La Flâneur

Velo Flâneur is all about cycling culture, cycling history and the cult of hardcore road cycling. And we are now offering Tee Shirts from their Summit Collection. Find them now on the Bouré website!

The Alpe d'Huez

The Coal Bank-Molas

From Wikipedia:

The term flâneur comes from the French masculine noun flâneur—which has the basic meanings of "stroller", "lounger", "saunterer", "loafer"—which itself comes from the French verb flâner, which means "to stroll". Charles Baudelaire developed a derived meaning of flâneur—that of "a person who walks the city in order to experience it". Because of the term's usage and theorization by Baudelaire and numerous thinkers in economic, cultural, literary and historical fields, the idea of the flâneur has accumulated significant meaning as a referent for understanding urban phenomena and modernity.

The Ultimate Flâneur, Salvador Dali

Tailwind Nutrition

We will be putting samples of Tailwind Nutrition in as many Bouré orders as possible in the coming months. If you like it, you can use an enclosed Coupon for 20% Off your first order. We hope you like it!

Tailwind Nutrition was created by Durango athletes, Jeff and Jennifer Vierling, who've ridden Paris-Brest-Paris, RAAM Qualifiers, Leadville 100s and other endurance events. Having tried everything on the market to deal with stomach problems, cramping, and that sickly sweet taste from ingesting artificial ingredients and chemicals found in other drinks, they created their own drink, Tailwind. In a nutshell, Tailwind Nutrition is formulated to deliver everything you need in one simple, powerful drink.

• Potent energy and electrolytes: no need to eat or drink anything else. Just pour, shake, and go.
• Easy on your gut: push yourself and feel great
• Tastes great hour after hour: Not sickly sweet so you can keep on drinking
• Hydration pack friendly! Dissolves easily and rinses clean

Yabba Dabba Doo

We recently visited Hualapai Mountain Park near Kingman, Arizona - built by the CCC in the 1930s. I can't remember how we found this park on a previous trip some 5-6 years ago, though it made it good midway stopping point while headed towards a camping trip in the Mojave, and I can only assume it was simply a camping area designated on an Arizona Road Map in our glove box. Arriving late at night, we had no idea until the next morning that we had arrived in the town of Bedrock. We've been continuously amazed and intrigued by the work done by the crews of the CCC, so back we went to take a second, longer look. Astounding and lasting work left behind by those CCC crews, and all of it essentially done by hand. 

Cabin #1 - Boulder Run, upon arrival

Copper counter tops and back splash

Cabin #1 - Boulder Run, upon departure.

Ahh... Springtime in the West

Hualapai Mountain Park near Kingman, Arizona, which was built by the CCC camp, SP8A, who arrived in the Hualapai Mountains in 1935. Enrollees began to reconstruct Hualapai Mountain Road, widening it, straightening curves, and improving drainage. In 1937 the enrollees began to develop the park itself. They built retaining walls, trails, roadways, and stone bridges. They also built 17 rustic cabins; some are constructed with large-sized, rubble stone. Each has a stone fireplace and chimney and is set off in its own portion of the park, complete with picnic table and grill. These beautiful cabins are still in fine shape and available for rental today. For more information on this park, go the Hualapai Mountain Park website.

Follow Ned on Strava

Our personal favorite mountain bike legend, Ned Overend, has recently become a member of the Strava community, and you can follow every ride he does. Just go to the Strava website, Sign up (if you haven't already), search to follow Ned by his Strava name, "ned o", and start learning how the legend trains. And then when you come to Durango, you can compare your times to Ned's times on his favorite training rides. So, what are you waiting for?

Strava allows you to track your rides & runs via your iPhone, Android or GPS device so you can analyze your performance, set new PRs, and compare and compete with friends.

Mmmm...

Lately, in select Durango gardens.

Pasque Flower

Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Elegans'

Plants & Photography by Lisa Bourey

Vern, the Equinox

The first day of Spring, March 20, 2012

Fresh snow and a morning temperature of 10° F.

Pictures from our Durango yard, where the Sonoran Desert makes a last, defiant stand in the chilly shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

Agave neomexicana

Yucca harrimaniae

Photography by Lisa Bourey

Clairette Does a Pirouette

As we approach the Vernal Equinox, Durangoans cling to any and all small signs indicating the coming of warm "Spring" weather. Or some years we just wait until May...

Dwarf Iris

Iris reticulata 'Clairette'

Clairette doing a pirouette

Flowers & Photography by Lisa Bourey

Ned Wins Award #523 (approx.)

Our personal favorite mountain bike legend, Ned Overend, received the Cycling Legend award at the Endurance Live! gala in Los Angeles last Saturday night. Which begs the question, where is he putting all these awards?

Click on the picture to jump to the VeloNews article and video. And get a small glimpse into Ned's rare wit.

The gala highlighted many of the top athletes in endurance sports, including Ironman champion Chrissie Wellington and downhill mountain bike world champion Danny Hart. In an interview with VeloNews, Overend talked about how the unique event brought a variety of endurance sports icons together.

“All of these incredible athletes, that’s what makes this such an honor,” said Overend. “You talk about Dara Torres, there’s no end to it. Jim Ryan, Dave Scott, Chrissie Wellington. Crowie’s not here, but Chrissie and [Craig Alexander’s] performances were inspirational this year.”

In his prime, Overend won six NORBA national championships and the first-ever world cross-country championship, in Durango, Colorado. The Specialized spokeman hasn’t slowed down much, however; at 56, he is still winning world championships, and has already done so this year, at the Masters World Cyclocross Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. Overend attributes his victory at the 1991 mountain bike worlds and his lengthy career to his relationship with Specialized Bicycles. “The pressure from sponsors can lead to short careers,” he said. “I’ve never felt that pressure from Specialized.”

Read more at VeloNews.com...

Durango's First Sign of Spring

Snow Crocus

Crocus chrysanthus

Flowers & Photography by Lisa Bourey

Amber Has a Posse

Durango Multi Modal Department Adds 2 New Hires!

Amber Blake (middle)

flanked by Deven Meininger (left) and Wade Moore (right)

Until a little over 4 years ago, and after some prodding, some at City of Durango confidently assured the cycling community that we didn't have need for a Bike/Ped Coordinator. Then in May of 2008, after an enlightening community-wide Bicycle Summit, Durango was named a Silver-Level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. And from that effort, the Advocacy Partners presented a list of Multimodal Transportation Recommendations to a welcoming City of Durango and La Plata County. At the very top of the list was the need to hire a Bike/Ped Coordinator. Then lo and behold, less than one year later, Amber Blake was hired as Durango's first Multi-Modal Transportation Coordinator in April of 2009.

Amber started her new job with the City of Durango by diving right into the many transit, bike and pedestrian issues that make our roads and transportation systems better for all users. After almost 3 years of existing as a one-woman department, her hard work and strong personal aspirations for the Multi Modal Department has been rewarded with the addition of 2 new support postions within her Multi Modal Department to assist her and allow the acceleration of further improvements. To start 2012, Amber now has two new employees - Deven Meininger, Durango's new Multi Modal Specialist (hired with the help of a FTA Mobility Management Grant) and Wade Moore, Durango's new Multi Modal Assistant (a benificiary of restructuring within the department). And well, that leaves Amber as the Multi Modal Administrator with the additional responsibility of overseeing the Parking Division. Though with all our great transportation options coming together, we like to think of parking as a Multi Modal Transition Zone. So here's to great things in Durango!