MORE INPUT!

This weekend is bringing the sadzors.

I will not be in Copper Harbor tomorrow for SSUSA.

I'll just be watching from afar via FaceBook.

 photo cred: Cinderblock

Odd thing being that I was drinking the same beer with just a shittier view (my bike room) when I saw this last night.

To make things worse, for the first time since it ever came into existence back in 2009, I will not be lining up for the Breck Epic on Sunday.  I won't bother grabbing the forecast from weather.com, because I can assure you it will be cold every morning, warming up unbelievably quick, with a chance of afternoon death from above on a few random days.  You know, sleeveless jersey with arm warmer weather.

(one knee warmer optional)

Breck Epic undeniably offers one of the best experiences in terms of quality suffering with high rewards.  Hard not to be there, but not as hard as actually being there...

Except I (we) will kinda be there.  The Westward Ho Before Bros Mancation 2014 plan has changed.  We will now be headed from the Denver airport to Frisco, where we'll be hopping on the Peaks Trail for an out and back to Breckenridge.  Not an epic by any means, but we (Breck Epic) always ride the trail from Frisco to Breck on the HUGE day over Wheeler Pass.  I've always thought the trail would be better going the other way, so now I get to find out.

After we put in our puny 15 miles (between 9,300 and 10,000 feet), we're heading into Breck for the infamous Stage 7, otherwise known as the after-party.  As Bill Nye said, "So you want to head straight for 10,000 feet right off the bat and then drink all night?  I'm okay with that."

Then the plan goes back to normal.  Salida, Monarch Crest shuttle (hopefully with Niner George), brewery, Durango, hit some of the trails I rode back in 2009 at SSWC...

wake up the next day and meet up with Matt McFee with Hermosa Tours and do Kennebec Pass... and by "do," I mean "shuttle," brewery... and then the plan is no longer a plan, just more whim and whimsy.

But this weekend?  My last chance to ride the Vertigus with the Maxxis Chronicle tire before the Shenandoah 100... which is the weekend after we get back from out west... and all three of us are doing it.  I was hoping to make a logical decision as to whether or not to run with it.  That rain might keep me off the trails unless I can squeak out to Uwharrie.

Otherwise, I will just watch World Cup racing live on Red Bull TV from Windham all weekend and make my decisions based on what I see there.

Oh yeah, I'm taking this bike to Colorado:

Long story short, whichever bike I take will be returning days later than me.  I didn't want to be scrambling to get my bike ready for the Shenandoah 100.  Besides, this is a fine bike for what we have in store for us.  My only hope is that we ride at least 50% gnar to justify carrying 150mm of travel around all week long.  Any suggestions for gnar grabbage somewhere north of Durango, southwest from Denver will be entertained. 

Input?