Collins

Well, the time has come. Unfortunately, my good buddy and teammate for a few years Jeremy Collins is officially moving (jerk). Jeremy is an ex-mtb racer that took up road racing and eventually turned it into is stomping ground. As a CAT 4, Jeremy won a bunch of races in all disciplines. He "claims" to be a sprinter sorta guy, but, has groomed himself into a stellar all around cyclist. When I was a rookie, I remember I used to just stick to his wheel the whole race because I knew if I finished "around" him, I'd have a great results. I once told him that for every lap I'm not on his wheel, I pay him $1. Lucky for me that was at Wheels of Thunder where they basically give cash out every other lap. I never had to pay him even though I tried, but, I think Jeremy was just being nice and letting me slide. He's a good dude, and, he'll definitely be missed on those early morning Sunday departures.

Yesterday we hit High Grade as a farewell sorta ride (I guess?). The High Grade Climb starts about about 3-4 miles up Deer Creek Canyon. The average grade is 5-8%, with max pitches up to 10-12. It's about 6-8 miles in length, but, feels like it's 30. The climb is relentless and never really lets up. It's in a really pretty canyon on a road that is not protected by any trees. At the very top there's a Grange that is always fully stocked with water, gatorade, and other treats during the summer months. It's always nice to make a donation to the donation box at the top, because it ensures that the coolers are stocked all summer. If you ride, make sure you donate SOMETHING...even if it's 50 cents.

I somehow got a flat tire on the way up, but we really didn't want to stop to change it. Eventually we had to, because climbing on 20psi became really difficult. On the descent, we enjoyed the sweeping fast turns, and I put the Rivet through it's paces. It held the turns like a glove, and, just shot down the mountain. I had to be a tad careful though because my hand pump only had me running probably somewhere between 85-95 Psi. I didn't want to roll a tire of course!!

All in all, a fun day. We had a great ride, and, a great few years riding and making fun of each other. Good luck dude, and again, you'll be sorely missed.