south COS Routes location one day to visit with me, and I was encouraged to hear that he and all the good people over at Kids on Bikes are trying to change that.
Mark rode his Surly over to Routes from the Kids on Bikes office a few miles away. He recently rode this same bike solo from Denmark to Turkey for four months.
Mark first shared a little bit about his story.
He attended The Ohio State University (Go Wolverines!) and studied abroad in Copenhagen - the mecca of bicycle commuting (where you see businessmen riding to work in suits and moms dropping their kids off for school on cargo bikes). His time in Europe inspired him to contribute to the growing movement of alternative forms of transportation back in the States. After graduating, he took an Americorps position at Kids on Bikes.
Mark explained that Kids on Bikes started in 2005 and originally gave bikes away to kids who reached academic goals. They soon realized they wanted to do more….
Through the years, they have provided opportunities for hundreds of kids to learn the fundamentals of operating a bike, everything from which side of the road to ride on to fixing a flat, and eventually giving them the chance of earning their own bike. Once they do, they help the kids pick a safe route in their neighborhood to ride and they ride it with them.
They also set up bicycle libraries in different neighborhoods around town. Kids and adults in the community can access the tools inside these shipping containers for free.
In addition to all of that…they organize rides to school! How cool is that! A couple weeks ago, they had three different rides of 30-40 kids and their parents pedaling to three different elementary schools. They were even led by a 3-time Paralympian, Tyler Carter.
In 2016, Kids on Bikes launched a very cool new part of their organization - the Pedal Station. They have been operating the Pedal Station as an integral part of their strategies for long term sustainability since then. The Station operates as a bicycling community center and sells used bicycles to fit any budget through its retail store. They also offer a wide assortment of new and used parts and accessories. They accept bikes for donations and folks can volunteer as well!
Organizing family bicycle rides called “PopCycle Rides” is yet another very cool angle of what they do. These rides are on Sundays from 1-3 at America the Beautiful Park throughout the summer. They are a great way to celebrate bicycling cross-generationally, and give families really fun and easy activities to engage in together.
This summer, they will host their annual “Great Bicycle Carnival” and their weekly camps with hundreds of kids attending throughout the warm months.
One last notable activity to mention for this great organization - Kids on Bikes is in the midst of building the Cresta Pump Track at Cresta Open Space. They are hoping to complete it by summer of 2022. It will be a learning opportunity space to build skills for riding the Cheyenne Canyon trails nearby.
This organization does so much!! And they do it with lots of support from the communities around them.
The mission of Kids on Bikes is to empower kids to live healthy, active, and happy lives. They are doing just that…as they bring joy and freedom to kids and families in our community one bike, one ride, and one mile at a time.
If you would like to support all the great work Kids on Bikes is doing, check out a few of their website pages for volunteer and giving opportunities below.
Learn more about Kids on Bikes!
Volunteer with KOB and the Pedal Station!
From Burnt Out To Trailblazing in Colorado Springs
After living and teaching in inner-city Detroit for the last 14 years, I needed a break. I was burnt out and needed rest.
By Nate Van Noord (RO Staff)
After living and teaching in inner-city Detroit for the last 14 years, I needed a break. I was burnt out and needed rest. I needed some extended time away to reflect on my years there and discern what was next.
My sister lived in The Springs, and when I would visit her in the summers, she would take me for a run through Garden of the Gods, do “The Incline” with me, or show me the trails around Cheyenne Canon. After each time visiting her, I always felt refreshed.
Moving to The Springs seemed like a great spot to find some rejuvenation.
So in the summer of 2021, I moved out to Colorado Springs, and realized that the city has A LOT of easily accessible trails. I bought a bike and explored Ute Valley. I ran up Stratton Open Space to Gold Camp Road. My sister bought me a pass to explore Cheyenne Mountain State Park. I had to pinch myself that I was living in Colorado - the mountain views, the little scrub trees and yucca plants, and ALL the sunny days.
I moved to Colorado to explore its beautiful landscape, but I didn’t want to do it alone (after two knee surgeries, my sister plays pickleball now instead of running and biking). I wanted to be a part of the outdoor culture and meet like minded folks.
After Googling ‘trail running groups’ in the area, I found Trailblazers at Trails End Taproom. The website said it was for bikers, runners, and hikers. On a Wednesday night, I showed up to the Old Colorado City location with my running shoes. After walking past about fifty mountain bikers, I saw a dozen other folks stretching, checking their watches, and chit chatting. The group’s run leader, Sarah, introduced herself and a few others in the circle. After a few minutes, we jogged from the Taproom over to the trailhead at Red Rocks Open Space. Since the group ran the same basic 4-5 mile route each week, some folks sped ahead, and after a mile or so, waited for the rest of the group to catch up. I met another guy from Michigan, a lady who ran ultramarathons, and a couple who play pickle ball.
Trailblazers is a welcome group for many levels of running. No one gets left behind. Getting out on the trails is what matters most. Doing it together makes it that much more fun.
After the run, folks stuck around, had a drink, and ordered a pizza. I learned about other local trails to run, races people were training for, and what the Tuesday Trailblazers in Monument was like. After coming for a couple weeks, I exchanged numbers with the couple who play pickleball and we played doubles with my sister. Now we run together outside of Wednesday nights, explore local restaurants, and still get the occasional game of pickleball in.
With the help of Trailblazers, I have found people to explore all the beauty of Colorado and to find rest and rejuvenation with a community of others.