December 2025 (miles 1951-2082)
The fleet is back! I took the parts from the XC bike, with a few tasteful upgrades, over to the Snabb. The result is an endlessly pedalable enduro bike with poppy, playful suspension. This bike begs to be ridden like an absolute idiot. Oh and it is fast. Seriously fast.
The new bike is something else. I tried to ride a XC bike, it resulted in 3 dead forks, a snapped frame, and various other parts failures. That style of bikes just isn’t made out for 30 mph whips off huge jumps in the woods. So I dug a legend out of obscurity into the modern world. I built a 2012 Transition Double, custom damped Fox 36 for 100mm travel front and rear. A short travel slopestyle bike to be a dirt jumping menace, and an absolute weapon on flow trails.
It is 60-70 degrees and sunny in Colorado. I’ve been shuttling DH trails that are usually snow capped with patches of ice this time of year. While the weather is certainly concerning, it makes for good miles. I made my goal. So I set about getting in more sends than miles. It feels good to be back, to have the fleet running at 100% again. Which has inspired me to go big in 2026 with some goals I’ve been excusing and holding off on for too long. Stay tuned, things are about to get wild.
November 2025 (miles 1837-1950)
Rebuilding. Stripped down the bike fleet leaving just the Jumper and the DH rig. Made for an interesting month of freeride. What a month November was. The boreal lights visited Colorado. I got a few rounds of frisbee golf in with friends. Honestly spent most of the month tied up helping Danielle through recovery from her knee surgery. November was a light month for miles, but family, friends, building things, made it a very happy month to be me.
October 2025 (miles 1592-1836)
Where do I even start? Good news or bad news? We’ll end on a high note…
October was a month for breaking. Danielle tore her ACL planting and turning to pull a flag. The best flyer TCA Cheer ever had; Paulina Garcia broke out hearts when she passed away. On a much less serious note, I would blow up the rear shock on my enduro bike and snap the frame of my XC bike. A government shutdown would also nearly break our finances, but… proud to say I now make enough to cover the family. If you voted for Trump, I can’t begin to tell you how hard your choice has made our lives.
Good news. Before any of this went down. Julia and I decided to do something big to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We paid for a second honeymoon to an all-inclusive resort in Antigua. A week in the Caribbean, just us, the sea, good food and drinks. I tried out kayaking and stand up paddleboarding for the first time ever. I have to find a way to get Jerk Sauce in the states. I am addicted to Caribbean fare, the food is so damn good. Go to Antigua, book the Shirley Heights excursion, most beautiful sunset, with BBQ & live music. Just do it.
September 2025 (miles 1394-1591)
So this is 43. Danielle is tearing it up in Flag Football, leading the JV squad in pulled flags on Defense. I ended up volunteering at all the TCA games as the down marker. No lie, it is the best seat in the house for a proud dad. On the topic of volunteering. I gave my time and skillset to SCCA Women on Track program, more of that on Race Report here at Z3rocar.
I’m in a good rhythm. Work, Gym, Ride, Repeat. LOL, yeah that’s a lie. It is 100% overwhelming but just taking it all in bite sized pieces and marching forward. This month was homecoming, Kylie came home to watch Danielle play, it rained out, but she was home for a weekend and that was good. I also got to go back to squadron. My flight chief retired after 35 years of service. His official ceremony on flight line, and unofficial gathering at the brewery were reminders of my home at squadron. I miss flying, and the people, even if my life went a different direction.
August 2025 (miles 1179-1393)
It is a lot to process. Going from having everyone at the house to one away at college. Awkward describes it best. Kylie shipped off to Colorado State University. It was a process, the move, preparation, then the new normal.
Thank God for mountain bikes, dirt jumping in particular. That feeling of flight, weightlessness at every jump helps take the weight of the world off your shoulders. I couldn’t tell you how I managed to squeeze in a 200+ mile month into so much activity. Long summer days? I got nothing. School is back, Danielle is in Flag Football, with our driver at college… we’re back to the carpool line everyday.
Find that something that keeps your head above water. Then never let it go.
July 2025 (miles 993-1178)
Busy doesn’t begin to cover it. Building racecars, running my youngest to training camps for 3 sports, getting my oldest ready to go off to college. I’m overwhelmed. Thankfully, I took a break to adventure atop Pikes Peak. 8 miles of hiking, to and from the summit, all above tree line. Adventure is important, especially in times like these. I truly miss my bicycle guiding days. Constantly being on the mountain. Meeting new people. Living in the high alpine air. I miss it. Was good to steal a little time with Kylie before she is off living her own life. It’s all so short, go get it while you can.
June 2025 (miles 812-992)
The kids aren’t the only ones learning and growing. I’m finding my voice and finding my people. No Kings Day was my first ever protest. It was wild, we had over 1000 people in Colorado Springs. We stretched from downtown to Colorado College. Felt good to know I’m not crazy or alone, that what is going on is wrong. Even better to see tons of people standing up against it. I pedaled to and from the party, went dirt jumping before and after. It was amazing, if you are thinking about joining us, drop right on in, ask me anything.
May 2025 (miles 635-811)
They grow up insanely fast. Here we are at Graduation. Launching Kylie into the world. I feel old. Class of 00 means math is lobotomy easy to figure out how long ago that was from class of 25. So excited to see what she is up to next at Colorado State University and beyond. This year was never going to be about the miles, but I am racking them up. Just my focus is different right now.
April 2025 (miles 467-634)
Four years of Cheer and that is a wrap. So proud of this kiddo, and what she has done with TCA Titans Cheer. Now we are on to the plot twist. Danielle and her Basketball teammates decided to try out Flag Football. So we are throwing the football and hanging out watching football games. Where was this for years and years? Oh my God this is so fun. The girls are insanely competitive and wild to watch on field.
March 2025 (miles 309-466)
So, the world has gone insane, might as well join them. I proclaim our cat Roxi as the Queen of the Bananas. All hail the Banana Kingdom, who is going to conquer our Banana Republic. Let’s freaking go. Thank God for the rallycar build, and my bikes for keeping me, umm sane in times like these. Whatever, look the internet was created for cats, here is one, with a banana hat.
February 2025 (miles 126-308)
Uh-Oh. I invited trouble into my life. Found an abandoned, but running Subaru Impreza. It was abandoned in a backyard under a tree. The owner was selling it as he was tired of people using it as the hang out and drink spot. The car is in rough shape and going to need a lot of wrenching and sweat equity.
The dream behind this build is ambitious. Three roles, Rallycar, Daily, Track Trainer. The girls have expressed interest in trying out rallycross. We can seat swap and compete together in Colorado Rallycross, and maybe some ice/snow racing as well. Throw some cheap sticky rubber on her, and she is a grippy, underpowered car that is perfect for learning full course without getting in too far over their heads. Might even be fun to just take out for a go in the lower classes in time trials every so often. I also need a back-up car, so I can garage the SkiWagen and give her the attention she deserves.
January 2025 (miles 0-125)
Here we go again. With a new year I’m back at zero. Busy doesn’t begin to explain things right now. Basketball season is busy for a Cheer-Dad, Danielle is tearing it up with Middle School basketball too. Spent most of my month watching games on the hardwood. Good to see the girls out killing it. Living in Colorado is pretty wild. There are days I ride rocks and ice, then days like the one in the photo, where you’re out dirt jumping in the low 60s. On the topic of dirt jumping… I’ve been adding a few plates in my lifting class. This has paid off in an extra couple feet of air off all my jumps, more pop on take-off.