Patrick Cross...Lover; Fighter; Mountain Biker!

The Rider Files: Patrick Cross

By Scotty Mac

The thing about Pat Cross is… he rides his bike like a fighter.  I don’t mean ‘fighter’ as in ‘jet fighter’ but ‘fighter’ as in “I’m gonna knock you out, sucka!” ‘fighter.’  Makes sense, really, seeing as how he was one.  Long before any of us AscentCycling camp followers knew him, Patrick was making his way as a boxer and mixed martial artist.  You can see it when you look at him and hear it when you talk with him.  The man knows how to handle himself.  It’s a confidence and calmness brought about from his time in the ring.  

Patrick Cross Back in the Day as a Pro Fighter.
Don't Worry, He doesn't fight anymore!

This unique life trajectory makes P.C. a strong mountain biker.  He’s suffered through countless, grueling training sessions as a boxer, which is why he makes that steep climb on that ride you went on that you didn’t quite make but he sailed right over seem quite manageable.  He’s not afraid to take the pain and master it. 

Patrick Cross on his Stumpjumper FSR Expert EVO Carbon 29er

I’ve watched Patrick’s riding style evolve over the last six years or so, and compared with the rest of us he’s taken the largest strides.  I saw him first on a Kona King short travel suspension rig, focused on solo 24 hour racing.  His next ride was a Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC, and with the increased capability he discovered the big boy lines in Palmer Park.  Pat developed his riding to maximize enjoyment on the downs while relying on his built-up bank of heavy training to propel him up the climbs.  Gravity-fed or not, he is still all about earning his turns.  His speed merchantization (new word, Webster’s-pending I swear) saw him jump to a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR EVO and a Kona Operator downhill bike.  After a stint with the long travel Kona Abra Cadabra, Pat joined the wagon wheel realm with the Specialized FSR EVO 29er, a bike capable enough for him to rage on the descents and light enough to pound up the climbs.

Mountain bike racing has never been a primary driver for Pat during his time in the cycling industry, but that hasn’t stopped him from entering all types of mountain biking events.  The aforementioned 24 hour racing aside, P.C. has done trad cross-country lap races, big-loop marathons, and point-to-point races.  He’s signed up for the heavy-hitting Original Growler half-marathon race in Gunnison, CO over Memorial Day weekend, and I’ve heard some rumblings about him putting on his gravity pants to race The Captain Enduro in Colorado Springs this year as well.

Mountain Biking is All About Having Fun!

This is a mountain bike racer who knows himself.  He’s not out looking for the win, though he’s done what few of us will do and that’s stand on the podium.  He races for the experience and the challenge.  A couple weeks ago, I was starting to stress out about the Growler.  I was over-analyzing everything as those who know me know I am wont to do.  Pat told me this: he said “Scotty, we’re gonna go to Gunny, we’re gonna ride somewhere new.  Yeah, it’s a tough course.  So we’re gonna go out and have fun.”  It was simple, but effective.  I calmed down and returned to normal, non-neurotic Scotty.  This is a mountain bike racer who knows himself.

Believe it or not, this will be the first time I’ve raced with Patrick Cross, when we strap on our number plates and line up for the Growler.  I will see him momentarily at the start before he rockets away, as he is a much stronger rider than I.  He will absolutely pin himself through the course, stubbornly topping the climbs before having an obscene amount of fun on the descents.  Should a rider go down hard near him, or suffer from some sort of malady he will offer assistance. 

Holding Court!
Patrick Cross, Lane Sherman and Clay Allison

I have no doubt that when I cross the finish line and make it back to camp, he’ll be there with that infectious smile and enthusiasm, hilariously holding court with tales from the race, but also being the consummate friend and welcoming me back.

These are the things Pat Cross, mountain bike fighter, cares about.

Mac out.  

Section 16 and Palmer Loop Downhilling in our Back Yard!

The Palmer Loop and Section 16 Trail Review: It’s A.Y.C.E!

By Scotty Mac

The opening hit of the Section 16 descent is all the payoff you’ll need for the multi-mile grunt-n’-grind up the Palmer trail from our fair town below.  Dropping in, you’re faced with a steep, chundery (mountain biker ‘bro’ word meaning “rock-strewn”), rooted chute that gets the adrenaline pumping.  You’ve gone maybe a quarter of a mile at this point.  It feels at least six times longer.

I have all the respect in the world for the folks who can take this stretch wide open.  I sure as heck can’t.  I remember riding it for the first time late last summer.  Going into the ’16, I tried to stay loose as my bike picked up speed, seemingly of its own accord.  Getting on the binders for the first turn, I found myself squeezing harder and harder as I waited for my steed to come down to a less-than-break-neck velocity for that corner.  We are talking steep, people!

Clattering down the next section, you come upon a pretty tight switchback and upon negotiating that feature, you’re trail-slaying experience is opened up some.  Which is nice.  The heart can only take so much, after all.  The breath came out of me in a rush, there.  I realized I may have been holding it as that verdant, pine and underbrush canopy flashed past, close and cozy-like.

Line choice dictates the flow (or lack thereof) for the next section.  Sail that rock step!  Sail the next one, too!  Keep eyes well down the trail; at one point the left side of the track loses its line.  I recommend going right.

Section 16 isn’t quite a controlled fall, but it isn’t far off, either.  If you read up on the trail at a website like mtbr.com, you’ll see a couple reviews from dudes intent on showing the Internet how macho they are, saying stuff like “this trail used to be sooooo much harder, you can ride it on a rigid now and not feel a single bump.  I rocked it on the unicycle last week, didn’t even have to dab,” und so weiter, und so weiter.  Pay no attention to the meatheads, folks, this trail is properly involving.  The Palmer climb to the S16 trailhead is stout enough to require a decent cardio base (or a misguided love of suffering, either way), and the descent, as described above will have you hooting and hollering, or holding on for dear life, or perhaps a little bit of both. 

I am of the opinion that a mid-travel trail bike, something in the 5”-6” range, is just what the dirt doc ordered.  My weapon of choice, courtesy of the good fellas at Ascent Cycling, is a 2012 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR EVO 29er, known henceforth as the EVO.  The EVO has good suspension travel, relatively slack geometry, and a handlebar wide enough to keep me feeling in control.  A couple of the shop guys and groupies are on both the 29” and 26”-wheeled versions of this bike and the river of superlatives gushing forth from our mouths has not dried up yet.  Huh.  That reads like we spit when we talk.  Gross.

Much like my St. Patrick’s Day feature from a month ago, many of the same rules apply on this ride: go with a buddy or three, be nice to the other trail users, wear sunscreen, etc.  Alpine Colorado trails like this one also mean you’ll want to keep a sharp eye out for the non-human denizens of the area.  Luckily, the Palmer loop and Section 16 trails are used enough during daylight hours by hikers and bikers that the noise keeps the sharp-toothed creatures away.  The weather can come in fast over the mountains too, so layer up and be prepared.

So who says you have to head to the resorts to get your fill of downhill?  Mountain biking in Colorado Springs has some singletrack sections that will give you thrill-seekers all you can eat (all you can eat… A.Y.C.E., get it?), and the cross country guys will find good value out here, too.  I know I have. 

What, you’re still reading?  Get some people together, air up the tires, buckle on a helmet and go shred!  That adrenaline hit is just a stone’s drop away.

Mac out.

Going Green Part III: Taking Our Talents to the South Shore

Going Green Part III:

Taking Our Talents to South Shore

By Scotty Mac

“I’m not over, I’m not over you just yet.”

-Carolina Liar

There’s nothing really difficult about the South Shore trail.

I mean, apart from the two climbs.

The climbs themselves aren’t particularly tricky.  You don’t negotiate any weird run-ups, no rock gardens or other features to ruin momentum.  They’re just damned steep.  On a geared bike, you can hit it at something like a spin, downshift as needed, and cruise up and over the top to the fun little downhill on the backside of each one.  No muss, no fuss.  While Craig had used that style to great effect in the past, that option was not available to me.  I won’t bleat on about the trials and tribulations a singlespeeder goes through when faced with a hill, because as you have correctly assumed by now, I did it 100% to myself by buying said singlespeed.  Here’s the thing; both climbs, the very steep first one and the less-steep-but-looser-surfaced second, had proven to be my better in both of my previous rides at the reservoir this year.  I was hoping the month and a half of indoor training (read “Spun” on this blog for an idea of what I’m talking about) would be the difference-maker.

It was time to find out.  Climb Numero Uno in sight, I told Craig to give me a little room just in case I stalled out, having learned that lesson on The Duke.  I kicked my legs into gear and went for it, sprinting into the rise at top whack.  My form disintegrated as the grade wrestled the gear ratio on my singlespeed for dominance.  Close to standing still, I rose out of the saddle, fighting for each pedal stroke.  I cranked my handlebar from side to side, bike seeming to flop over with each movement.  Digging deep, I topped the climb and let out a breathless whoop as I realized I had done it.  Craig right behind me, we ate up the fast descent, reveling in our victory.

The second climb had an audience.  Two riders were at the top, having seen us coming and did the decent thing by yielding the right-of-way.  My tactics were similar to the first climb, and even though the trail surface got a bit soft towards the top, I made it over, finishing 2-for-3 on tough climbs that day.

The last ribbon of track on the loop was an easy downhill back to the parking lot.  As we hit the sidewalk, I looked down at the time: 2 hours, 35 minutes, 48 seconds.  Craig and I had both set a personal best for the lap with that mark, and our excitement carried over to the post-ride Chipotle scarf-fest as we rehashed the ride over tacos and burrito bowls.

Lake Pueblo State Park is a good time for just about every level of rider, rank beginners and seasoned veterans alike will find something to giggle about out there.  I highly recommend bringing at least one spare tube and pump, something with which to patch tire sidewall slices, tire levers, multi tool, and a first aid kit.  Obviously, this stuff is pretty standard for just about any ride, but the nature of the trails at the reservoir makes any mistake very costly.  Food is important, too.  Craig and I were out on our lap for over two and a half hours, and we could feel our hunger ebb and flow.  We had pre-planned time/distance pit stops in mind, and we reminded each other to take on water whenever the trail gave us a moment.  I also recommend trying to ride there as early as possible, as you have an excellent chance of having much of the park to yourself, and you may be able to beat the wind.  Like any part of the Front Range, reservoir wind conditions can run the gamut from breezy to blustery, so some type of windbreaker layer is also a good call.  An even better call is to ride with a buddy or group, as sharing a ride first-hand is always superior to days after the fact.

Don’t like cross country, marathon-style rides?  I don’t blame you!  There are plenty of short, technical, downhill zones to play in, with easy climbing loops back to the top of the drop-in.  Keyhole, Skull, and Lower Dog trails come readily to mind.  If Waterfall sounds or looks too tame for you, I recommend Log Drop as an alternate, adrenaline-inducing route.  Check out www.lakepueblotrails.org for a description of the trails and a basic map layout relative to the parking lots.  Lastly, we at Ascent Cycling urge you to pay the $7 park entrance fee instead of parking out at Red Gate as there has recently been a rash of car break-ins at that location.

Bottom line?  Get down to Lake Pueblo State Park this spring.  You all are in for a treat.  Ride on!

Mac out.

FIN