Colorado
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,873
Likes: 13
From: NW Arkansas
That is a generous offer. If you want to run for President, you got my vote!!
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,873
Likes: 13
From: NW Arkansas
While I always like riding, going through Nebraska, Kansas (and I live in Kansas) and Eastern Colorado is not much fun and it gets real hot (100+ deg F with 30+ mph winds) in the summertime. You may think the wind should feel good, but at the temp it just feels like a blast furnace. Most of the time it is blowing from the south so you will have a strong cross wind which is not fun either, especially with semi's heading east. I have done enough riding in KS to know about this very well.
I would say trailer (and yes you will make better time due to the heat, etc.) if you are on a time limit and your goal is to do riding in Colorado. Ask the hotel you are staying at to leave your vehicle/trailer there for a while. I have never seen any hotel refuse it yet.
I do not know how much time you have but you can make a loop, going from Denver area (take the Peak to Peak hwy) to Rocky Mtn Nat Park, out the west side of the park, through Steamboat springs to Dinosaur, south to Grand Junction and then to Moab(take the road from I-70 around the east side of Arches it is an amazing rd), UT. Visit the Arches and Canyonlands National Park, then swing back to the 4-corners, Mesa Verde Nat Park, Durango, to Royal Gorge, to Colorado Springs, visit Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. Then back to Denver.
Hope that helps.
I would say trailer (and yes you will make better time due to the heat, etc.) if you are on a time limit and your goal is to do riding in Colorado. Ask the hotel you are staying at to leave your vehicle/trailer there for a while. I have never seen any hotel refuse it yet.
I do not know how much time you have but you can make a loop, going from Denver area (take the Peak to Peak hwy) to Rocky Mtn Nat Park, out the west side of the park, through Steamboat springs to Dinosaur, south to Grand Junction and then to Moab(take the road from I-70 around the east side of Arches it is an amazing rd), UT. Visit the Arches and Canyonlands National Park, then swing back to the 4-corners, Mesa Verde Nat Park, Durango, to Royal Gorge, to Colorado Springs, visit Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. Then back to Denver.
Hope that helps.
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,616
Likes: 17
From: Mid West
Rode out last year from Central MO, took a day from home to Wichita(US 54) then on to Dodge City(US400 and 50), spent the first night there, second day on through to Pueblo,CO. First day was tough but the remaining were good and easy, out of eight days 4 spent in CO, 4 on ride out and back. US 50 is not bad, neither is US 36 or US 54 and you won't gain but a day by driving and trailering which you may as well discount for the load swaps and unload/retrailer time. We did 2400 miles in 8 days, this year planning on 1st Charleston SC and 2nd backroads CO trips, looking to at least 6000 miles combined over 22 days for the two rides.
Nothing better than being on two with two up and seeing the country with eyes open and air in your face.
Nothing better than being on two with two up and seeing the country with eyes open and air in your face.
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 273
Likes: 0
From: Illinois
This is why I asked the question on this forum, great ideas. Thanks Toby great offer, I really appreciate it. Like I said I have never trailered but Mike feels my pain, momma will not ride across Ia & Ne in July again. I think I can spend more time on the road and save my riding for Colorado. Interstate 80 at 80 mph looking forward to the off and on ramps so I can turn the bike is not fun, living in IL ,I know.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,873
Likes: 13
From: NW Arkansas
Say what!? Takes about 2 to 3 minutes to unload and 5 to 10 to load....doesn't hardly add up to a whole day!
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 273
Likes: 0
From: Illinois
I'm with you Mike, I don't get it. You park , drop the ramp tie down the T-Bag get on and go. We are thinking of driving straight through to Denver, I personally couldn't nor would I want to on my bike.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,873
Likes: 13
From: NW Arkansas
The ride would be all right in the spring or fall, but the weather in Colorado ain't that great during those times. We go in late July and it ain't for the faint hearted to ride across either Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, or Nebraska at that time of year.......unless you stop a lot and don't ride for very long! Course I'm old and not as tuff as I used to be.....
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,362
Likes: 13
From: georgetown ky
Thats what I was going to say AVOID Denver @ rush hours. Love the country roads there. Like other s have said Ride if you can.
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,616
Likes: 17
From: Mid West
Guess I am just old and slow. Last time I trailered took almost a hour to get the machine on and secured to my liking, then the little woman added a quantity of 'stuff' she did not really need or have to have but loaded up anyway with that adding almost an hour to arrange in the truck. By the time we took off we were three hours behind where we normally started, at the other end she fretted constantly about the 'stuff' we left in the truck while we were off on the bikes with friends, had to rearrange three times on the bike to get all her necessities on it and then she never used any of it. On return I was tired, she was tired so we threw it all together, ended up stopping twice to re-align the bike and stuff so it did not move around, stuff stayed in the way in the cab all the way home as she did not want to leave it in the bed. You are in luck as to parking as we only had the hotel which had to add the disclaimer they could not watch it for us.
We lost a good 1/2 day to load/unload/shuffle not to mention the trip was to ride not to sit in the truck cab. We gained only 1/2 to 3/4 of a day by driving and while the hot and sweat of riding in July is unpleasant I will take a ride over caging any day.
Our last trip to CO, we used two days out and two back but we rode secondary US highways and enjoyed the sights of what little Kansas has to offer anyway.
We lost a good 1/2 day to load/unload/shuffle not to mention the trip was to ride not to sit in the truck cab. We gained only 1/2 to 3/4 of a day by driving and while the hot and sweat of riding in July is unpleasant I will take a ride over caging any day.
Our last trip to CO, we used two days out and two back but we rode secondary US highways and enjoyed the sights of what little Kansas has to offer anyway.