Wow - a month since the last Ascent Cycling race. It's been a crazy, busy month too, with lots of things going on. I know plenty of people have said this already, but we should all be very thankful for the hard work of the Forest Service crews, the CSFP and everyone else involved in the Waldo Canyon Fire. We may have lost some of the best trails in the area, but it's a small loss comparatively. We still have…

Oh, Palmer Park. Our in town, technical play ground. I'm just now starting to feel really comfortable riding in Palmer Park - when I first started, the rocks all scared me. Now I'm taking the fun trails - not always by myself, but I try to at least find one fun rock section every ride. And I have to admit that I've never raced at Palmer Park before. I know, sad with all the…

Unlike some of the other sports I've done, mountain biking is one where taking some time prior to the race and checking out the course can make all the difference between winning, finishing and taking a major spill out. Marathons? It's nice to know where the hills are and if there are any sharp turns. But not knowing won't really affect the course. Road triathlons? Same…

Okay, so the the hail held off until the racing was done and hopefully everyone got home safely! I know it got really ugly really quickly...

I got to Bear Creek just before the start of the Cat 3 and Juniors race. Always fun to watch those races - there were some fast juniors tearing it up and some true beginners out having a good time. Bikes of all shapes and styles underneath riders of all ages. Then the Cat 2 race started and it was time to think about following my own…

Three of the Ascent Cycling Series races are held at Bear Creek Terrace, right in the shadow of the mountains. This was the traditional location for the Wednesday night races for the last three years, so many COS riders are familiar with the trails. We usually use Bear Creek as a pass through - a bit of single track before continuing up the Regional Trail to destinations further afield. The courses at Bear Creek Terrace don't seem challenging on intial inspection, but I've always found them…

Less then two weeks until the start of mountain bike racing in Colorado Springs - the Ascent Cycling Series organized by Sand Creek Sports. Race season always seems to come so quickly - from plotting schedules in January while training in the snow to toeing the line in sunshine in June - and this year has been no different. Feels like it was just February and Tim and Andy…