Finding the Flow in Fruita

Oct 20, 2017
by Danielle Baker  
Views: 12,939    Faves: 83    Comments: 10

Words by Danielle Baker // Photos by Paris Gore // Video by Scott Secco


The morning that I flew to Colorado to meet the Rocky Mountain crew I woke up in Portland; I had already been on the road for a week and part of me wished I was headed home to sleep in my own bed - but arriving to old friends, new bikes, and flowy trails quickly assuaged any regrets I might have had. The days that followed would be full of laughter, riding, bunnies, blue skies, creepy dolls, and haunted houses that would change my end-of-season-exhausted perspective - sending me home better for having gone.

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Rocky Mountain was in Fruita, Colorado, to show off their newest trail bikes: the Pipeline and Instinct. I was there to check out a zone that I'd heard much about, but had never ridden. On our first day pedaling we rode the Kokopelli Trails, where locals have been riding for nearly three decades. Encompassing a wide variety of terrain, the trails here circle out and back along cliff edges high above the Colorado River and down below the towering and unique red rock formations. The reward-to-effort ratio was high and my ride was slowed down only by the friendly talkative locals and abundant wildlife I encountered - luckily mostly rabbits and owls, no snakes!

Finding the Flow in Fruita

bigquotesI have to say Fruita is rad! Visitors feel like locals and locals play like visitors here. A partnership of the City, COPMOBA, Hot Tomato, Colorado Backcountry Biker, Over the Edge and BLM (Bureau of Land Management) is focused on building new trails and recently built the new Hawkeye Trail and a re-route to Wrangler in the Kokopelli system. [Even] more singletrack trails are set to be constructed in the spring of 2018.Mike Bennett, City Manager


Kokopelli's Trail mountain biking trails

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

bigquotesOn the bike, my favorite part was the afternoon ride on the first day. It was super cool to have that steep technical climb that brought us up to the ridge where we could see all of the Kokopelli trail system down below – where we had ridden all morning – before descending that awesome Hawkeye trail. I really enjoyed the style of that trail and had a fun time jibbing off the boulder features.Tyler Pratt

Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

I’m not usually a window shopper. Whether it’s bikes, trucks, cameras, or boyfriends, my attitude is that if I'm happy with what I have, I don't need to waste my time shopping. That said, throwing a leg over the new Pipeline – when I already had a bike I love at home – carried a certain amount of frivolous excitement. I stand at a towering 5'4 and have always ridden a small frame, so I demoed a medium Pipeline. The wide, monster truck Plus tires made me feel as though I could do no wrong on the off-camber and tiered rock that made up so much of the trails in the Kokopelli network.


bigquotesThe riding in Fruita was incredible! The folks, the place, and the bikes were great for the soul!Danielle Baker


Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

The next day we headed to 18 Road – another popular riding area with over 120 kilometers of trail. Driving up the long road in the back of open air shuttle we could see the steep elevation ahead of us, but quite unexpectedly there was an incredible amount of descending to be found on the trails at the base of the mountain. This is where we spent the day riding loops that were easily as much fun up as down. Most of the Rocky crew were on the Instinct. it was a good place for wagon wheels, but getting back on the Plus tires for the steep and narrow ridgelines in the afternoon felt more reassuring – especially while battling winds and my yet-to-be-conquered fear of heights.

18 Road mountain biking trails

Finding the Flow in Fruita

bigquotesMy favorite part of this trip was chasing this high caliber group around my home turf. Super fun bikes and a crew that made ya step your game up to try to hang. I rode new lines on trails that I built, that says a lot about the speed we were carrying and the inspiration of the riders in front of my wheel.Troy Rarick, Over the Edge


Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

bigquotesThose crazy big tires on the Pipeline were so fun to play with while cornering. I felt like I could just keep leaning deep into the turns.Ben Marr

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Finding the Flow in Fruita

Aside from the constant stoke of riding fun new bikes on beautiful and unique terrain, every person there, from media to athletes to Rocky Mountain employees, formed a tight crew. In all likelihood, our bond came from our eclectic accommodations at Moon Farm – a property like no other. The expansive farm offered petting zoo opportunities that included llamas (who disappointingly were a little stand-off-ish), pigs, goats, ponies, horses, a donkey, and a pen full of bunnies that you could pick up and cuddle at will (beware of your inner Lenny). But the fun didn’t stop there. Moon farm also offers a pumpkin patch, multiple haunted houses, a snowboard museum, and one of North America’s largest collections of Barbie Dolls - I'm not even joking. Our final evening there was like something out of a B-rated horror movie as we sat around a fire and intermittently broke into small groups to wander through places like ‘the clown house,’ ‘the hay maze,’ and ‘the haunted castle.’ Having watched enough horror movies in my life I never left the fire saying, “I’ll be right back.”

Finding the Flow in Fruita
Finding the Flow in Fruita

By the time I left Fruita – after just two days – I felt like a new person. Some combination of the abundant laughter, great conversation, incredible flowy riding, breakfasts made by Gully, Poncho the rescue dog, Hot Tomato pizza, ghosts stories, and blistering hot sunshine had been exactly what I needed. Or maybe it's just a change of pace - and bike - that put the biggest smile on my face.

Finding the Flow in Fruita




Rocky Mountain: About the Bikes

bigquotesOutwardly, the Pipeline and Instinct are similar, but they are completely different animals on the trail. The 29" Instinct is an incredibly fast bike that can hold its speed like none other but tends to get a little squirrelly in the rough stuff. The 27.5+ Pipeline is a more capable of simply plowing through rocky, rooty, loose trail segments, while still maintaining an extremely playful personality. Max Ritter


Finding the Flow in Fruita

Instinct
• 29” Wheels
• Runs a Zero Stack Lower Headset Cup, rather than an External Cup (Pipeline)
• Available in both Carbon and Alloy Models
• 140mm Front and Rear Travel (BC Edition is 160mm Front, 155mm Rear)
• Ride-9 adjustment system
• All models have a “size specific tune” on their shocks.
• Spirit Guide (RMB Chain guide) and 2-bolt ISCG Mount Option
• Fox Live Valve ready, Shimano Di2 Battery Carrier
Finding the Flow in Fruita

Pipeline
• 27.5+ Wheels
• Runs an External Lower Headset Cup, rather than a Zero Stack (Instinct)
• Available in both Carbon and Alloy Models
• 140mm Front and Rear Travel
• Ride-9 adjustment system.
• All models have a “size specific tune” on their shocks.
• Spirit Guide (RMB Chain guide) and 2-bolt ISCG Mount Option
• Fox Live Valve ready, Shimano Di2 Battery Carrier

You can find a great comparison of the Instinct vs. the Pipeline written by Mike Levy here.)

Finding the Flow in Fruita

bigquotesThe main goal of heading down to Fruita with our new platforms – Instinct and Pipeline – was to do something different than the traditional media launch. We’d already had a first look on these bikes back in August, and so this was an opportunity to bring along more than just bike industry employees. It was a chance to incorporate some of our US Ambassadors and friends of the brand that we don’t see as often. Rather than just a roll out of spec’s and tech information, we wanted to give people a chance to get to know Rocky Mountain Bicycles. We say it in our slogan, but we really do love the ride.Stephen Matthews, Brand Manager



MENTIONS: @rockymountain / @parisgore / @scottsecco


Author Info:
daniellebaker avatar

Member since May 10, 2007
235 articles

55 Comments
  • 37 3
 Get off my lawn!
  • 21 0
 But not really, thanks for coming. Wink
  • 1 66
flag beanandcheeseburrito (Oct 20, 2017 at 15:14) (Below Threshold)
 @Noah: You own the trails in Fruita or anywhere for that matter?
  • 34 1
 @COnovicerider: No, but they're "in my back yard" thus the joke. Have a great weekend!
  • 16 1
 @COnovicerider: Triggered much?
  • 15 1
 @COnovicerider: wow just wow
  • 2 24
flag beanandcheeseburrito (Oct 20, 2017 at 20:35) (Below Threshold)
 @ianswilson815: nah, just bored.
  • 3 0
 God this makes me miss home... being in the netherlands and looking at windmills daily is like being on Mars compared to the grand valley haha...
  • 7 0
 @COnovicerider: He owns all the KOMs there, so yeah...
  • 2 14
flag ryanbpoquette (Oct 22, 2017 at 3:17) (Below Threshold)
 @NoahColorado: i bet you voted for trump
  • 1 9
flag beanandcheeseburrito (Oct 22, 2017 at 15:36) (Below Threshold)
 @Thustlewhumber: cool
  • 27 2
 Fruit rocks!!! As does neighbouring Grand Junction. Possibly some of the best 1, 2 punches in the country plus good proximity of trails to where people live. Don't forget to donate to COPMOBA to show appreciation. See COPMOBA.org for their donation info
  • 11 2
 Darn auto-correct - "Fruita". Use this link also to conveniently donate via Trailforks - www.trailforks.com/region/18-road/karma

For the price of a foregone beer you can support an organization that's been building and maintaining trails for over 2 decades and been groundbreaking in showing land managers (the BLM) how to coordinate trailwork with mountain-bikers
  • 3 0
 @leelau: I’ve been to Moab and loved it. This will be my next trip
  • 1 0
 @gunners1: Some friends and I had planned on going to Moab one weekend. We were all tired and settled for Fruita instead. We did not regret the decision, however my circle of friends now refers to Fruita, as Fake Moab.
  • 1 0
 @Javiero: Weird that you would call Fruita "Fake Moab". If anything, Fruita is way more laid-back and relaxing than Moab. Way less traffic, less jeeps, fat tourists, useless shops and noise than Moab. IMO, Fruita is way more authentic with way more charm.
  • 1 0
 Don't forget about Hurricane. Some sweet riding around there too! Only problem is that it is hard to find a decent beer or coffee shop, if you know what I mean. Wink
  • 2 0
 @johnpeachell: Personally I'm not really into Moab either.

Fake Moab is basically a stupid phrase we coined while drinking around the campfire at 18 Road.

Don't get me wrong,we all like Fruita and GJ, no disrespect to the place and the people. Essentially we were calling ourselves out for being to old to drive another 1.5hrs to Moab.
  • 13 0
 That video was rad- and it was probably a lot of "run and gun" style, one take shots. Great work @scottsecco!
  • 9 0
 @JeffWeed Hey, thanks so much! Definitely rushing around out there but I'm glad it worked out pretty well.
  • 3 0
 Heck Yeah, I love Fruita. I've visited about 4 or 5 times now. I also visited GJ Lunch loops the last time I went. I really like Kokopelli Trails and usually beat myself up until I've road 3K+ vert and 25+ miles. Then I hit Road 18 the 2nd day for some ridge line fun! Next time I'm going to Utah though because I need to check some new stuff out.
  • 3 0
 Whole enchilada.
  • 1 0
 I rode the WE this weekend. It's still good! There were the usual icy spots by the creek crossing on Burro, but it rode like a champ.
  • 8 1
 Those trails don't suck. Headed there this weekend Wink
  • 8 1
 So is the rest of Colorado, myself included.
  • 2 0
 silly weekend warriors
  • 4 0
 That photo of Secco riding brings the biggest smile to my face! So good to spend some time with you, Danielle!
  • 3 0
 I can't stop laughing at it! I look like such a goon, I had no idea.
  • 3 0
 Awesome to hang with you too Lacy! Next time we are going to force the Llamas to be friendlier! And the @scottsecco riding shot is my favorite thing on the internet right now!
  • 3 0
 Fruita, Moab, Whistler, Sedona, Virgin. My personal top 5, rotating order depending who got ridden last. Almost too good to be true... Almost.
  • 5 1
 Fruita sucks, definitely don't come here to ride. Also tell all your friends so that they don't come either.
  • 5 0
 Makes me want a Rocky Mountain.
  • 1 0
 Very good ad..money well spent!
  • 1 2
 nice video and all, I own a maiden and customer service succccckkkkkksssss!
  • 3 0
 Glad there weren't any trail police there to yell at them for sessioning Prime Cut in the "wrong" direction ????
  • 2 0
 Or rooster tailing and alternate lines on HorseThief. Think that’s where the new track came from at the bottom drop on Joes Ridge?
  • 2 0
 I like how the American wind ruined that Canadian show of pride shot! All joking aside, this American longs for a new Altitude even with that maple leaf painted on the side.
  • 4 0
 Free lunch
  • 2 0
 viva la FreeLunch!
  • 1 0
 This is where I learned how to ride a Mountain Bike. Love and miss this place. Fruita will always have a soft spot in my MTB heart.
  • 1 0
 Don't know if I could handle the rumored crowds these days. But These photos take me back to simpler times shreddin there 2 decades ago. Miss those days and those trails.
  • 1 0
 Fruita is maaaaaad busy anymore, oh well, other deserts to ride, close to me.
  • 5 6
 Nice looking trails. Nice bikes. Wouldn't mind me one of them Instincts .

Ad makers and PB should take note however, some of us think videos with such "epic, over the top" sound tracks are a bit much. I mean, after all, it is just a few kids and uptight-white-guys pedaling bikes in the dirt, with silly outfits - not storming the beaches at Normandy.
  • 2 0
 Song? Anybody?
  • 1 0
 i second this motion...
  • 5 0
 @davidadnum @Kyleajennings: Hey guys, stoked you like the music! It's called ''I'm Gonna Get What's Mine'' by Graffiti Ghosts.
  • 1 0
 @scottsecco: Awesome. Thanks!
  • 1 0
 see you guys in the Spring...RAMFB....
  • 2 0
 ManILoveFruita
  • 1 0
 marr an mathews on the same trip lol! no way to funny
  • 1 0
 man... great article, pics and video.... need moar
  • 1 0
 I love me some fresh Fruita.
  • 1 0
 Dig the shuttle truck! Very Cool.
  • 2 0
 I love 18 road! So rad
  • 2 2
 Lame







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