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420 mile day ride clockwise around W Colorado E Utah

nickrides

Member
Member
Some of my gang wanted to ride the San Juan Skyway, but I rode that last weekend, and it was forecast to be windy due to a major storm coming Sunday so I headed to the low lands. I've lived in the region for 42 years and have never been on the La Sal Mts loop road, so this was my destination.
Left Telluride 8am 37f going down valley to Norwood. This is a really pretty curvy red rock canyon, one of the furthest reaches east of the canyonlands red rock. Nice riding, new pavement no traffic. Up through Norwood Redvale and Naturita on Wrights Mesa, a little breezy but not to bad, I don't care much for wind or rain while riding. West into Paradox valley. This is a long straight, but very scenic valley that for years has been a western slope sports cars/ bikes High speed section. Seems like the cops are never here and people bring out there machines to open 'em up in Paradox. I did the same. Then continuing west into this really great twisty canyon for about 20 miles, great curves and pavement. At the top of the switchbacks I turned around and rode the top section 3x, there are several very long constant radius corners that are really good. Up over La Sal pass with the first view out to the wild wild west, Henry Mts, San Rafael Swell etc.
I rode into So Moab to fuel up as I was going into a long section with no services. I turned back So out of Moab a few miles and turned onto the La Sal Mt Loop road, riding it from So to North. The road turns east up onto the flank of the La Sal's , The first 12-14 miles were paved but really rough, huge patch's layered onto the road, I had to stand up for most of this, but still I averaged about 60 mph. Then, bang, the road turned into this perfect pavement! The last of the trees were changing, there was NO fire smoke, great visibility. This road was lightly signed and I was caught off guard a couple of times going into a sharp unmarked corner too hot, thats uncomfortable for me, that panic braking, pushing hard on the inside bar. Anyway the ride north down into Castle valley was spectacular, there are these huge slickrock towers and walls. I stopped at a river launch ramp on the Colorado river and had a break, It was spectacular, deep blue skis and the trees along the river bottom were in full color change. East to the Dewey Bridge where the famous crash scene in the movie Vanishing Point was filmed. and then up to I-70 , through Cisco where some scenes from Thelma and Louise was filmed. Including the famous gas truck explosion. The speed limit on I-70 in Utah is 80 and the traffic was moving along at 90-95, Thats fast. East to Grand Junction to Whitewater then onto the awesome 90 mile section to Gateway and Naturita. I stopped for a break in Gateway and ran into 2 old riding partners and we rode together east to Norwood, they peeled off to Ridgway and I continued to Home to Telluride. All in all a super fun day of Super Sport riding, I just still can't get over the power, braking, seating, suspension windprotection, rideability of my 2014 C-14, best 6200 I ever spent!!
I had adjusted my suspension via the Pre Load thread in suspension column and it seemed to be a little better, RS2 tires, about half cooked.
420 miles
8.5 hrs door to door
Those Connies Are fun as hell
Nick 2014 C-14
 
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That ride sounded awesome Nick! Thanks for sharing... now I have to get the map book out of Utah and follow along!

Any pictures you took along the way?
 
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