Wineguy
Moped
Well, I took my first over-night ride this weekend to celebrate my 46th birthday, and we had a fantastic time. I thought I'd post a short ride report in case you're interested in trying this ride out next year. I've only been riding for 2 1/2 months, so this was a big deal for me to tackle all this varying terrain in one day, all day long. My wife (Jan) and I joined a very active local riding group in Colorado Springs called the Zebulon Cruisers. This year, the "Zebs" decided to join in the 9th Annual "5 in 1" High Altitude ride through the mountains of Colorado. The route began in Colorado Springs and took a winding path over 5 different 10,000 foot high passes in one day with an overnight in Dillon, Colorado (off I-70 near Frisco). We hit the following passes: Kenosha, Tennessee, Vail, Loveland, and Hoosier. The total trip was about 326 miles and covered about 1/4 really slow twisties, 1/4 mid-speed sweepers, with the rest a mix of State Highways and a little of I-70 thrown in for good measure. My '99 Concours "Margo" handled it all extremely well after a bad start to the morning. Just before 5AM, I got on the bike to back it out of the garage. I usually turn it around in the driveway which has a little slope to it, and I've never had a problem. This time, with full tank of fuel, full side bags, and a tank bag, I lost my balance. I could feel her going just beyond the "no turning back point", and gave it everything I had to just ease her onto the concrete driveway. S**t!! What a way to start the day, and my first big trip. It was horrible to see Margo on her side, pointed down the driveway - and I couldn't get her up by myself. Jan came out and we got her back up together. Unfortunately, the rack on the right side that holds the side bag in place broke. I use a number of bungie cords to hold it onto the bike, and was actually able to continue the trip the rest of the way. Like I said, not a good way to start the day, but at least there were no witnesses at 5AM and I was not about to let this little mishap spoil the rest of my day. The mountain views on this trip were absolutely incredible, as you can see from some of the photos at this link: 5 in 1 Pics(let me know if this link doesn't work) I didnt' get to take any action shots, but there are some pics of the mountains that will give you an idea along with a number of group and individual pics of the folks we rode with. Yes, that's me on the Concours - see if you can pick her out in the shots with multiple bikes (she isn't in all of 'em). The stretch of road I enjoyed the most was from Deckers on Hwy 126 to Silver Springs, CO. Almost all of it twisties, much of it alongside the South Platte River. Spectacular mix of colors, sound, and fresh mountain air in perfect weather conditions. In terms of unusual wildlife spotted, other than a boatload of Harleys on the road, we also encountered a HUGE bicycle race around Vail Colorado. There were more than 3500 bicyclists on the road, and we dodged a number of them at Vail Pass (that's why no group pic at Vail Pass) and at the top of Loveland Pass. The road up from I-70 to the top of Loveland pass was very steep, with a number of 10 mph switchbacks - all the while dodging bicyclists in the roadway. Yikes! All in all, "Margo" and I did fine and Jan and I had a great time on this trip. It has encouraged us to do more, and for longer distances. I'm trying to convince her to ride with me to the Grand Canyon next, going through Durango, CO on the way. Oh, and one last technical note - I got 49 mpg on the first tank, and 47 mpg on the second. I normally get between 40-44 in town so that was a nice surprise. If you're interested in getting more information about the route or this ride, just shoot me a message and I'll be happy to pass it along. Happy riding!
