Whether you think about them all the time or never at all – mountain bike brakes are what keep you alive on those gnarly descents. And while the whole braking system matters, I’m not going to talk about rotor sizes, 2-piston vs. 4-piston, or lever angle; I’m talking about the humble brake pad. I had long considered brake pad choice a foregone decision – resin (organic) pads are king and metal pads (sintered) are for Huffy!

This is less about saying farewell to Estes Park than it is about a ride I’ve been eyeing for over five years. Not only did I have the wrong bike when I was here in September, 2015, but I learned that this route existed the day after I finished an out-and-back run of Trail Ridge Road on my old Giant roady. TRR is the downhill paved segment of today’s route.