A mild January

Riding in January is a hit and miss proposition.  The average high temperature is 42 degrees.  I rode outdoors 14 times this month.  Today was the best day as the temperature was 60 at the end of my ride.  Still, 60 in January somehow feels a little cooler than it does on a summer morning.

Several of the riders on the Eastern Seaboard tour had a "smell the roses" attitude.  Somehow, I have lost that attitude over the years.  I decided that I would stop a few times today while cycling.  I had never stopped at the Dinosaur Ridge museum while cycling.  Today I did.  Not to go into the museum, but at least to take a couple of pictures and read some signboards.  It is amazing what you see when you stop.  I had never noticed these dinosaur replicas while riding past just 25 yards away.

 Upon the return trip, I pedaled up the Ridge.  There are many exposed fossils.  I did not stop to see them as who wants to get started up again on a 6 percent grade.  I did look off to the side, though, and spotted quite a few.  I promise to stop next time.

One of the signboards described coprolite.  I will let you look this up.  A neighborhood man when I was a lad was an avid rockhound.  He showed me and my friend some coprolite.  I guess he was not BS'ing us after all, so to speak.  I thought it ironic that this particular signboard was next to the loo.

Publicity for CrossRoads Cycling

The Denver Post has a daily pullout section that focuses on different parts of the Denver metro region.  One of the features is an article on a local small business.  CrossRoads Cycling was featured in today's edition.  The article with pictures can be found at:

http://yourhub.denverpost.com/southjeffco/business-focus-crossroads-cycling-adventures-south-jeffco/qfcDguxTSdH5qqHhUOoTJN-story-0

I highly encourage interested readers of this blog who have not toured with CrossRoads to cycle with them.  They also offer the opportunity to bicycle tour across regional sections of the country.

The Interview:

Business: CrossRoads Cycling Adventures
Address: 8613 S. Lewis Way, Littleton
Hours: Call for appointment
Founded: 1996
Contact: 303-859-6662 or crossroadscycling.com 
Employees: 8

Interview with Tracy Leiner, owner

How did you get involved in this business? 
In 1995 I left my job to ride my bicycle 3,400 miles across the United States. During that tour, I realized that it was impossible to put my experience into words. So, when the company I rode with closed, I decided to start my own business. By organizing long-distance tours, I was giving others the opportunity to experience what I could not explain.

What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category? 
As the owner, I still go out on the road with every group. This allows me to oversee the entire process and share my excitement and know-how with our cyclists. My leaders have all ridden across the country and are seasoned cyclists who understand the challenges our cyclists will face. We also provide services that are not offered by other long-distance tour operators, such as luggage delivery right to hotel rooms, energy bars and gels, pre-trip newsletters, etc. Our customers’ experience begins the day they register for tour.

What do you like best about your line of work? 
Watching people reach beyond self-imposed limits to achieve goals they never thought possible. We challenge riders to pedal across the Mojave Desert, cross mountain passes and strive for what may be the biggest accomplishment of their lives. When our journey ends at the Atlantic Ocean near Boston, family and friends of our cyclists cheer as if they are watching the biggest, most exciting event they have ever seen.

What is your business’ biggest challenge? 
Helping people understand that our customers are not super-athletes, that they are average cyclists they see pedaling around town. Our riders range between 25 and 80 years of age, with the average cyclist being about 54 years old. Riding a bicycle from Los Angeles to Boston may seem like a daunting task, but every year we successfully take another group from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic, one pedal stroke at a time.

Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business: 
After 15 years of taking people across our country, I still wake up every day on tour excited to venture to another town and meet people along the way. I am continually reminded that our country is full of wonderful people ready to sit and chat about life in their hometown. Our busy lives back home do not always allow for these types of visits and one of my favorite gifts that I can offer our cyclists is the opportunity to meet Americans — on the front porch, eating ice cream. Riding my bicycle from Los Angeles to Boston changed my life in ways that I never could have imagined, and my biggest joy is in helping others do the same.