What is a Ramble?

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Summer Ramble

July 14-17, 2021....

What to bring on a Ramble.

No need to pack the kitchen sink.

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Summer Ramble +

August 19-22, 2021....

What's included on a Ramble?

Everything you'll need.

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Fall Ramble

September 22-25, 2021....

2021partners_20_SHIMNEW3

rambleride

What will 2021 bring? I don’t know. I do know we’re Rambling.

The new site is live with 2021 dates. We’ve adjusted for fires, pandemics, and whatever else we can think of. Come ride with us.

#rambleride #rideshimano #shimanogravel #bikepacking #gravelbike #adventurecycling

It is hard to fathom the amount of nature lost to the #cameronpeakfire, #mullenfire, #easttroublesomefire, and others burning in Colorado and nearby Wyoming. These fires will leave scars for years to come, both physically on the land, and mentally, as those directly affected rebuild or move on.

It's a loss we share, those of us who enjoy the outdoors and quiet scenes like this, the now-lost backside climb of Pennock Pass, the snaking forest trails, and high Alpine passes.

It's a loss cut all the more sharply with the words "likely human-caused."

We need no stronger rebuke of our actions than the destruction of our natural places; no stronger reminder to move with greater intention and care on the places we hold dear than the words "human-caused."

#rambleride #colorado #wyoming #wildfire

Walden. If you’ve Rambled you know this community is special to us. Not just the people, but the fact it’s an oasis with Moose.

More so in 2021 as we’re officially moving our start to Walden in order to recover from the loss of camping and routes to the still burning #cameronpeakfire.

This opens up new roads in the North Park Basin and surrounding Routt and Arapaho NF; places I’ve wanted to take riders but the distance always too much.

With new options now for 4 day rides, and even an extended 5 day, we’re excited for 2021.

Ramble Rides are about perseverance. On and off the bike.

#rambleride #rideshimano #shimanogravel

Have you downloaded or snagged a copy of @rideshimano’s BEYOND publication yet? No? You should. It’s filled with great stories and inspiration including pieces from Ramble alum @nlegan and @jestout.

More? OK. Head to the link in our bio to download your copy and sign up to win a GRX build kit. It’d be like finding a gold nugget in these days of bicycle part scarcity!

#explorebeyond #rambleride #rideshimano #shimanogravel

I got it as a reject. A press bike returned because the editor didn’t ride black bikes.

But rather than be criticized for soft points, this #hakkamx has crossed over 15K miles in three years. It’s crashed, and had parts replaced. Friends call it clapped out, but it’s never failed. It’s marked out courses for thousands to adventure. It’s been lost more than once. It help start a business, clear a rattle mind and added clarity when needed.

Can you imbue something like a bike with a life? Maybe. This one has had a better life than in the pages of a magazine. #ibiscycles

#rambleride

Blue skies and gravel roads for days.

Or we should say “Four” days to be exact. #rambleride

#rideshimano #shimanogravel #adventurecycling

Throwback to an earlier Fall Ramble. It’s difficult to explain the emotions of this year, thinking we found a way through only to be undone by a fire. Months of work gone, money spent, sleep lost. Small win that July happened, and that we’ve pushed to evolve our format with @rideincognita. Eventing as a full time effort isn’t for the weak or faint of heart. I’ve learned that. I’ve also learned that anything we’ll have to deal with in the future as a business will be easy in comparison. We’ll be riding strong in 2021.

#rambleride

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s be prepared. 2021 we’ll be debuting a long thought-about format: fewer riders, higher experience camps, riding in locations where large Rambles are impossible. We’ll still be riding Ramble Rides, but this new format is our attempt to change with a new event landscape. Uncharted territory for us all. Terra Incognita. @rideincognita

- California
- Colorado
- Montana

#rambleride #rideincognita #terraincognita #rideshimano #shimanogravel #adventurecycling

A gravel bike. A mountain bike. A road bike. A do-all adventure bike. My #hakkamx is that. Today, 25 miles of Montana single and double track, 20 miles of Forest Service road and 5 of pavement back to camp.

#rambleride #ibiscycles #ramblescout #montana #rideshimano

Montana isn’t immune from smoke, but the riding is still stellar. It’s been a great week scoping out new routes, hoping for a better 2021.

#rambleride #ramblescout #rideshimano #shimanogravel

Rambles are long days for riders, even longer for staff. The alarm goes off at 4:30 am, with everyone up and bustling by 5. It doesn’t end until after the last rider is in bed. #teamworkmakesthedreamwork

#rambleride #colorado #rideshimano #shimanogravel

Solitude. It’s easy to find on a Ramble. And by design.

When we plan a route, we keep evolving to offer new experiences and put our riders further away from growing forest use—especially this year with more crowds than ever.

It’s important and a large part of our off-season efforts; find the new and challenging.

#rambleride #rideshimano #shimanogravel

“When Summer lies upon the world, and in a noon of gold
Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold,
When woodland halls are green and cool, and wind is in the West,
Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my land is best!”

-Treebeard

#rambleride #rideshimano #tolkien #lotr #colorado #nationalforest #trees

Every year, for five years, we've had to ride with a fire on at least one ride. Either making us change a route during an event, as it did one year or, forcing riders to ride in smoke-filled skies.

We've been rambling long enough now, that we're starting to ride through areas of fire from years previous. We've canceled two routes due to fires, but never an actual event.

Maybe this year is the year.

It's tough to see images from the Cameron Peaks fire. I know this area so intimately, having ridden nearly all the roads here, held Rambles, camped, and driven all over this forest. Enough that I notice changes due to beetle kill and overuse. Enough that I can point out multiple places on this @u.s.forestservice image where I have stood or ridden.

It's tougher to know that for many of these fires, they were man-made. Only one out of six, which impacted a Ramble, was natural and caused by lightning. While Cameron Peaks is still under investigation, I have my opinions on the cause given the time and place. I hope I am just cynical.

But I have a reason to be: on the Rambles, and during pre-event route work, we have doused campfires left behind smoldering. We've picked up truckloads of trash, and buckets of spent brass. We've called in dumped couches and TVs, cut locks, and clipped fencing—all within our small footprint of local forests.

We all have to be better stewards, even if that is helping others to be so. While I wish it possible to adopt a cleanup mission like @thegambler500 , it's just not feasible. Unless we start with EMPTY bikepacking bags...🤔

If we sat down for beers, I would tell you I believe the problem is education. I want to think the destructive things I encounter are created out of ignorance. And while many of life's issues offer two sides, land stewardship does not. Leave a fire, and it will burn. Dump trash, it will pollute. Leave a scar, and it might take generations to heal. If ever. It's pretty simple.

I know I'm speaking to a congregation here, so let me say this: not only should we strive to be better stewards, let's be better educators too.

#rambleride #rooseveltnationalforest #cameronpeakfire #colorado #wildfire

**September Ramble Update**

I am writing today under orange haze and smoke from the nearby Cameron Peak fire.

A few of you have emailed about the fire and possible impact on the ride.

First; man...2020. Go away.

Second, it's too early to tell. The fire is still several miles south of the route, and the Forest Service, in the act of great foresight, cut a significant firebreak along the road we use in early July. Roughly 200 yards, it's tough to imagine a fire jumping this gap. We have another road option to the north, further from the fire area, we could take if the fire reached that far.

More importantly, however, this fire is just a few days old. We don't know how long it will burn, and what the consequences will be: the area could remain closed, campsites could remain closed, or God Forbid, it is still active. Our 2012 High Park fire burned for nearly a month, which in this case would put us right on top of our ride date. Because of the speed, terrain, and conditions, USFS is currently not actively fighting the fire, and instead, working on containment.

Because we still have an option to move widely around this area, and our third-night camping while currently closed due to evacuations, is a private spot and unlikely to be in the path of the fire, I'm not ready to call this ride postponed. The next week or two will help make this determination as we see where this fire spreads, and have a better idea of the likely duration. That area is 70-80% beetle-kill trees so there is plenty of fuel to maintain this fire under current conditions.

But, since there are a number of you who have travel plans, I wanted you to be fully aware of the situation so that you could change if needed.

If this fire moves south, and our roads reopen while the fire is active, be aware too of air quality. If you have any issues in this regard, please take this into consideration.

There is a useful link in our bio for fire information.

Not the best news, and just more for a tough year for all of us. I'll make a final determination by September 1 on complete postponement.

We never skimp on scenery.

#rambleride #rideshimano #shimanogravel #colorado #gravelbike

Moots bicycles are made for the roads, dirt track, and trails of Northern Colorado. Which makes them perfect for the Rambles.

A part of the Ramble Ride from the very first ride, you’ll find lots of Moots riders, staff, and even some demos for you use. But, keep in mind, you’ll want one afterwards so don’t blame us. Or do.

#rambleride #moots #rideshimano #shimanogravel #titanium #explorebybike

Still one of my favorite reveals on the ride. This year we changed it up a bit and headed further north, just into Wyoming and new roads.

#rambleride #rideshimano #shimanogravel

Food. Glorious food.

You won’t go hungry on Rambles, no matter who you are. We cater to just about any diet request, and have plenty of it: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

#rambleride #rideshimano #shimanogravel #foodforfuel #gravelcamp

A bit of respite and check in. Rambles aren’t entirely without cellular service, but enough that you might just get a bit of a detox over four days.

#rambleride #rideshimano #motherofcomfort #phonedetox