Yes, we have moved back down the trail to Criterium.

To reach Criterium, call  719-599-0149.      (The Monument phone book reversed numbers for the two shops.)

Driving:  Exit 148, right at the bottom of the ramp onto Corporate; 1st biz on left.

Criterium is open 8-8 Monday – Saturday;   10-6 every Sunday–hours are the same all year.

Thanks to everyone who came by while we were in Monument!

Nic, Kay, and Crew

We have chosen to close the Monument Ride Center as of June 1st.     Like Napoleon in Russia, we were frustrated by the distance to service capabilities at Criterium, and we found the Monument winter to be very, very cold.

Thanks to the many customers who patronized the Monument outpost for service, rentals, and accessories.   All of your service work will receive Criterium’s satisfaction guarantee.  The wonderful rental fleet from Monument has moved downstream, too.

Our crusade to introduce cyclists to the Tri-Lakes area continues from Criterium.  We are planning another Group-on style offer, and riding classes starting from that store.   Chris Kuhn was able to research using Garmin GPS units for trail mapping while working at the Ride Center, which we will continue to develop as a service for cyclists.

Thanks to our landlords, Richard and Linda Pankratz for their patience, and to the Monument police, fire, and town officers who helped us get the project underway.

Here at The Monument Ride Center that is.  Sadly, Tim is no longer with us.  We won’t letting that slow us down though, still pressing on here  out of our northern post.

We are currently being staffed by the seasoned veterans from Criterium Bicycles out of Colorado Springs.  This way we’re able to provided you with the same knowledge, experience and attention to detail that you have come to expect from our mother store, Criterium.

For your convenience, we will now be open on Sundays instead of Thursdays starting the first week of April.  Hours of operation will still be 10am-6pm.

Our excitement about the coming summer seems to be gaining momentum everyday.  Stop in and say hi and don’t forget to check out the new clothing and bikes (including woman’s skorts and our new bicycle line BMC!)

In the last two weeks of September/ first week of October a herd of experienced eyes and hands turned loose their creative energy. The treacherous upper section of limbaugh trail eagerly awaiting it’s turn at re creating and re shaping. The old ruts with in ruts inside of bigger ruts have been removed! In their place trail re-shaping on grand scale last fall and last week has taken place. The steep pitches removed and replace by arcing turns slicing through the aspens, firs-spruce-pines and a few boulders here and there.The newly remodeled trail boasts some swoopy banked and arced turns that cross contours and fall lines like a big giant slalom turns into the lower section just above the little old bridge. The crews markings … minor…disagreements and eventual consolidation of opinions of routing the new sections got finalized. Implemented and completed by worthy and energetic group of volunteers. ( I sort of snuck off in the trees, plopped down snoozed and supervised from my sleepy little spot in the glorious fall sunshine.) It was a very well strung out crew working in a cooperative fashion from section to section. creating big corners, rolling ups and downs, trimming or removing branches,deadfall, and a few smaller trees, even an occasional stubborn boulder or three to convince it was time for a change, now working as support for lower edges or gargoyles on some of the corners. There can’t be very many days left before the winter puts this trail into hibernation. If you get the chance go check it!! see it ride/hike it.. and give thanks to the silly folks who love it so much as to work their little buns off re creating it/maintaining it.

This time of year many of the trails have seen prolonged usage. During winter months that will be coming soon  the trails will have a much different look and feel.  Fall is here and they are in full splendor..Leaves are many hued and the air is cooler, wildlife is a bit more obviously preparing its self for winter.

Our trail usage will soon have to be  a bit more limited. the Friends of monument preserve, which does ,on volunteer basis, all of the trail maintenance could use some help.

Please  as snow flies keep in mind  trails should be used a bit differently.

First: stay on trail.. don’t go off to the side and create  braided trails ,which are much harder to maintain. If there is snow/mud turnaround and pick a drier trail .Friends of monument preserve could use more hands  in spring to fix so many of sections of trails.

Second:  be considerate of all other users..especially during the fall/winter season.In meantime  be aware that these trails are on historic archaelogical sites, and on U.S.F.S  land, with only one recognized tail, so mis usage could mean these would go away entirely. Keep in mind we all love these trails and keep them as pristine as possible. Enjoy fall colors and weather  get out and ride walk them all before it all gets snowed under with leaves and then snow!

SPEEDTRAP:  84 HWY 105 in Palmer Lake,  488-2007   rides  from speed trap suspended until early next season: we will also add on  a more advance ride in spring starting from casa fiesta in monument.

stay tuned for further winter types of things goin on with monument ride center

www.speedtrapcoffeebar.com