In 2017, Andrew Mortenson, RO Staff, housesat for a friend in exchange for his first mountain bike.
This Fall (2022), he competed in the world class Pikes Peak APEX mountain biking race for the first time. It was a four day event with top riders coming from all over the country - and a few from around the world.
Andrew cornering on Buckhorn in Cheyenne Canon. Photo credit:vladidrago
To train, Andrew rode a 100 miles a week and also competed in the local Aravaipa Moonrise Summer MTB Series - and won the whole thing!
The 1st day of the APEX was at Palmer Park in the heart of Colorado Springs. Andrew’s house is within riding distance and he loves riding all the techy trails at Palmer every week. He memorized the whole race course and anticipated each upcoming feature.
The 2nd day was at Royal Gorge in Canon City, an hour south of The Springs. It was 3 miles of steep climbing and really windy crossing the bridge suspended over the canyon.
The 3rd day was at Rampart Reservoir in Woodland Park, 30 minutes outside The Springs. It was a gorgeous ride around the reservoir with the Fall colors in full bloom.
The 4th day was in Cheyenne Canon in The Springs on trails like High Drive, Daniel’s Pass, Buckhorn, and Captain Jacks. By this point, Andrew was spent and found it difficult to keep a high cadence without blowing up.
Trails End Tap Room Team at The APEX: L to R: Shawn Finley, Andrew Mortenson, Darin Petty, and Stephen Gabris.
Overall though, Andrew was stoked to finish the 4 day event exactly in the middle of the pack out of a 100 riders.
At The APEX after party, he enjoyed the food and local beer with buddies from the Trails End Tap Room Race Team who also competed. He also picked up some free swag like Rock Shox and SRAM t-shirts and hoodies and a Finisher’s glass.
Andrew looks forward to racing The APEX again next year.
