Jeff Kerkove joins us to talk about Ergon, racing, and living in the cycling world. Jeff works for Ergon USA, daily handling mostly customer service and marketing functions.

He also rides and races for Team Topeak-Ergon USA, as well as managing the US part of the team. Jeff started racing in 1996 with XC and then made the shift to endurance in 2004 with a solo 24 hour race in WI.

He moved to Colorado from Iowa 2007 to work and play and is always seeking out new adventures and challenges, usually with a mtb close by.

For more about Jeff, check out his site: http://www.jeffkerkove.net/

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Cycling Soul announced last night one of their big events planned in 2012 and that is the Living the Ride August 26 at the Grand Hyatt. It will be an evening with Jim Ochowicz and many of the former 7-11 Team including Davis Phinney and the BMC team including Davis's son Taylor. This will be a rare opportunity to meet Davis and his team at the same venue has Taylor and his team. Jim will also be signing his book, Team 7-Eleven. There will be a panel like discussion, drinks and a 4 course meal prepared by Top Chef, Hosea Rosenberg. Tickets go on sale this Saturday and the cost is $250. This event is expected to sell out and while some may feel the price is high I too strongly believe it will sell out quickly.

Learn more at CyclingSoul.com

Photo Credit: running dreams

From the DailyCamera

This May, though, the trails are snow-free earlier than usual, and mountain bikers should ride while they can. Around June 1, the U.S. Forest Service will close West Magnolia for "fuels reduction" -- thinning and cutting down trees in parcels totaling 330 acres in the recreation area to reduce fire potential and pine beetle infestation.

Tree removal is expected to take at least two months, and after that, the Forest Service will do rehabilitation work in the area, such as restoring compacted soil and reseeding the ground. It's unclear whether the area will reopen before fall, said Elsa Kirby, spokeswoman for the Forest Service's Boulder Ranger District.

Only one section of the cut parcels will be visible from the road, Kirby said. But trail users will see a difference.

Continue at DailyCamera
Also see USDA Forest Service

Boulder is still a platinum bike friendly city along with Davis CA and Portland OR while Durango CO moved up to Gold status and Longmont moved up to Silver. The rankings are given out by the League of American Cyclists.

Municipalities are evaluated based on their efforts to promote bicycling, investments in bicycling infrastructure and bicycling education programs, the league said in a news release. They must apply to be considered for the list. Localities are also divided into four categories: platinum, gold, silver and bronze.

More on the results at Governing

GPS tracking is all the rave this year and today we check out another player in that market, Ride with GPS

Submitted by an avid 303 reader and bike junkie

Ride with GPS is a great site for any cyclist. They've got a top-notch route planner, powerful tools for digging into your GPS data, and easy ways to compete with your friends and foes. What really ties it all together is that the interface is intuitive and really fast - it feels like an app, not just a website.

Mapping a route

Planning a ride on Ride with GPS is really pleasant. Just click around on the map, and you'll see a route appear, following roads or bike paths between your clicks. The elevation profile updates instantly in full detail, which is really nice if you want to consider a few different routes quickly. The tool is really easy to use, but still has all the features you might need (adding POI, customizing the cue sheet, export to Garmin unit, upload photos, etc).

Ride with GPS has been around since 2007, so there are already routes mapped out all over the world. You can
search for routes
by location, length, elevation gain, keyword, and more, and find just what you're looking for.

Analyze your data

Coffee talk Tuesday deals with a topic commonly brought up in tangental comments on various posts here and that is the rising cost to participate in cycling events. Tuesday Coffee Talk allows all of us to engage in community related topics and share your 2 cents worth

It's getting more expensive these days to race or to ride a 1 day tour. We've seen all kinds of comments over the last few years about how much more expensive both races and rides are costing these days yet on the flip side some of these events are also getting record turn-outs for them and we see it all happening on more and more carbon, powertaps, skinsuits and coaches. But before you start the finger pointing at the promotor know that it costs a fair amount of money just to put on the smallest of races as pointed out by DBCEvents a few years ago with our topic of cost to promote a race and don't forget the risk too. Also not every promotor is doing their part for charity and there is nothing wrong with operating for a profit. But not all events are worthy of their fees. So how do you go about prioritizing your summer event calendar?.

Learn more about the 2012 Pikes Peak Hill Climb or find other Colorado Hill Climbs to test yourself on.

This is one of the earliest opening of Trail Ridge Road. The road opened on May 7th in 2002 when Colorado had a bad snow year. Last year the road did not open until June 6th.

From the National Park website:

Trail Ridge Road will open for the season on May 14, weather and conditions permitting. Road conditions will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis. The Alpine Visitor Center and the Trail Ridge Store, atop Trail Ridge Road, will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians due to heavy snow removal equipment working in the parking area. Restrooms will be open at Rock Cut and Milner Pass. Because weather conditions may change rapidly, particularly in spring and fall, park visitors should be prepared to adjust travel plans accordingly and are encouraged to call the park's Trail Ridge Road recorded phone status line at (970) 586-1222.

Related Stories

• 2011 Snow Removal on Trail Ridge
• Road Repairs on Trail Ridge Road
• 2011 - Video of Trail Ridge Road
  Photos from 2011. All photos from Rocky Mountain National Park Public Gallery

  

For the first time Mt Evan's promotor David Newcomer, opened the course to a runner with a weighted stroller. Watch how the Mt. Evans Hill Climb helped a Boulder mom heal after the loss of her 8 year old son.

Rocky Mountain Children's Health Foundation hosts several events each year. These events are significant sources of support for our mission to make a difference in the lives of children and their families being cared for by the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children's healthcare network.

Join 303Cycling in Supporting Ben's Hope

This year 303cycling is supporting Ben's Hope at the Elephant Rock Ride on June 3rd. Join me on the Elephant Rock ride and support families like Lynn's.

When & Where
June 3, 2012
Douglas County Fairgrounds
Castle Rock, Colorado

REGISTER as part of the Ben's Hope team on the Elephant Rock website: Registration Page
Team Division = Charity
Team Name = Ben's Hope

RAISE MONEY to support the Patient & Family Assistance Fund of the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children: Raise Money for Patients and Families

Contributions are welcome from riders and non-riders alike, at any level. Just follow the link above and click on the "Donate Now" button. In the comments field, be sure to indicate the rider's name (if any.)

Riders contributing or raising funds at the $250 level will receive a limited edition Ben's Hope jersey! Act now as only a limited supply of these beautiful keepsakes from our inaugural event exist!