American Flyers and Me

Greetings Bull City Blogites. So as some or most of you might know I have relocated to 5280' or Denver for those of you that prefer the alphabet to numbers. It has been an interesting ride thus far......and by ride I mostly mean snowboard ride. Well this week has basically ushered in July weather to 5280' with temps punching 70+ degrees. With any and all snow retreating faster than Dook's basketball standings, I have hit the bike at full speed for a "winter training" mini-Brian camp. Basically this entails me dusting off the S-Works fleet and hitting the roads and trails of Colorado's front range for the first time.



My first adventure this week was on the road bike. I headed west on 32nd Avenue (the street I live on) and well.....about 10 miles later I ended up at the Coors Brewery. Not that I can remember the last time I had a Coors or if I have ever had one, it was nonetheless interesting to find out that I lived on the same street as a major brewery. The smell of fresh barley and hops, quickly made me crave a frosty brew......but alas there was were many more miles to go on this sunny winter day.



While most of you "educated" bicycle nerds know what Coors means to cycling, it is interesting to reflect on the meaning of this site and ponder American Flyers. As I rode passed the Coors brewery I couldn't help but look over my shoulder for Kevin Costner, Ted Danson or maybe even the Russian National Team. While American Flyers choose to rename the Coors Classic as the "Hell of the West", we all know that this stage race was one of the trailblazer events that ushered in bicycle racing to the United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s.



As we gaze back 25+ years and think about the meaning of the Coors Classic, the 7-11 Pro Team and American Flyers, it is hard not to imagine the impact that these entities had on American Cycling.......afterall 7-11 eventually turned into Motorola....of which a local boy from Texas began his pro cycling career with.



Cheers from Colorado-