Just weeks ago the snow finally left the trails around Fruita. I was out riding for the first time on the wonderful Singletrack of Zippety Do Da in the Bookcliffs trail system north of town. The euphoric feelings of rolling down the fresh trail at speed and hearing the tires carve the newly narrowed tracks was an elation to my soul. It was probably that feeling that kept me hungry for more speed and more of the feeling of flowing with the bike over the twists and turns and steep hills of the north Fruita desert. As we dropped down the final steep ridgeline it seemed that there was nothing to do but let the wheels roll and save the brakes for the parking lot. If you’ve ridden the Zip trail you know that a full brakeless run off any of those big hills will leave you with a fair bit of speed as you rocket out the bottom. It was here that I saw the nice rolling mound that always offers a bit of air-time and today I was ready. I hit it with nothing in my mind but maximizing my flyer miles and it wasn’t until the apex that I became aware of the heavy winds that day. It was windy; I guess I knew, but the excitement of getting out and the feeling of the experience had put that far from my in and left me with only the joy of being where I was and doing what I was doing and sharing it with the friends with me.
It’s that experience that defines us here at Over the Edge Sports whether in Colorado or Utah or South Australia; it is the opportunity to share that experience with friends and help others enjoy this euphoria that drives everything we do and laid the foundation for our business from the start. We want to help you find those wonderful places, write those great stories of great adventure and share it with your friends as you become ours. The people at all 3 OTE stores are the locals and the trail builders and the passionate souls about and from and for the areas that they live and ride. All of us who work and play in Fruita, Melrose or Hurricane are very familiar with traveling to ride and are excited to share in your experience whether you roll into our towns for the first time or for the next time; we ride, we build, we love the lifestyle we all share and we love to help you enjoy the same. Come ride with us, let us know if we can help you with bikes or anything to support your experience and let us be a part of you, discovering great new places.
Oh yeah, the wind, I knew it was strong as it rotated the bike on an axis as I flew through the air in my proud moment. I suppose I was about 45 degrees to the trail and flying sideways when I started my descent. I thought for a moment that "maybe, maybe I could…" nope, I tumbled in the dirt in ways reminiscent of school yard smearing games and the reason mom always asked "what happened to your jeans". I rolled and came up with my hands in the air… "AWESOME" I saluted as I wondered where the next rider was and did they know I was laying in the trail down here? I was fine, it was a wonderful season opener and all worked out to make me all the more excited and energized of the ride and the season to come and the sport we all share. Hey; it’s a metaphor of sorts; they tell us things are bad right now and times are tough and we should all be afraid… I know that things are a bit tight and there’s concern in the air. Come out with us; ride your bike, breath the fresh air and even take a roll in the dirt (wheels down I hope) and let the experience that we all know and love replace those thoughts of regular life. Maybe as you find yourself face to face or even face down in the soil of this good earth you will find the peace and joy of it all. It’s a great time to ride, it’s a great time to live and a wonderful time to go Over the Edge… come ride with us…
Troy Rarick – founder – Over the Edge Sports