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Mtn Ride --- Is is too much for a day?

atlbmw

New member
CO Mtn Ride --- Is is too much for a day?

I'm coming through Colorado in the fall on the way to a conference in Az.
I'm thinking of riding from colorado springs to pikes peak to gunnison to telluride in a day....is this too ambitious?

Google says 9 hours,,,,and it's usually right for me on regular roads and highways...but i've never ridden in colorado.
I'm sure I'll wanna hang out on pikes peak for 45 minutes and the same at the gunnison.

If I do it, what do yall think...8am departure from colorado springs?
 
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Your ride is possible, but will require q qlot of speed and not much sight seeing in a beautiful ride. I would suggest two days and many stops and slower riding, perhaps a full 1/2 day to do the Pikes Peak ride. Without the Pikes Peak ride you could do the rest in one good day.
Ride safe.
 
Pikes Peak will eat up time, but very little mileage. The rest of the ride is a pretty easy one. Are you camping, or moteling it? Camping will kill more ride time. What is your style of riding? Do you like to stop every hour, take lots of pics along the way? if so, then a leisurely 2-day ride would be better suited. (if so, i would add in some other roads, like 92 from Gunnison to Hotchkiss, and/or 550 to Durango and back up Lizard Head Pass into Telluride from the south). If you're more of a asphalt burner, the ride is fairly easy in a day, especially if it's a weekday rather than a weekend.
we do the "100,000 Ft ride" in August, and clock up well over 500 mountain miles- i usually end up with closer to 600+ as i have to add the hour+ ride to/from the start point, and that is a comfortable, but fast-paced day.

seeing as you've never done CO riding, i would recommend making it a 3 day route, and spend some time enjoying the roads & views- they are some of the very best in the country! :dance And after slugging it across the plains, you will want to use up some of the sides of your tires to even out the wear that's happened in the middle.
 
I did Pikes Peak in 2007 and Telluride in 2008. Pikes Peak took most of one day, to do it right. Pikes Peak is not a ride you want to rush. just add an extra day to your trip...
 
If it were me, I would skip Pike's Peak and spend the extra time at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Ntl Park.
 
If possible, take Hy 149 which runs between US 50 in Colorado near the East end of Blue Mesa reservoir and New Mexico Hy 160 at South Fork.
Great road and little traffic.
 
Hit the Peak

Pikes Peak is worth the ride but as already said it will eat up the better part of a day to do it right. Take your time and enjoy the ride to the top and spend some time at the top sightseeing. Don't pass up the home made fudge at the top. Either highway 24 or 50 will get you to Salida then to Gunnison. Then Montrose to Teluride is till a ways so don't try it in one day unless you tavel at night and too fast to enjoy the scenary.

gpodzo

Riding Colorado mountains for 45 years. Western State graduate using a Ducati
350 Scrambler in the mid 60's.
 
checking back in...

so, the consensus is add another day....hrmm....I might just try to get Pike's Peak in the evening before.
So Pike's Peak - 3-4 hours roundtrip?

After Telluride, I'm going to head south to Durango then on to Flagstaff, AZ.

camping? well, I'm going to have my camping gear with me, but not sure yet.
Motels and couchsurfing are also possible.

Riding Style?
Pictures...I don't take that many pictures. I've got one of those hero cams that takes em for me...But, I'm still trying to figure out where on the bike I can get the best pics from.
Speed...Decent pace in mountains, Above average on the Highway...I won't pass people on turns, I'd rather not pass on double yellow...
But, who knows what it will be like out there...

I'm thinking I need to rethink my whole route and hightail it out to Colorado by the 2nd night and then have 2-3 relaxing days in Colorado before I head south to Phoenix.
 
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We all know, of course, that sightseeing is best accomplished while stopped, as motorcycles tend to go where the rider is looking.

This may seem a motivator to take two days.
 
I'll steal a little of this thread. A friend and I are flying to Greeley on Sept. 9 on business. The business doesn't start until Sept. 11 so we are renting a couple of Harleys to ride on the 10th.

Our initial plan is to leave Greeley by 7:00 am, ride to Estes Park and then take Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park. I was thinking about Fall River Road too, but from what I read, it might be a bit too steep and rugged for a couple of big Harleys. We will have to have the bikes back in Greeley by about 5:30 that evening.

Thoughts? Suggestions?
 
would do better to forgo Fall River. You get better views of the glacial moranes via the road, and FR is a bit much for clean boats like you'll be on. Plan on close to 3 hours to get thru RMNP- there is resurfacing construction happening on the western side of the park. From there, head out past Grand Lake on 34 to 40. Head north on 40 toward Hot Sulphur Springs until you take the turnoff for 125 over Willow Creek Pass- (beautiful area), then on up into Walden. Lunch is either Grand Lake or Walden (i like the Moose Creek Cafe, others prefer the big hotel place). From Walden, take 14 down the Poudre. About 40 some miles downriver you can either take the turnoff to Stove Prairie/Masonville, or just continue on 14 all the way to 287, and back into Ft Colins that way. Walden to Ft Collins is about 90 miles- plan on about 2 hour.
FWIW, I prefer Stove- it's a rockin' road, with no to minimal traffic. If you go Stove, continue straight when you come out to Masonville (stop for the mini-sculpture park) and go over horsetooth Reservoir, or turn right at the mercantile and continue out to 34.
In going up 34 into Estes, take the turn off to the right just as you leave Drake and head up to Glen Haven- fabulous road, with a killer view when you pop out at the top. Take a right at the end of that road (Devil's Gulch) and it will lead you right into the park. Take a left and it will take you past the historic Stanley Hotel and into downtown EP (which leads to a slightly different entrance into the park).
 
Thanks Bikerfish. That's just what I was looking for. Now I'm even more excited about the trip.
 
I've got it all mapped out and it looks great. One last question - I think. Are there likely to be lots of animals - deer, elk, moose, etc. on the road?

Thanks again
 
Are you wondering about animals for viewing or hitting purposes? Viewing is quite likely, danger factor is much less so on that route.
Going up 34 to EP is a chance to see some bighorn, but they're rarely on the road. Deer are likely around sunup/sundown, but not prolific otherwise. Elk in EP & RMNP are the standard, but speeds will be low (posted is 25 to 35 for nearly all of it)- so if you hit an elk, you were pretty damn oblivious, and should be taken out of the gene pool anyway :laugh I've seen a few moose going up over Willow Creek, but they are a pretty reclusive animal and are not likely to be a danger. Bear are a possibility, but not very likely. Maybe some free-range cattle; jsut pay attention as posted. A buddy of mine came upon a sheep drive going up Willow Creek one time. He said their exhaust was a bit tricky, but otherwise it was no problem.
None of them armored-dildoes you got down your way tho.
 
Thanks for the additional info. It sounds like the animals won't be a problem unless a moose thinks my rental Ultra Classic is really attractive.

The most aggressive animal we have here is 105 degree heat with 80% humidity. That's one thing that we won't have to worry about in the high country.
 
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