Ear to the ground

“He didn’t have bike shorts so he decided to wear seven pairs of underwear … It seemed to work.”

- Local woman on her husband’s unorthodox approach to a comfy ride to Silverton during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic

Blog Rolling

Bobke’s gone blogger.

Comical former professional cyclist and Durangoan, Bob Roll, went worldwide last week with his new personal website: www.bobroll.com. As he notes on his site, the local cycling legend has “at last caught up with the times.”

Though still in its infancy, the website has an array of sections that will appeal to everyone from enthusiastic cyclists to seasoned professionals. Most notably is the BLOG-ke, Roll’s own blogging section. So far, he’s contributed only one entry, but Roll says he’ll use the blog to keep in touch with readers and give the lowdown on the cycling scene as he knows it.

Besides his blog, Roll shares some of his favorite photos – some of which are nearly 20 years old, that he’s passing off as recent. He also has a guestbook, upcoming events and poll sections.

Roll’s site includes an “Ask Bob” section, where visitors can throw any question at the four-time Tour de France participant. Roll got a jump-start on the Q&A section, already answering the question people ask him most often: “Who is going to win the Tour de France?” His answer: “Without being esoteric, probably someone who isn’t on the radar.”

The on-again, off-again mutton-chopped cyclist, who was a member of the original 7-Eleven Cycling Team, will head back to France this summer to carry out his regular gig of commentating on the “Tour de Frants” (known by everyone else as the Tour de France). His site gives plenty of nods and plugs to the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), which provides coverage of the famous cycling event. Roll will bring his commentary to his website and what he calls an “insider’s look at the industry.”

Mid-winter arrives a little late

“Better late than never” is the cry sounding around the Four Corners. Spring has given way to mid-winter in the Southwest as yet another series of powerful winter storms roared across the state this week.

March is typically the snowiest month of the year for Colorado ski resorts, and this year appears to be no exception. Durango Mountain Resort has reported more than 6 feet of snow in the last three weeks and a 60-plus inch mid-mountain base. More than 11 feet of snow have fallen at Wolf Creek Ski Area since the first of the month, bumping the base close to 100 inches.