TWO EPIC ROAD RIDES
VAIL OCTOPUS | BOULDER OCTOPUS
VAIL OCTOPUS | BOULDER OCTOPUS
The 2021 Octopus is cancelled
the ride will go on next year in a pandemic-free world
Meanwhile join in for a shorter group ride
ANNOUNCING!
.
the Boulder FondoPussy 2021
Saturday, September 18 at 9am
RIDE RESCRIPTION
20 miles of mostly flat, rolling gravel
10 miles of dirt road climbing
14 miles of paved climbing
approximately total 75 miles with approximately 7000 ft of vertical
THE ROUTE
Start/finish in Gunbarrel >> rural north Boulder County >> up Left Hand Canyon to Lee Hill >> through town >>
up Sunshine Canyon to Peak To Peak highway to Ward >> down all of Left Hand Canyon >> back through rural north Boulder County
A FEW DETAILS
Though it would be best to use one, the dirt and gravel roads do not necessitate a gravel bike
Beefier tires on your road bike will suffice
This will be nothing more than an organized group ride
No support van/crew
The ride will occurr regardless of the number of riders
SEE ROUGH DRAFT OF ROUTE MAP HERE
Stay tuned for changes and/or more details
Send me an email if you are interested in following along more closely bandoni@vail.net
the ride will go on next year in a pandemic-free world
Meanwhile join in for a shorter group ride
ANNOUNCING!
.
the Boulder FondoPussy 2021
Saturday, September 18 at 9am
RIDE RESCRIPTION
20 miles of mostly flat, rolling gravel
10 miles of dirt road climbing
14 miles of paved climbing
approximately total 75 miles with approximately 7000 ft of vertical
THE ROUTE
Start/finish in Gunbarrel >> rural north Boulder County >> up Left Hand Canyon to Lee Hill >> through town >>
up Sunshine Canyon to Peak To Peak highway to Ward >> down all of Left Hand Canyon >> back through rural north Boulder County
A FEW DETAILS
Though it would be best to use one, the dirt and gravel roads do not necessitate a gravel bike
Beefier tires on your road bike will suffice
This will be nothing more than an organized group ride
No support van/crew
The ride will occurr regardless of the number of riders
SEE ROUGH DRAFT OF ROUTE MAP HERE
Stay tuned for changes and/or more details
Send me an email if you are interested in following along more closely bandoni@vail.net
The Octopus
Each ride occurs biennially. Next up: Boulder 2022, Vail 2023
Nearly everything you need to know is on this page and the RIDE DETAILS & MAPS page
Join the email list to stay in the loop... send email that says 'add me to the list' bandoni@vail.net
Questions, fears, advice...type or talk to me any time
PRINT the Boulder 2020 flyer. Hang it on your bedroom wall below the Rush poster... or in your office cube ...or put it on your fridge so your friends, spouse, children will know how crazy and awesome you are.
The Octopus
Each ride occurs biennially. Next up: Boulder 2022, Vail 2023
Nearly everything you need to know is on this page and the RIDE DETAILS & MAPS page
Join the email list to stay in the loop... send email that says 'add me to the list' bandoni@vail.net
Questions, fears, advice...type or talk to me any time
PRINT the Boulder 2020 flyer. Hang it on your bedroom wall below the Rush poster... or in your office cube ...or put it on your fridge so your friends, spouse, children will know how crazy and awesome you are.
the 2019 VAIL Octopus was Saturday, August 24
!! see story and images below !!
!! see story and images below !!
THE VAIL OCTOPUS is 8climbs 165miles 17,000ft vertical gain
NEW FOR VAIL 2019! THE VAIL OCTOPUSSY
5 of the 8 climbs | approx 110 miles | same cost | same perks | no tee-shirt
the ride support will end in Minturn after Battle Mtn Pass descent
The Vail Octopussy: ' Allowed & Loosely Encouraged ' You will never be so proud to be a puss.
5 of the 8 climbs | approx 110 miles | same cost | same perks | no tee-shirt
the ride support will end in Minturn after Battle Mtn Pass descent
The Vail Octopussy: ' Allowed & Loosely Encouraged ' You will never be so proud to be a puss.
THE BOULDER OCTOPUS is 8climbs 105mi 14,250ft vertical gain
The seventh VAIL OCTOPUS was Saturday Aug. 24, 2019
scroll over and click to enlarge images
scroll over and click to enlarge images
This year's Octopus was a classic. We had a starting group of 16 riders…a few Octopussy’s who showed up ready to kill it for half the day, a couple super strong vets, a few fearless rookies who didn’t know the roads, and several who did and knew what to fear. Accordingly, there were casualties, struggles, perseverance and outright victories. This year there is commentary that cannot be relegated to one-liners. So if you want to hear more, CLICK HERE to get the a complete picture of the 2019 VAIL ride.
Each year as I tabulate the roster leading up the ride and then watch people bail out as ride day approaches, I wonder why I bother holding the event at all. But after the ride, when all finishers sat down for beer & pizza and made their comments about a long, hard day in the saddle, I was reminded of why I bother with it....and I thought, ‘yep…gotta do this again’.
I want to thank Mike Brumbaugh / Venture Sports for his continued support! He came through with a wonderful van driver, Catrina DeCosta, who was charming and on top of her game.
I want to thank our new sponsor, Adam Avery / Avery Brewing for donating the reward-beer. I haven’t felt like Santa Clause since my kids were young and innocent…a long freakin’ time ago. It is truly a joy to hand weary, exhausted adults a six-pack of great beer.
See more photos on this page VAIL OCTO 2019
Must-see video from Dr. Patricia George...riding for Team Phenonomal Hope VIDEO
2019 VAIL OCTOPUS FINISHERS: Ken Legeia, Erika Van Meter, Ken Dammen, Paul Bauersfeld,
Matt Pielsticker, Nick Palmieri, David Glugla, Peter Davis, Patricia George, Bandoni
OCTOPUSSIES: Mike Glass, Chadd Ziegler, Erik Dorf. Yep.
Each year as I tabulate the roster leading up the ride and then watch people bail out as ride day approaches, I wonder why I bother holding the event at all. But after the ride, when all finishers sat down for beer & pizza and made their comments about a long, hard day in the saddle, I was reminded of why I bother with it....and I thought, ‘yep…gotta do this again’.
I want to thank Mike Brumbaugh / Venture Sports for his continued support! He came through with a wonderful van driver, Catrina DeCosta, who was charming and on top of her game.
I want to thank our new sponsor, Adam Avery / Avery Brewing for donating the reward-beer. I haven’t felt like Santa Clause since my kids were young and innocent…a long freakin’ time ago. It is truly a joy to hand weary, exhausted adults a six-pack of great beer.
See more photos on this page VAIL OCTO 2019
Must-see video from Dr. Patricia George...riding for Team Phenonomal Hope VIDEO
2019 VAIL OCTOPUS FINISHERS: Ken Legeia, Erika Van Meter, Ken Dammen, Paul Bauersfeld,
Matt Pielsticker, Nick Palmieri, David Glugla, Peter Davis, Patricia George, Bandoni
OCTOPUSSIES: Mike Glass, Chadd Ziegler, Erik Dorf. Yep.
The fourth BOULDER OCTOPUS was Saturday Sept. 8, 2018
scroll over and click to enlarge images
...and it was PERFECT. Octopus history was made.
All 14 riders who started the day, finished the ride. A first!
All 14 riders who started the day, finished the ride. A first!
As always, morning weather can make or break the mindset for an all-day ride. But once again, it was a blissful September day in Boulder. We just had to worry about the legs.
Fourteen riders, 8 Octopus rookies, 4 countries represented, 1 female soloist-repeat-rider, an age range of 28 to 59. And a guy who just moved here from Florida…which, upon last check, is not only flat but somewhat under water.
Every year the ride has an underlying theme. This year that seemed to be patience and perseverance. Two-thirds of the group rode a strong pace and there was the back one-third that rode at a more measured pace. And if one group is not patient and the other group does not persevere, the day is much less awesome. But gritty riders merged with great minds and the day was indeed absolutely awesome <> Nico ‘the Tabulator’ Toutenhoofd gets huge kudos for pacing and patience; and for not saying, ‘hmm, no one has been struck by lightning today’; and, from what we observed, not actually breaking a sweat. <> In response to last year’s world-class bonk, Ken Dammen effectively stood atop Lefthand Canyon near the end of the day and said to it, ‘fuck you’. Last year, it got the best of him. This year, he flattened out 15K feet of climbing. That is a comeback. <> Lefthand Canyon did indeed take its’ toll on some others this year…it received the contents of one man’s stomach; the echo of bloody screams from cramped legs; and the lactic acid dripping from a man’s thighs. But each man battled and finished the day. Grit. Perseverance. <> Our annual soloist, Erika VanMeter, started just a bit early and we did not catch her until the beer & pizza at Proto’s. She had supply-support but she grinded it out solo all day long and that is much more difficult than rolling with a pack. Grit. Perseverance. The guy from Florida!?...he bikes up a hill like he’s being chased by a goddamn gator.
2018 BOULDER OCTOPUS FINISHERS: Erika VanMeter, Chris Loy, Mike O’Halloran, Mikhail Ivanov, Dave Glugla, Rob Gray, Paul Bauersfeld, Scott Baumfalk, Nico Toutenhoofd, Ken Dammen, Matt Pielsticker, Rick Wiener, Eammon Rooney, Bandoni.
And once again, the ride is not possible without the Man In The Van… Ryan, owner/mechanic at Standard Bike Repair in Boulder chased us around all day long. Thanks Again!!
Fourteen riders, 8 Octopus rookies, 4 countries represented, 1 female soloist-repeat-rider, an age range of 28 to 59. And a guy who just moved here from Florida…which, upon last check, is not only flat but somewhat under water.
Every year the ride has an underlying theme. This year that seemed to be patience and perseverance. Two-thirds of the group rode a strong pace and there was the back one-third that rode at a more measured pace. And if one group is not patient and the other group does not persevere, the day is much less awesome. But gritty riders merged with great minds and the day was indeed absolutely awesome <> Nico ‘the Tabulator’ Toutenhoofd gets huge kudos for pacing and patience; and for not saying, ‘hmm, no one has been struck by lightning today’; and, from what we observed, not actually breaking a sweat. <> In response to last year’s world-class bonk, Ken Dammen effectively stood atop Lefthand Canyon near the end of the day and said to it, ‘fuck you’. Last year, it got the best of him. This year, he flattened out 15K feet of climbing. That is a comeback. <> Lefthand Canyon did indeed take its’ toll on some others this year…it received the contents of one man’s stomach; the echo of bloody screams from cramped legs; and the lactic acid dripping from a man’s thighs. But each man battled and finished the day. Grit. Perseverance. <> Our annual soloist, Erika VanMeter, started just a bit early and we did not catch her until the beer & pizza at Proto’s. She had supply-support but she grinded it out solo all day long and that is much more difficult than rolling with a pack. Grit. Perseverance. The guy from Florida!?...he bikes up a hill like he’s being chased by a goddamn gator.
2018 BOULDER OCTOPUS FINISHERS: Erika VanMeter, Chris Loy, Mike O’Halloran, Mikhail Ivanov, Dave Glugla, Rob Gray, Paul Bauersfeld, Scott Baumfalk, Nico Toutenhoofd, Ken Dammen, Matt Pielsticker, Rick Wiener, Eammon Rooney, Bandoni.
And once again, the ride is not possible without the Man In The Van… Ryan, owner/mechanic at Standard Bike Repair in Boulder chased us around all day long. Thanks Again!!
The sixth VAIL OCTOPUS was Saturday Sept. 9, 2017
We started the day with 10 riders planning to complete the ride and 4 riders with a Half-Octo on their mind. Two records may have been set! At 12 years old, Toby Scarpella may be the youngest biker to ride Wolcott-Bellyache-Cordillera. That alone is 6000 ft vertical gain over 50 miles. Congratulations Toby! At 61 years young, Patrick Baldasare finished his second Octopus. [ I notice a commonality...lo spirito Italiano! ]. As always, I commend the starters who accomplished one of the hardest things about the day: they showed up and tried!
Huge gratitude goes out to Tyler Greider for managing the van operations so perfectly and Mike Brumbaugh at Venture Sports for another year of donating the van and supporting the ride. For the 7 survivors, a perfect blue sky and a fitting sunset at the end of the ride always helps.
2017 FINISHERS: Mark Lowe, Patrick Baldasare, Matt Shapcott, Mike Sherven, Mike Glass, Dorf, Bandoni.
Huge gratitude goes out to Tyler Greider for managing the van operations so perfectly and Mike Brumbaugh at Venture Sports for another year of donating the van and supporting the ride. For the 7 survivors, a perfect blue sky and a fitting sunset at the end of the ride always helps.
2017 FINISHERS: Mark Lowe, Patrick Baldasare, Matt Shapcott, Mike Sherven, Mike Glass, Dorf, Bandoni.
ENTRY DONATION is $60.
Not refundable if you do not show up but it is transferable to a friend.
SCHWAG AND PERKS FOR FINISHERS:
AVERY BEER for every person who finishes the day!
The coveted, elitist, braggadocious, OCTOPUS TEE SHIRT & BUMPER STICKER see images below
STANDARD BIKE REPAIR in BOULDER
50% OFF bike tune
http://www.standardbikerepair.com/
VENTURE SPORTS in AVON
50% OFF bike tune. 25% OFF bike parts & accessories in 2019
LARKBURGER
Free sandwich at any of their locations
HAND & STONE MASSAGE in Boulder or Arvada
50% off a 60 minute massage
THE 2nd MOST POPULAR QUESTION / ANSWER: Yes. Start the day. End when you wish.
It's still 50 bucks but you do not get the tee shirt nor bumper sticker.
NEED AREA LODGING ???? Let me know. I can help.
Not refundable if you do not show up but it is transferable to a friend.
SCHWAG AND PERKS FOR FINISHERS:
AVERY BEER for every person who finishes the day!
The coveted, elitist, braggadocious, OCTOPUS TEE SHIRT & BUMPER STICKER see images below
STANDARD BIKE REPAIR in BOULDER
50% OFF bike tune
http://www.standardbikerepair.com/
VENTURE SPORTS in AVON
50% OFF bike tune. 25% OFF bike parts & accessories in 2019
LARKBURGER
Free sandwich at any of their locations
HAND & STONE MASSAGE in Boulder or Arvada
50% off a 60 minute massage
THE 2nd MOST POPULAR QUESTION / ANSWER: Yes. Start the day. End when you wish.
It's still 50 bucks but you do not get the tee shirt nor bumper sticker.
NEED AREA LODGING ???? Let me know. I can help.
I do not reccomend you do either of these rides on your own.
This guy did it solo which is much more difficult than riding with a group! Not a good idea but fun to watch... VELO VEGAN
This guy did it solo which is much more difficult than riding with a group! Not a good idea but fun to watch... VELO VEGAN
SIGN UP TODAY!
just send me an email and type, 'I am in' bandoni@vail.net
We appreciate the support and contributions from the following people and their businesses...
Mike Brumbaugh, Dave Ivener, Ryan Kelley, Rod Connolly, and Larkburger
As of June 2019, I am very proud
to announce the Octopus' newest supporter!....Adam Avery at AVERY BREWING
Mike Brumbaugh, Dave Ivener, Ryan Kelley, Rod Connolly, and Larkburger
As of June 2019, I am very proud
to announce the Octopus' newest supporter!....Adam Avery at AVERY BREWING
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OCTOPUS TRUISMS
These rides are tough but they are not as tough as they seem on paper.
You will not show up to ride without committing to it in advance.
It's also a helluva lot of descending!
These rides are tough but they are not as tough as they seem on paper.
You will not show up to ride without committing to it in advance.
It's also a helluva lot of descending!
I highly reccomend Levi's Fondo. Let me know if you go. I'll be there, too.
It's every October in Santa Rosa, CA and it's fabulous. LEVI'S GRAN FONDO
It's every October in Santa Rosa, CA and it's fabulous. LEVI'S GRAN FONDO
IF YOU WANT TO FO FAST, GO ALONE. IF YOU WANT TO GO FAR, GO TOGETHER. African proverb
