Week 4 in Colorado: Broken Bikes, Band Nights, and Busted Brakes
- 1nonblonde
- Sep 1
- 4 min read
Some weeks on the road feel like a vacation. Some weeks feel like a long to-do list with wheels. Week four at Loveland RV Resort was a little bit of both - equal parts fun, frustration, and flossing.
Band Nights & Blast-from-the-Past Tunes
We kicked off the week with a trip to Grey Rock Sports Bar in Fort Collins to catch a set from Box of Rocks. Now, Box of Rocks isn’t just a band - it’s like when all the different toppings at a froyo bar accidentally melt together and somehow taste amazing. The lineup is a mishmash of groups I used to sing with (before we hit the road), plus new talent - including three members from KD & the Painkillers! Basically, it was the musical equivalent of the Breakfast Club coming together after detention. Everyone brought their quirks, and the result was magic.
Towards the end of the night, they called me on stage. (Note to self: maybe don’t wear sandals when there’s even a 5% chance of stage time.) Singing ska, rock, and grunge with them again felt like slipping on my favorite pair of ripped jeans - comfortable, a little nostalgic, and guaranteed to make me smile.
Sunday Bike Rides = Sunday Smiles
Sundays are, again, officially Bike Day with our besties, Alex and Bruce. This week, we cruised around Timnath, just east of Fort Collins. The trails were beautiful, the sun was high, and the temps reminded us we’re not in the mountains anymore. I didn’t capture many pictures this ride, but hey - that just proves I was too busy pedaling and grinning.
KDPK Band BBQ
As if riding with our besties wasn’t enough, our KD & the Painkillers family gathered for a good old-fashioned backyard BBQ, hosted by our lead guitarist, Mike, and his wife Karen.
All the bandmates showed up, which basically meant the backyard was filled with laughter, inside jokes, and plenty of “remember when we totally nailed that solo?” stories. The food was delicious (Karen crushed it), the drinks were flowing, and the friendships felt just as strong as the music we play together.
These are the kinds of nights that make the grind of practice worth it.
The Great E-Bike Saga
Speaking of pedaling… we upgraded! We love our Lectric e-bikes, but our 2.0 models only had pedal assist, no gears. So we “treated ourselves” to shiny new Lectric XP 4.0 folding bikes in Tempest Grey and Stratus White - 8 gears, 5 levels of assist, and up to 85 miles of battery range. Basically, they’re the Teslas of folding e-bikes (but with way better parking).
The good news: they fold neatly, are easier to jump onto, and should take us on some epic rides.The bad news: Darren’s bike arrived broken.
Cut to the Garage of Despair…
Here’s how the “upgrade” really went down:
Darren’s brand-new 4.0 never worked.
Lectric mailed us a new controller and called it an “easy DIY fix.” Spoiler: it was not.
Cue us on the gravel, armed with Allen wrenches, sweat, and misplaced optimism.
After much heavy-bike-wrestling, the bike was still just an expensive lawn ornament.
We’re currently in “support ticket limbo,” waiting for Lectric’s next move. Episode 3 of this saga will either be titled Victory at Last or We’re Just Walking Everywhere Now.
Welcome to the Warranty Expiration Club
This week also featured our least favorite road-trip activity: doctor’s appointments. Basically, our bodies are like RVs - after a certain mileage, parts start squeaking and surprise repairs pop up.
Dentist visits – We both got gold stars for keeping up our smiles on the road. But Darren had a tooth break in Tennessee (it was already a root canal, so no pain). Now he’s in “temporary bridge” limbo. (Apparently, they don’t make duct tape in enamel.)
My knee – X-rays revealed arthritis + bone spurs, but no major tears (because, X-rays). Translation: the chassis is fine, but the suspension’s a little stiff. I started physical therapy at Pro-Active in Fort Collins in hopes of restoring factory settings.
Bloodwork – Hormone testing. Because nothing says “good morning” like a reminder that your personal warranty is expiring.
KDPK Practice: The Countdown Continues
This week wasn’t just a casual jam session with the KD & the Painkillers - we’re officially gearing up for our remaining five scheduled gigs of the season. That means long setlists, double-checking harmonies, and deciding which songs we can actually remember vs. which ones we pretend to remember until muscle memory kicks in.
Rehearsals feel a little like juggling flaming batons while riding an e-bike: thrilling, unpredictable, and occasionally off-balance. But the energy is electric (pun intended), and we’re stoked to bring the noise back to some of our favorite NoCo stages.
We’re polishing up a mix of rock, blues, and sing-along classics that keep the crowds moving. I won’t spoil the setlists, but let’s just say: if you like guitars, groove, and maybe a surprise ska number, you’re in for a treat.
Brake Dance Fail
Ah yes…our old friend, RV maintenance. Remember back in Tennessee at the Brinkley Rally when our bearings were repacked and - surprise! - all four brake seals were blown? Fast forward months of back-and-forth emails and phone calls… here’s the scorecard:
✅ Reimbursed for the Tennessee service
✅ Four sets of replacement brakes shipped to us
❌ Anyone capable of actually installing them
We hired a local tech recommended by Brinkley. She showed up, had us jack up the rig, slides in, wheels off…then discovered she didn’t have the right equipment. Cue sad trombone sound. $100 travel fee later, we were back at square one.
Brinkley assured us they’d cover the work once we find a new tech. So the search continues. At this point, I’m considering setting up a YouTube channel called RV Brake Dance: The Never-Ending Musical. Episode one would feature us holding flashlights while muttering, “Well, that doesn’t look right…”
Wrapping It Up
We love being back near our Northern Colorado roots, but this week was more about mishaps and maintenance than adventure. That said, next week looks a lot more fun. Stay tuned for less “dentist and duct tape” and more “mountains and music.”
Cheers!
-Chasing 78° 🚐🍻🎶⚡️🚴♀️🦷⚕️
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