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OP - can you provide a little more info:
When are you arriving
How long are you staying
How many hours do you like to ride per day
What type of bike will you be riding
What is your hotel budget
Also:
How are your mountain riding skills? Some of the suggested roads are not for the squeamish!
Also what are you looking for? Artsy-fartsy? Solitude? People? Nature? National Parks? Hidden gems? Food?
Creede Colorado. Old silver mining town on beautiful winding road. Colorado Hwy 149 up the headwaters of the Rio Grande River from South Fork to Gunnison is a great motorcycle road.
Last edited by Sierra977; Jul 19, 2016 at 11:31 AM.
...... somebody earlier asked what your mtn riding skill level is, that's important as a fair # of mtn roads got no guardrails & they drop off rapidly.
..... Independence Pass being just one such route
..... be prepared for rapid changes in weather also. A mesh jacket that's fine in the sun @ 5000 ft will NOT be helpful in a wind'n rain scenario @ 10,000 '
...... the Pikes Peak Highway is paved all the way up these days. Nice ride, do it in the AM before the thunderclouds roll in. Lightning's a bitch above treeline.
......... Colorado's a great ride, be alert, there's lot'a tourista traffic on the roads these days.
Creede Colorado. Old silver mining town on beautiful winding road. Colorado Hwy 149 up the headwaters of the Rio Grande River from South Fork to Gunnison is a great motorcycle road.
I had a contract job in Grand Junction CO in 2010 and spent the weekends exploring parts of the state on my CrossBones. My impression was for every beautiful scenic area there were long stretches of barren and desolate areas - and it takes hours to travel from one scenic area to another. The continental divide mountain areas were the highlight for me. A lot of CO is high-plains desert type areas - some of which have large canyons and are very dry. The CO National Monument is like a smaller version of the Grand Canyon.
One aspect of CO riding that I'll never forget was the wide temperature changes from lower elevation areas to high mountain elevations ~ it can go from the seventies to below freezing in the course of one hour. My throttle cable developed condensation and froze a couple of times at the extreme elevations - causing it stick in the open position ~ that made for some hairy riding on mountain roads with no guardrails. Factor that in with no cell phone service and you have an adventure. I subsequently learned that I had too much slack in the cable ~ and have since replaced it.
Last edited by Grizzwood; Jul 19, 2016 at 01:28 PM.
Great thread timing, headed to ride Mt. Evans and Pike's Peak next week.
Me too. Riding to Colorado in August. Pike's Peak is on the to do list (my sister lives in Co. Spgs.). Other than that, I have two riding buddies there that I am meeting up with. I'm leaving the routes to them.
Before taking on Mt Evans, watch this video. Then decide.
Most mountain roads in Colorado are a breeze compared to this one, including Pikes Peak and Million Dollar.
Mt Evans, like Pikes Peak tends to have a lot of stop & start traffic, especially the area after the lake (which always has the worse road surface) - coming down isn't much better, there are some really tight corners - but it's a bucket list must-do for most people just so they can say they rode to the top of a 14,000 ft high mtn as no other state has anything close...
I've done both (both Harley and bicycle) and I prefer Pikes Peak....
Bring a jacket - it's chilly at the top....
Next month I am planning a trip to Colorado, would love to travel through the mountains, enjoy the weather, scenery and all that Colorado has to offer. However, I don't know much about the state. I would appreciate some guidance as to friendly biker locations, hotels, motels, bed and breakfast, scenery suggestions, travel routes etc.
I am traveling from Chicago, Illinois~ Thanks to all in advance, feel free to pm as well.
Thanks~
[I]On your way stop by Thunder Mountain HD. I believe it Colorados largest HD dealer. It's near Loveland/Ft Collins. You can take highway 34 west out of Loveland to Estes Park through The Big Thompson Canyon. You can also take Highway 34 west from Estes to Grand Lake.You'll go through Rocky Mountain National Park this way. It's also known as Trail Ridge Road. It's a great ride with lots of twists and turns and huge elevation changes. There is an Alpine Visitor Center at the top with food and restrooms. Be prepared for big temperature changes. This photo was from The Apline Visitor Center in mid June.
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