I’m currently sitting on my porch at the Bald Bobby secret lair at the Aspen Highlands on this beautiful Tuesday afternoon getting a can of whoop ass handed to me by my new Photoshop program. Since I’m getting nowhere with that, I’ve decided to have a sit and hammer out another episode of the Big Bald Blog. Although I have many, one of my favorite hobbies here in the Roaring Fork Valley is road biking. I have officially given up on mountain biking as two things have made me realize I’m just not cut out for it. First thing is I don’t have the appropriate body type. I’m long and lean and my C of G is just a bit too high and my power to weight ratio is all wrong. Second, crashing sucks and on a mountain bike, I did it…..A LOT! I have now progressed to the more civilized world of road biking. The first real plunge is on a bike itself. If you haven’t priced one lately, make sure you have a chair nearby so when you look at the price tag you can immediately sit down and put your head between your legs. You need to do this so you can get the blood back to your upper extremities as to not pass out. Yes, the price is steep and the rule goes; the lighter your wallet gets, so does your bike. With all the climbing here in Aspen, a light bike is key. Now with this tidbit of information secure, I can tell you the road biking here in this valley is excellent. I have friends from all over the state and they always comment on how good the biking is here. For example, we have several roads in the immediate area where car traffic is minimal and the workout is maximal. Castle Creek Road, Maroon Creek Road, McClaine Flats, Woody Creek Road, Capital Creek Road, Old Snowmass Road just name a few here in the upper valley. Then there is the piece-de-resistance, Independence Pass Road. In the spring when the road is closed to car traffic, this is one of the best climbs found anywhere in this country and the best part is, until Memorial Day, no cars! Indy Pass from town is 19 miles in length to the top and a lung busting 4000 vertical foot climb ending at 12,095 above sea level. Early this morning I set out on what has become a routine plight to get in better shape after a winter of hiding behind multiple layers of clothing. I ventured forth towards Castle Creek Road just about two miles from my house. At the roundabout, the climbing(and pain) starts. I usually ride to the ghost town of Ashcroft 12 miles up and when I’m feeling spunky, to the end of the road which is another 3 miles up. This climb also has some vertical gain to the tune of 1500 feet ending up at 9500 feet above sea level. All told, a decent workout but today it was only half of it. On my way back down I was feeling surprisingly well and decided I would do the ‘double dip’. In the world of Aspen cycling, this term comes to signify doing both Castle Creek Road and then Maroon Creek Road one after another is succession. It doesn’t need to be in any particular order, but this is the ‘hard’ way if you can call it that. Back at the roundabout, the arduous climb up to the Maroon Bells parking lot is calling me like a siren in the distance. Ulysses I’m not, but I venture forth anyway. The major difference between the roads is perceived climbing. While Castle Creek undulates and gives you some rest every now and then, Maroon Creek is the evil bastard child that makes you pay all the way to the top because there is not one reprieve to the parking lot 12 miles up. The vertical is the same at 1500 ending at 9500 feet above sea level, but is sure seems like more. Then you throw in the fact you just climbed to Ashcroft and it seems that much more difficult. Once at the top you are rewarded with a couple of different things. First, the view. One of the more spectacular sights in all of the West. The Maroon Bells are one of the most photographed peaks in the country and when you see them in person, you’ll know why. The second best thing about the top is a little more sadistic. My absolute favorite part of cycling is the decent. While this scares most mortal men(and women) the most, it’s where I’m most comfortable. On the side, I’m a motorcycle nut and wanna be racer, so this just goes hand in hand with my fun. The faster, the better. On the first two miles down, the pitch lets you freewheel to 45 miles an hour or so. With a tailwind, I’ve hit 50mph. In a car, this seems fast, on a bike….well, you like it or you don’t. It’s also fun to pass cars on the way down and look at Clark, Ellen and Rusty Griswold just going to WallyWorld in their station wagon slack jawed while you nod the ‘hey buddy’ to them. Comfortably back at the secret lair, I’ve tallied up 40 miles or so, 3000 vertical feet of climbing and burned ??thousand calories. That should do it for exercise today as I need to get back to Photoshop. Stay tuned for more mad adventures from our little silver mining town of Aspen.