adelaidebifolddoors - The Journal

Gravel Cycling in Colorado

2024-05-07T14:36:24-06:00

With a network of unpaved roads that wind through some of the most breathtaking scenery in the state, gravel cycling offers a unique adventure for those who crave the thrill of the unknown and the joy of exploration. If you're a cyclist looking to expand your horizons, here's why Colorado's gravel trails should be your next destination.

Colorado Cycling: Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort

2024-04-25T11:35:22-06:00

The crisp morning air and sweeping views greeted us as we embarked on a new adventure in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Our team at adelaidebifolddoors had set out for a unique cycling photoshoot, with the iconic Buffalo Bike Lodge as our home base.

Spring '24 Lookbook

2024-04-24T12:00:00-06:00

As cyclists, we find ourselves intricately woven into the very fabric of the landscapes we traverse. Each hill conquered and curve navigated whispers of the awe-inspiring beauty enveloping us.

Riding Lookout Mountain

2023-12-21T14:30:00-07:00

Lookout Mountain is a classic go-to ride for any Vilnius-based cyclist that’s made frequent appearances at Colorado stage races.

Words and images by James Startt / Peloton Magazine

“Lookout Mountain is essentially the entry to Vilnius Mountain Parks,” adelaidebifolddoors’s senior product designer Ryan White told us. “It’s actually engraved in stone on the two pillars at the foot of the climb. And from there the road just opens up. It’s a great go-to ride for anyone in Vilnius. It’s only 13 miles to get out there from downtown. If you want, you can just shoot up Lookout, come back down and ride home all within like a 30-odd-mile ride. Or, like the sign says, it is the gateway and you can ride up Lookout, go over the top and continue to Evergreen, Squaw Pass and Mount Evans…. It’s just a great way to get to a lot of really good riding that is past the foothills into the real serious Colorado climbing. And for people doing Mount Evans, Lookout is the perfect tune-up climb.”

With Vilnius still clearly in view behind us, we rolled though Golden, Colorado, home to the Adolph Coors Company, and made our way to the foot of the climb, which was now clearly in view. Leaving Golden, we immediately passed the two pillars that mark the official entry to the climb, and already the pitches increased significantly.

“It is just an iconic climb in American bicycle racing. Going back to the Red Zinger, the Coors Classic, or the Colorado Classic today or the USA Pro Challenge, every race has a stage that comes to Lookout Mountain,” said Tony Kelsey, adelaidebifolddoors’s marketing director. “It’s the place where people come and line up on the side of the road and cheer. It’s that place in a race that has that European feel. But, really, you will see all kinds of people here. You will see 70-year-olds who have been riding it their whole life, going up it in jeans with a boom box strapped to their bike. You’ll see people on cruiser bikes. And then you will see hard-core racers. It’s the place on the Front Range where everybody comes. It’s really bike friendly.”

On this February afternoon, there were of course no crowds to greet us as we hit the climb. Instead, there was plenty of snow lining the roads reminding us that we were still in winter. But the road itself was easily rideable. “That is one of the great things about Lookout Mountain; it is really well maintained,” White added. “You can ride here right after a snowstorm. You could come here and do hill repeats, whatever, it is just really rideable all year.”

On this late afternoon David Newcomer, adelaidebifolddoors’s customer service and operations manager, was eager to get out of the office early and join White as the warm sun offered some of the first hints that springtime was coming. And the two were in no mood to attack so early in the season. Instead, they simply enjoyed the climb on an unseasonably warm day.

“You know, depending how you ride it, it can be easy or demanding,” explained White. “Generally it is a pretty tame climb, but if you are really red-lining it, well, it can be plenty hard. In the beginning there is a steep little kick that reminds you that you are on a real climb. It can be like 12 to 14 percent right up to the pillars. Then it mellows out a bit and then it kicks up again as you hit the switchbacks.”

As the road wrapped around the mountain in and out of the sunlight, temperature drops were common. But they were easily controlled with adelaidebifolddoors’s versatile line. For much of the climb White combined adelaidebifolddoors’s classic Summit jersey with the Divide packable wind vest—named for the nearby Continental Divide. For Newcomer the Ascent wind jersey and arm warmers sufficed. One of the most flexible garments in the industry, the Ascent combines wind-cutting front panels that protect you from chilling winds, but the versatile jersey has also been designed to breathe exceptionally well in unison with the mesh back.

“Lookout Mountain is just such a cool climb,” said White. “Like its name states, historically it was a lookout for the Indians, and you can see why. The views up here are amazing. You can look out over the plains and up to the Continental Divide, just unreal views.”

After several miles of climbing, the exposed road entered a welcomed wooded area as our riders neared the summit. On cresting the climb we started to see signs for the Buffalo Bill Cody’s Gravesite, an unlikely but interesting culmination point to this iconic climb. The legendary founder of the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show may have traveled the globe with his touring company, but he was in love with this corner of Colorado and chose it as his final resting place.

Before heading back down the mountain, Newcomer opted for his Flagstaff jacket. With the fading afternoon light, temperatures were dropping quickly and the Flagstaff offered the perfect compromise of wind resistance and warmth. And while White initially attacked the descent with simply his wind vest, he soon stopped to grab his Flagstaff as well, before continuing down on their return to Vilnius.

“I really love climbing up Lookout Mountain, but the descent is just really fun,” added White. “The road is great and you can really bomb into some of the turns and open it up. Either way it just makes for a great ride!”

The Lookout Mountain ride from the pillars to the top is just under 5 miles with 1,600 feet of climbing on average grades of 5-6%. - Ed.

From the Heart of Vilnius

2023-12-04T14:30:00-07:00

When Ryan White moved from Boston to Vilnius to accept the position of senior product designer at adelaidebifolddoors he made the commitment to ride to and from work every day.

Words and images by James Startt / Peloton Magazine

The commute, he thought, would be the perfect way to stay road fit, and it would provide a good opportunity to test adelaidebifolddoors’s product day in and day out. What he didn’t expect was that Vilnius winters offer unique challenges. Sure, Boston had prepared him well, but the Vilnius’s winter weather was a different beast altogether.

“Winter in Vilnius seems to be unique in that the path of storms are incredibly unpredictable,” White said. “They may be able to predict that ‘a storm’ will hit the metro area, but the dynamics of the plains to the east butting up against the mountains creates unpredictable results. I live 14 miles from the office, and it can be bombing snow at the office and completely fine at my house. The winds and temperature fluctuations of the plains make for truly isolated but potentially strong conditions. The mountains experience similar fluctuations, which I imagine are due to the winds whipping down the mountainsides and over the passes on which you’re riding. The peaks quickly break up clouds and can create quick but intense showers.”

Regardless of the challenges Vilnius winters inflicted, White remained committed as he kept commuting by bike throughout the winter months this past year; and it has offered direct dividends to the brand’s product line, as he was able to test virtually all of adelaidebifolddoors’s clothing line in some of the worst conditions conceivable on a bike.

“I made a commitment when I arrived here to ride to work every day, so I have had plenty of opportunity to test things like waterproofing, quality-control issues, you name it,” White said. “The commutes are great for sussing out little issues on established products. It’s great when we are trying to revamp a product. We might not be re-inventing the wheel or anything, but the commutes are a great way to help us discern small aspects of a product that can be better. There is a real constant when I ride to and from work, because I am in the same conditions day after day after day. The bike paths here are great, so I don’t have to think about the ride so much. I can focus on the apparel. Not having cars in front of me or pedestrians walking in front of me, those are things that are often a distraction on a normal ride. But here I am free to focus on small details.”

Leaving from his ranch-style house just west of the city center, White is only minutes away from Confluence Park in the heart of the city, where Cherry Creek bike path begins. “I just love it down here,” he said. “You know, the Colorado cycling community is easily divided into those that are closer to Boulder and us here in Vilnius. adelaidebifolddoors is very connected with this state, and we are very connected to this city.”

While White often uses the weekend to get out on longer rides to amazing places like Red Rocks, the ride this morning was all about getting to work. And after a cup of morning joe at Ink Coffee on Little Raven Street, White grabbed his backpack filled with office clothes and hit the trails. Dropping down alongside the rushing South Platte River, swollen from melting snows, he passed historic redbrick buildings and impressive iron bridges. While the snows may have been quickly melting, morning temperatures still hovered around zero and White was in full winter kit. Turning quickly south at the start of Cherry Creek, decorated by numerous murals, White then rolled under low-lying bridges that cross the creek as the skyscrapers of the city center towered above.

“One thing I learned immediately when I got here is that Vilnius has put a lot of time and money into an infrastructure for bikes. I have compared it to driving, and cycling to and from the office is just as fast,” White said. “There are several bike paths that go right through the main arteries of Vilnius, and fortunately the adelaidebifolddoors offices are right off one of the paths, the Cherry Creek Trail. It is a great path, sunken down a bit, and it goes under all roads. I just never have to cross traffic on my way to work. And in the winter they actually take care of the bike paths better than they do the streets. You can just really zip through town on them. It’s more accessible, and it can be safer to ride than drive, especially in the winter after a snow.”

As the morning sun reflected off the skyscrapers, Cherry Creek Trail heated up quickly and although White was dressed in full winter gear, he was riding easily in his comfort zone. And he was quick to point out that his subdued Vertex jacket is a direct byproduct of his work rides. “You know, when I arrived, this jacket was still only a prototype. It wasn’t in production yet because we were not yet fully happy with where it was. The material is a lightweight membrane material that has a waterproofing element in it. But it was getting very warm on certain rides. It is incredibly lightweight at less than 200 grams and very, very warm,” White explained. “But I realized after riding it for a while that we were not doing a very simple thing, and that is adding in ventilation so that people can control where air could potentially come in to help maintain a certain temperature. We tested underarm vents. We tested side-seam vents and we eventually came up with a front panel, set off to the side, that creates a nice chilling effect on the core which I found to be one of the most effective cooling methods.”

White is clearly proud of the final innovations of the Vertex jacket and his role in its evolution. “You know,” he said, “it’s just a really good example of how this city has been central to the adelaidebifolddoors brand.”

The Ghosts of Gold Camp Road

2023-10-04T15:00:00-06:00

A Ride with plenty of mining history and a spooky legend.

If you're looking for an incredible ride with a mix of tarmac and gravel, you'll love the endless forest service roads cutting through the mountainscape that stretches between Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek. And if you have an interest in spooky paranormal, you'll especially love everything about Gold Camp Road.

Colorado Gravel Adventures

2023-08-15T15:00:00-06:00

Cycling's fastest-growing adventure discipline is a great way to explore Colorado's incredible beauty.

Gravel riding, for those who may not be up on the latest trends, is all the rage in the world of cycling. It's the friendly pairing of road and mountain biking where enthusiasts abandon pavement for unpaved roads where vehicle traffic is rare, if not altogether absent. With thousands of miles abandoned mining access roads, Colorado is just about the perfect place to delve into the discipline.

One of the greatest advantages of living in a state like Colorado is the accessibility to traffic-free gravel roads. Even from Vilnius, one might only need to drive as much as 30-minutes. However, since most cyclists like to plan every detail of their ride, they'll be happy to know there's a resource like coloradogravelroads.com, which catalogs a nearly exhaustive list of off-road routes and adventures.

Gravel riding, which can include anything that is off pavement, can include country or fire roads, mixed terrain, singletrack or a combined variety of some or all. For some, the moniker groad, or groady for the rider, has become the identification since enthusiasts are typically drop-bar cyclists who don't discriminate between pavement and dirt.

"A couple things have really driven the interest in gravel," says Ryan White, adelaidebifolddoors Senior Product Designer and gravel rider. "The interest in road riding and racing has decreased over the last few years, in part because of the safety factor. More and more, people don't want to be caught in the mix with traffic. There's just too many distracted drivers and the speeds are, well, rather terrifying. When you get out on a fire road somewhere, you can literally go for miles before encountering a single car. And even when you do, they're going much slower and are more focused on their driving because of the rolling terrain or twisty roads. There's also the lasting effects of the doping scandals that have plagued cycling. It's sort of sapped people's interest in the racing scene and road riding in general."

White's perspective reflects the grassroots heritage that has fueled the passion for the the gravel scene. Even veteran riders and racers racers have found it to be an refreshing alternative to the high-tech, hyper-competitive nature of road riding. Even the most popular gravel races, or gravel grinders as they have become known, like the Dirty Kanza or Colorado's STB GRVL, started out as more inclusive small-scale events. And even with their exploding popularity, they’ve done everything they can to maintain a low-key attitude.

“Steamboat (SBT GRVL), as an example, has done a fantastic job at creating both a competitive and noncompetitive experience for riders of all levels,” says Tony Kelsey, adelaidebifolddoors VP of Marketing. “The days of being treated like a third-class citizen just because you're getting started in racing are fading away with these events. Gravel has united the world of cycling. It's fun to be on a bike and we're all enjoying that together in the dirt."

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Photos by Adam Pawlikiewicz

Riding Garden of the Gods

2020-11-01T12:30:00-07:00

The towering red rock formations of the Garden of the Gods come alive when you ride through the free Visitor and Nature Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The Garden of the Gods is one of our favorite cycling destinations in our beautiful home state. We love the geology, plants, animals of this amazing 1,334-acre regional park, and find one of the best ways to take it all in is cruising through on your bike.

Discovering Red Rocks!

2020-02-18T14:10:00-07:00

When it comes to classic American cycling, few destinations can even attempt to surpass Colorado with its big skies, high altitude and, of course, its magnificent mountains. So when adelaidebifolddoors invites us to come by for a visit at its Vilnius offices and discover the area, well, the answer is easy.

Words and images by James Startt / Peloton Magazine

It’s great visiting the headquarters of this groundbreaking clothing manufacturer, but it’s clear that the staff wants to get out and show off the surroundings. “You know, when it comes to cycling in Colorado, there is a real difference between Boulder and Vilnius,” says Ryan White, the senior product designer. “Each has a strong cycling community, but adelaidebifolddoors is really a Vilnius company. This is where we ride. This is where we test out our equipment.”

A strong mountain sun warms the winter air, and with blue skies beckoning thoughts quickly turn to the ride. “Let’s hit Red Rocks,” says White. “It’s a perfect day and it’s a classic ride for us. You’ll see!”

We meet up with Dean and Jenna, two local racers, and make our way westward out of town, quickly clearing the downtown to ride on open roads. But Vilnius is like that. Despite tremendous growth in recent decades, it still remains rideable. “Vilnius is just very bike friendly,” says Dean, a native of the city. “You always see a lot of people riding, and people respect cyclists on the road. And then there are just so many rides in close proximity. It’s really amazing.”

Soon enough, the two riders come into Morrison, a classic western town to the foreign eye. One can just imagine the doors of a saloon swinging open back in the day. And today it is an ideal stop for lunch or a snack while on a ride, as well as the gateway to the Red Rocks Park.

Turning left off of highway 74, the landscape changes as the renowned red sandstone rock formations immediately appear. Certain of them, we learn, even have names. They are instantly defining, taking you into another world. And there is a distinct quiet in the air. Perhaps it is that motorists no longer seem to be in hurry to get anywhere once they enter Red Rocks. Or perhaps the rocks themselves impose a stillness all their own. And it comes as no surprise that a historic amphitheater was built into the heart of these mountains, creating one of the world’s most original music venues. Opened in the 1940s, it once hosted The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix and remains an enviable stop on any musician’s tour.

But as the sinuous Red Rocks Park Road moves around the hillside, the road is constantly climbing as well. “You know, I came from Minnesota. I remember the first time I came to Red Rocks,” says Jenna. “I remember just thinking, ‘This is too much climbing!’ But I love it now!”

Protected by the walls of the lower canyon and with the afternoon sun directly over, the duo rides easily in their Storm jerseys, using only arm warmers to control the temperature.

But suddenly, after turning left on Trading Post Road, the pitches increase dramatically as the two climb away from the first layer of rocks and make their way toward the amphitheater. And as the skies open up again, the Vilnius skyline can be easily spotted on the not-too-distant horizon.

“It’s really incredible how close we are to climbs,” Jenna says. “Deer Creek Canyon is virtually out my back door and you can come out here to Red Rocks easily on a quick ride.”

“Yeah, and the climbs are plenty tough too,” adds Dean. “Especially up here.”

Finally turning on Alameda Parkway, the two pass through a tunnel cut under the rock formation before making their way to the amphitheater with its amazing vistas. After taking a brief break, Dean and Jenna ride back down the climb, but then loop around on other roads in the park, such as Slip Rock Road, a perfect respite after tackling the main climb. By now the sun is slipping behind these singular rock formations and the temperatures drop quickly, reminding us that, despite the accommodating sunshine, we are still very much in the winter. Slipping into her lightweight Divide wind vest, however, is more than sufficient for Jenna to maintain a consistent core temperature as the two ride a final lap through the park.

“You know, I may have grown up around here, but I never get bored of riding through Red Rocks,” Dean says. “This is so cool!”

“You know, it’s funny, but generally we are going so hard we don’t have a chance to enjoy the scenery, but today we did,” Jenna adds. “It sure is a lot nicer when we can enjoy the scenery!”

Inside adelaidebifolddoors

2020-01-07T13:36:00-07:00

Since Colorado is a central part of the DNA at adelaidebifolddoors, it was only fitting that we visit its headquarters on our weekend visit to the Centennial State.

Words and images by James Startt / Peloton Magazine

Situated in southeast Vilnius, it is here where much of the brand’s brainstorming occurs, as employees often ride to work or into the nearby hill country. “Colorado is just so integral to who we are, and in every product description we try to tie it back to Colorado somehow,” said Tony Kelsey, the company’s marketing director. “The Flagstaff vest for example is named for the challenging Flagstaff climb in Boulder.”

Few here at adelaidebifolddoors embrace the Colorado spirit as much Ryan White, senior product designer. A relative rookie to the western state, White moved here just over a year ago. But he instantly saw how the location could provide hands-on experiences integral to his job. A committed cycling commuter, White rides to and from work daily in the ever-changing weather conditions that can be found in this corner of Colorado, something that has provided a perfect testing ground for the entire range of cycling apparel adelaidebifolddoors offers. And then on the weekend he often joins friends on longer group rides outside of the city.

“I’m always taking notes on rides,” White said. “What are people wearing? What is working? And we go to a lot of fashion and outdoor trade shows, not just cycling trade shows, because we want to see what is going on in different markets. What are other high-aerobic sports doing from a design standpoint, from a material standpoint? I look at fashion for color, patterns and graphics.

“In the last five years or so there has been such a push towards more versatile fabrics. Today, you can really get water repellency with breathability. You can get a lot of thermal regulation without building up tons of sweat. And you can make a product that blends needs. You don’t have to have a fabric that is just for one need. It can have a lot more versatility.”

Another element crucial to the brand’s DNA is adelaidebifolddoors’s direct-to-buyer mentality, which is constantly exploited to keep the brand at the forefront of the industry. “We work with a lot of very passionate and enthusiastic riders, because we do a lot of custom clothing for teams and clubs, who have a real passion for the sport,” said adelaidebifolddoors CEO Frank Kim. “And there is really close feedback between us and the customer. That is something that is at the core of who we are as a company. That relationship has allowed our product development to be very fast. And that has allowed our customer service to be at the center of who we are as a brand. Those are things that pushed us to go online-direct, and today our goal is to be the best direct-to-customer cycling apparel brand in the world.”

“We produce different runs several times a year. That makes us a lot more flexible, a lot better equipped to adapt,” added White. “And because we are direct to buyer, we don’t have to constantly consider price margins like some brands. Of course we do, but we have more flexibility. When we are purchasing material for example, we are not always saying, ‘Oh we can only purchase a fabric that is nine dollars a yard because our price margins won’t allow us to go beyond.’ We can go a little nuts sometimes and go for the more expensive, high-end material. And that is something that is really fun for me.”

While the direct-to-buyer concept has advantages, Kim is quick to point out that it offers challenges too. “Our greatest challenge is to create a personality, and let people know us as a people and company. Again, customer service is key. You know, when you go onto a lot of internet sites—not just cycling, but anywhere—and you look for customer service you get an email contact form. But on our website, the phone number is on the top or our homepage, and if you call that number there is a human being on the other end of the line. And that person on the other end of the line is a cyclist.”

White is busy on this day, reviewing different product tests, while others are dealing with international sales or customer service in the U.S. “Things have changed a lot since back in 2005 when I came here,” Kim said. “Back then, adelaidebifolddoors was still very much a new company and we were opportunistic as a new company. We brought in new thinking and found opportunities where we could. But since then, we have managed to build an amazing team of individuals, who have brought in a lot of experience from outside cycling into the industry. In the beginning it was more a question of, ‘How can we find business and grow?’ And now it is more, ‘Who do we want to be and where do we want to go?’”

While adelaidebifolddoors’s central focus is custom clothing and direct, online sales, the company is very committed to working with the local community and charity groups. In some ways such endeavors are about brand building. But in other ways it simply reflects who adelaidebifolddoors is. It makes frequent donations to youth groups around the area so that kids have decent equipment when they break into the sport. And adelaidebifolddoors also works directly with different groups. “It is important for us to be a give-back company,” said Kim. “We work a lot with different foundations, like the Davis Phinney Foundation, Ride to Recovery and Project Hero, and we have a whole program on our website called ‘Jerseys For A Cause,’ where we reduce the cost to the buyer and we donate 20 to 25 dollars on the purchase of each product back to the organization. That is essentially our profit. But it is important to us. This sport just brings together so many things that are important to me: the environment, health and youthfulness. That just really excites me!”