2014 Colorado Ride

This is your opportunity to sign-up for this event.  After reading the overview information below, Click on Register Now button at the bottom to submit your registration

After registering, you'll be provided the details of booking information (too much for a calendar entry). This needs to be accomplished quickly.  The hotels in the area don't like discounting or holding blocks of rooms, so we have a narrow window to get folks booked in the participating hotels and lodges.

There is a very limited number ofl rooms being held for our group, so quick reaction and booking will be essential.

Where are we going?
We will leave Friday afternoon (save you a vacation day), and overnight (#1) in Abilene. The next morning we're on our way to Raton, NM, on the Colorado border.  We'll pause here for the night (#2), and allow folks to start acclimating to the higher altitudes. Sunday, it's to Manitou Springs on the west side of Colorado Springs, at the foot of Pikes Peak, for 2 nights (#3&4).  From there, we'll head north across the Platte River Valley, for lunch in Central City and two nights (#5&6) in Estes Park, on the edge of the Rocky Mountain National Park. After looping around north of the RMNP, we'll follow the Poudre River Canyon to for lunch in Walden, and into Winter Park  for one night (#7). The next day will take us through Berthoud, Loveland, and Hoosier Pass towards Canon City, for our last night at altitude in Raton, NM (#8).  Then we'll point the horses to the barn, and make for Lubbock for our last night (#9) on the road.

NOTE: We will be traveling in areas of very high altitude. The summit of Pikes Peak (yes, we'll go there) is over 14,000 ft asl. We will traverse many passes as high as 12,000 ft asl.  If you have ANY issues safely operating in thin air environments or altitudes, please consult your physician before attempting this trip.  If your bike is not fuel injected, you will have performance issues.

Type of Ride?
This ride is not for the faint of heart, or those that dread long days in the saddle.  We'll be out 10 days (Sep 12-21), with only two days that we don't change locations. Most days will be at least several hundred miles, with some 500+ miles. We'll spend entire days at 75-80mph thanks to west Texas speed limits.

The days will be 10 hrs in the saddle.  Gas stops will often be 110-140 miles apart.  Your bike needs to have this range without utilizing reserve.  You will still need a safety margin for head winds, and such. If you've ever ridden the area, you'll know it isn't uncommon to go that distance without passing a gas pump.  You are virtually guaranteed to ride in rain, sleet, and possibly snow.  Do not be misled by Texas temps when considering this ride. We are regularly dealing with freezing temps at sunrise.  Heated gear under spring/fall season protection is suggested for adaptability.

Costs? 
Hotel expenses for the trip will likely run around $1000 for the 9 nights in this tourist state. This of course does not include your normal daily travel expenses.  Nights 5 and 6 will be in a "Cabin Sharing" type of setup.  Activities Officers will help the registrants work out logistics.  This will give us a midway point for laundry and a nicer place to stay at the same costs as offered by Best Western in Estes Park.

There will be fees for entering Pikes Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, and most area attractions.  September is the peak month for tourism in the area due to the Fall changing of colors.

We hope this helps you determine if this trip is right for you. It is alot of riding, long days, alot of miles, and dramatic climate variances.  If the roads in CTHOG Arkansas or Big Bend Rides make you uncomfortable, this will be much more demanding of your endurance and skill, and warrants careful consideration.

Register Now!