Author Archives: Troy Rarick

Lets Begin… Brad, Gordon and Troy head off to discover what Slovenia and Austria holds for Singletrack seeking cyclists… Denver International Airport – June 27th 2008 – With a slight limp in my step and a huge smile on my face; I boarded the direct flight from Denver to Munich. Some 10 Hours later (the next morning as it always works out on these flights) I was hunkered down in a Munich Rental Car garage; Gordon and I assembling bikes and packing a rental car (BMW 5 series wagon I might add) with all the goods and wears of a 3 person expedition to the Alps… it was a perfect place to be. Brad’s flight was just behind ours and as we were wrapping up the assembly he arrived in the garage. It’s a funny tradition but we always start our journeys in these un-scenic rental car garages. It sets […]

Hang Over Ride YOu know how I like double meanings… well this one is so obvious on one hand that it’s not worth mentioning. I’m here in Sedona AZ with Magura for their product/press camp. Basically a special view of 2009 product (sweet) and a bunch of great riding with a great group of folks. The ride of yesterday was the other side of the double meaning here. For years our favorite ride in Sedona was Dam-if-I-Know; a highly technical ride in one of the most spectacular settings you could want to ride a bike in. Slickrock and classic sedona baby heads on the climb up to a saddle overlooking all of the magical Sedona valley. Well now theres a choice from the top of the saddle. Where the Damifino ride descends quite consequencially to the right and eventually to a waist high wade of the Oak Creek, this Hangover […]

Sittin’ here lookin out my window; another day another ride and another sweet time. Is it even logical to suspect that there’s anthing left to get excited about other than this lathargic spoiled beattcchh syndrome? I live in Fruita; I cry like a cat owner when I haven’t ridden in a week and I get all lazy when the temerature reaches above 80 or below 55… I’m spoiled, I’m soft and I know it. I think it must be goin’ around Funny how these things do seem to travel in common themes amongst kindred folks. I was just readin’ Steve’s blog over at ”how to avoid the bummer life” and the theme seemed common. Some effort to reinvent or say something when new when the truth is; you’re friggin’ bored with yourself, face it Agent Smith, your bored. But it’s OK, I think it’s a price we pay for being […]

It’s been a long winter followed by the hugtle and hassle of Fruita in April. Planning and prepping and getting the shop in order and the this and that’s sorted out. Now just a week ago it all wraps up as far as events go and we sit here with 70 degree sunshine, green desert and ribbons of singletrack beconning. So what to do; at first it seems that it’s all ”call this person back” and ”fix thisd issue you’ve been putting off” and ”pay the bills you have been ignoring” and ”guess who’s in town this week to visit and ‘avoid the busy festival’ becasue nows when they can demand personal ‘troy time’…” or the vondors who are ”now that your doen with the festival lets… whatever”… on an one it seems to hit and the after party is like a truck parked on your mangled remains. It’s like […]

Well, it’s sunday morning and im thinkin of a johnny cash song about sunday mornin’ comin down. The last time I rode with that song in my head was the day after we did the grand opening of the melrose south australia store… same suspicious reasons, too much fun with too many laughs and too many toasts. Truth is as I sit here and look back over the 13th Fruita Fest; I cant believe it is getting even better in ways and the real reason for being so tired is trying to keep up with the energy flow that surrounds the people here. Tons of riding and tons of laughs and a great sense of shared community within our MTB workld, it’s pretty cool, but when it all subsides you realize that the flow carried you and truth is, your really tired. That was yesterday; after I poured what I […]

I’m just back from the opening of the new Over the Edge in Melrose South Australia. The temperatures turned cool and the riding was fantastic as many from Adelaide turned up to ride for the Grand Opening weekend and again on Easter "Long Weekend" following that. A special shout out to our new friends Michael and Nicole (thanks for dinner and for the pool lessons)… I cant wait until I am back to ride with you all again! Now it’s abck in 60 degree Fruita where the riding season is kickin’ off in earnest. That’s great news to all the towns I drove through from DIA; it’s a white snow covered state still and may noy be dry for some time. We’ll see you in Fruita as soon as you grow tired of skiing. Next it’s off to the Grand Opening Party for Hurricane Utah on FRiday and Saturday the […]

It’s Thursday here in Melrose SA at the Southern end of the Flinders Ranges. The temerature here has dropped into the wonderful temperatures of the upper 20’s. A welcome break from the low 40’s of last week; early AM rides were the only way to get out on the abundant new Singletrack here but by riding so early afforded many sightings of Kangaroos and exotic birds. The other redeeming treasure of the Melrose area is that while being 2 blocks from wonderful narrow purpose built MTB tracks we are also just 30 minutes from the ocean at Port Germain, that allowed us to go sea kayaking on Sunday and it was the perfect escape from the hottest day of the week; 42c which is about 108F, but the ocean water was warm and nearly glassy calm, it was a perfect evening. In the past few days here we have been […]

Well it might not be chillin’ exactly but we are at least going to drop into the 90’s by Monday. I’m (Troy) in Melrose South Australia where we cut the ribbon on the grand opening of Over the Edge Melrose Australia. With a crowd of at least a hundred people from Melrose and Aadelaide and even as far away as Sidney. We BBQ’d and mixed some margaritas and drank a wheelbarrow or two of Coopers Beer. A speach by the OTE founders here; Richard and Alastair, followed by the town CEO Mike Pierce and yours truly, we truly had a wonderful ceremony and  a great time.  At 8pm OZ time I took the scissors and readied for the waiting paparazzi of the press and I cut the ribbon! OTE is now an international power in the world of cycling… or not, but at least we are international.  The opening was […]

Sunshine and streets of wonder in the Catalunya town of Barcelona Spain. I had the opportunity to spend the week there this past one (Thanks Brad) and the February sun shone strong. If you haven’t been to Spain, as I hadn’t, I’m sure it’s on your list and is well worthy of it. Nestled right in between the southermost hills of the Pyrenees Mountains and the sandy beaches of the Medeteranian. The bigger sprawl of this major city os all out west as is the airport. This leaves the old city a perfect size and inspiring to walk and explore for days on end. The proximity of Bareclona to the hills also set up some fantastic mountain bike opportuntiies and thanks to Barelona Mountain Bike and the "brother Emil" we were able to take full advantage of this. (Not really brothers but with Emil and Emilio it was hard for […]

Five  miles… what is 5 miles? Three miles less than Eminem’s House? One 5-Thousanth of a free airline ticket? The distance that most americans drive a car when the rest of the world rides a bike? It isnt alot, until you change the perspective a bit. In the jungle of the real world it can be enough to seperate you from the rest of the world entirely. Enough to leave you utterly alone with your soul in a place that offers no comfort or help or hope of any easy way out. 5 miles in the jungles of Costa Rica can be enough distance to break your soul or leave you in a place never to be found again. This is La Ruta; the MTB race across Central America, 4 days, 220 miles and 43 course markings… this is my report… "Agua… FRUITA…" I loved hearing that each of the […]