Buck Snort Saloon And A Cool Colorado Afternoon

Saturday I got a little pre-winter ride in with my brother-in-law Chris.  Since Chris lives in Silverthorn (in the mountains) and I live in Colorado Springs we usually meet in the middle at my mother-in-law’s place in Littleton.  It’s been a typical Colorado fall; too cold to ride to work in the mornings but beautiful through the day.  Saturday was projected to be in the sixties and since my frequent riding partner, Chris, hadn’t seen the new bike yet we made plans to hook up and try out our usual route.  We often ride through Deer Creek Canyon and then pick a different route to end up the ride.  Chris had just done the “Emily’s Parade” ride for the I Love You Guys foundation.  He and a few other guys rode to the Buck Snort Saloon.  I checked out the location on the map and figured, “what the heck”.  I really don’t need much motivation to ride.
I left around 1000 to get to Littleton by 1100.  Traffic was light, which is unusual for the I-25 corridor between Colo Spgs and Denver.  I made it to Littleton in 48 minutes which is very good time.  This part of the trip is usually my least favorite.  I’m not a fan of interstate travel but for some reason this day was a lot of fun.  Like I said, traffic was light and speeds were swift.  The new bike is such a joy to ride, it’s responsive, limber and stable in traffic that I found myself just enjoying the cruise at construction zone speed limits.

Chris and I filled up before heading out, neither of our bikes are gas misers.  We headed to the end of South Kipling Pkwy and took a left.  Deer Creek Canyon Road is a marvelous, twisty smooth road that is easy to ride at a safe yet quick pace.  There is usually a steady stream of bicyclists and other motorcyclists but it’s never been crowded in my opinion.  And once again the new bike preformed beautifully.  It feels a little more wild than my old ’02 FZ1 but that may be because I’ve noticed a tendency I have to riding this one a little more aggressively.

We popped out on State Route 285 and made for the Silver Springs/Pine Junction area.  After a false turn (totally my fault) we headed south on Route 126 towards Deckers.  I’ve mentioned Deckers a few times before as it’s one of my favorite quick local trips.  Coming down towards Deckers from the north is always a fun ride.  It runs along the North Platte River through some beautiful valleys.  I was so enthralled by the beauty that I missed a turn again.  It was actually warmer up in the mountains than down Denver way.  Surprisingly there weren’t many bikes out and we only passed three dual sport BMWs the entire time we were in that area.  Later in the ride we would pass dozens of Harleys and Japanese cruisers parked out front of a few bars in Evergreen and Morrison.

So after making our way back the six miles I overshot the turn we headed up into South Elk Creek Rd in Pine.  This isn’t a dirt road but it’s not far from it.  It’s slow going but there are so many interesting cabins along the side to the road that I was doing a lot of rubbernecking anyway.  We pulled into a small cluster of old buildings the road snaked through and without even realizing it there we were.  The sign was right on the road but it doesn’t really stand out.  The area is really scenic.  The Buck Snort Saloon was smaller than I imagined and full of character.  With low ceilings and a kind of tacked on charm it felt a little claustrophobic inside.  There was a nice fire going in the pot-bellied cast iron stove in the middle of the dining room.  The BBQ beef sandwich and baked beans I had hit the spot after the ride.  After a few pictures we continued up Elk Creek Rd and made our way through some gravel and soft dirt back to 285.  Since Colorado gets cold after the sun goes down we made a beeline across 73 to Evergreen and across 74 to Morrison.  The ride across those two roads was the usual uneventful scenic rides with a lot of time staring at auto brake lights.  Again, the scenery is so nice I didn’t really care about the slow pace.

After Morrison it was the usual boring run down C-470 and I-25.  By the end I was cold and getting numb fast.  The bike was pretty comfortable for the first 180 miles or so but the last 40 miles I was really fatigued.  I’m not sure how much was the distance and how much was time however.  I got home at about 4:30 so aside from the hour or so for lunch I was in the saddle for a good six hours.  I may have to think about a new gel seat if I’ll be doing any touring.

All in all it was a great fall ride.  The sun was out and the roads were clear.  Even though I always say this and everyone knows how I feel, it bears repeating that motorcycles are the greatest!

End Of Season Ride - Colorado Springs to Deckers

The weather has taken a dramatic turn for the cold here today.  I've been looking forward to a trip into the mountains since last Friday when I picked up the bike.  I was off Saturday but I wanted to run to Denver to pick up a new helmet while we still had the funds.  I used that as an opportunity to check out the city driving characteristics of the bike compared to the '02.  I figured a week of commuting would give me time to get to know the bike before taking it up into the twisties.  I've been to Deckers several times in the past and it is always a fun ride.  Needless to say I was like a kid on the night before Christmas pretty much all week long.

The big day finally arrived and of course I had a chore to do.  I borrowed my brother-in-law's trailer last week to pick up the bike and that had to be returned to Denver.  So I got up early and headed to Denver with the long distance commuters.  It was sunny with clear skies in the Springs and the temperature was about 57 degrees.  Not balmy, but with the sun out good enough for a light jacket, plus it was suppose to warm up into the high 60's.  I got to Denver (which was sunk in a deep, chilling fog) and back with no issues.  After a few more adult responsibilities I had the gear on and was headed for Woodland Park.  Once there I filled up (this bike is a gas hog) and headed up SR 67.  There were huge gray clouds building up in front of me so I decided to stop and put on the rainsuit.  Not only was it getting cloudy but the change in altitude and the cloud cover brought a drop in the temperature.  I used the opportunity to get a picture of the bike.  Gotta have plenty of those in case I forget what it looks like.

The misty mountains

SR 67 starts out fairly unremarkable.  It's got some bends in it and it's pretty scenic with all the trees and such but it's not any more scenic than any other road in Colorado, which is to say it's mostly beautiful.  There's a certain point when you start going up hill for a little bit and reach the burn scar from an old forest fire that the road starts to become interesting.  I should throw out there that I never speed, at least beyond my skills.  What I mean by that is you'll never catch me winding the bike out to 100 mph on a short narrow stretch of road.  There are however several corners on 67 that advise 30 or even 25 mph but something a little higher than that is possible.  I've found that you don't have to go in excess to lean the bike way down and get get rid of the chicken strips.  It was a few years and a few accidents that taught me that.  This road is good for a little prudent speed on a Friday afternoon (especially a crappy, cold Friday like this).  There is very little traffic on a Friday but Saturday is a different story.

I got to Deckers expecting to see at least a few bikes parked in the lot of the shopping center at the crossroads of 67 and 126.  There were two cars and a Coors truck making deliveries.  I started to just turn around but decided to stop and get a picture.

...and here it is.

As I headed back I passed another hearty soul on an older bike headed towards Deckers.  The ride back toward Woodland Park is a completely different animal than when headed north.  It's mostly uphill so I always feel confident carrying more speed through the turns.  The trip back always seems to be so much faster.  I did take time to stop for another picture though.

Brrrr!!!

I stopped at Starbucks and had a cliched latte and read a little.  I had a massage appointment with our therapist and had some time to kill.  It worked out nicely to have a massage at the end of the ride.  When I pulled into Starbucks there were two Goldwings parked with the riders outside having a little warm-up beverage.  Woodland Park was in sunshine with heavy clouds all around.  It kind of struck me then that this was probably one of the last rides of the season.  Colorado is a place where you can sneak a ride in all through the year but this day felt like fall.  When I left the Springs it had been warm and sunny, I came back to a much colder, blustery town.  Even though I'll probably keep commuting to work on the bike for as long as I can, I'm glad I got this ride in.

View Larger Map

FZ1 Comparison

After having a few days with the new bike I thought I would write down some observations and impressions of it compared to the old one.

The first thing I noticed was how well the wind protection works.  The old bike would shake my head around like it was in a clothes dryer.  The only buffeting I'm receiving now is around the elbows and the shins.  I rode it to work this morning in 52 degree weather and the only place I really felt it was on the lower part of the legs.

Actually let's go back a minute.  The real first thing I noticed before even releasing the clutch was how high you sit up on this bike compared to the old one.  It's even more like flying now.  I like that unobstructed feeling.  The seat was rock hard but is breaking in nicely.  Every day it seems a little more comfortable.

The bike is nimble.  At the very end of my commute to work there is a long sweeping curve to the right and a slightly shorter bend to the left.  I found myself taking these two curves at a slightly higher speed with infinitely more confidence.  It's the same for doing a u-turn on our street or just turning the corner at an intersection.  This bike just feels much more balanced.  The riding position also keeps my legs tucked in against the tank.

I rode up to Denver on Saturday (I got the bike Friday).  It was in the mid-80's and I noticed that my right calf wasn't cooking.  The old FZ1's engine would get really hot in the warmer weather so this was a nice new feature.  While in Denver a member of the Bandido MC pulled up next to me at a light and said, "Let me take a look at that bike."  Paused for a minute and said, "Nice."  I wish I could have gotten a picture of the bike he was on.  A big, older Harley with hard cases and long horn steer horns across the front.  While there I also picked up a new Shoei GT Air, a very nice helmet with some great features my 10 year old Arai does not have.  And it's got a racing stripe so, you know, it'll make me faster.

A few gripes about the bike are: like the '02 doesn't have self-cancelling turn signals, a feature my '97 Vmax does have.  There is also a buzzing at 5000 rpm and above that sounds like the fairing or windshield are loose (neither one is).  And the biggest problem would be the EFI apparently has some government mandated "fuel cut" feature so that every time you shift the power drops for a microsecond and causes a slight jerk.  Apparently there's a fix for that although it's an expensive one.

Overall, I'm feeling pretty pleased with the purchase.  I still get sentimental looking at the pictures of the '02 bike though.

Ole Blue

Tomorrow Lisa and I are headed to Gunnison to pick up a (almost) new Yamaha FZ1.  If you've been paying attention (I won't hold it against you if not) you'll know that I love to ride my '02 FZ1.  Just a little.  I'm looking forward to getting the new bike.  I took a spin on a co-worker's '08 model which is similar to the '12.  It was more comfortable on the tailbone and had better wind protection all around.  The decision to get it is what has made me think this huge mid-life crisis tour is possible.  We'll see how I feel after riding it for awhile but I think I can go much further on the new bike.

As excited as I am to be getting the new ride, I was feeling a little misty eyed while washing Ole Blue (the name I just gave the old bike just now).  Almost everywhere I've been that bike has been.  I know guys like motorcycle journalist Pete Egan go through bikes like a lot of us go through t.p. but I'm one of those people that holds on to something for ever.

Just for my own benefit a list of the places I've rode the bike include a cross country trip from San Diego to Zanesville Ohio when I bought the bike back in 2003.  That was a long almost crippling ride but a lot of fun.  Some things I remember about that trip were almost getting lost somewhere in southern California around Death Valley.  Freezing my tookus off in the early morning hours through Flagstaff.  And a particularly painful conversation I had with a woman working at a gas station about my mesh Joe Rocket jacket.  She seemed unable to grasp that the jacket was for protection while keeping the rider cool.  Of course the fact that it was about 50 degrees and raining didn't help my cause.

I also remember kicking myself ever since that ride for staying a day in Terra Haute Indiana.  Of all the places I could have spent an extra day in why I picked Terra Haute I'll never know.

Brian, Bud and me, Durango CO 2004

 Back in 2004 I had the bike with me when I met Lisa, my wife.  I rode all over Colorado that summer and that's really the year I took my riding abilities to the next level.  Riding the roads through the Rockies was an experience I'll never forget.  A buddy liked my FZ1 so much he got the black and yellow model.  Another buddy was so inspired by the fun we were having riding, he took the MSF course and bought a Harley.  After Colorado we all went to California and rode the Pacific Coast Highway and around central California together.  I usually don't like to ride with people but that was the best year of riding ever.

There have just been some many wonderful rides I can't begin to list them all.  Actually that's not true, I just listed two of them a minute ago.  Truth is I could list them all but you would get bored awful quick.

To conclude I'll just post some pictures of past beautiful rides.

Somewhere in California headed toward Lick Observatory

Watching snow come in on top of Mt Evans at 14,000 ft

The beautiful Pacific Coast Highway

The Tetons in Wyoming (but you knew that)

Clarksdale Mississippi, home of the blues

Now I'm really sad.

The Mid-Life Crisis Tour 2015

In December 2014 I'll be hitting the half century mark.  I haven't given it much thought until just the other day while driving in to work.  I'm not one to be overly introspective and I've never given aging much thought.  I don't like to celebrate birthdays either but I got to thinking that it would be a wonderful, even smashing idea to take a four corners U.S. tour on the bike.  This is something I've wanted to do for forever and I think the 50 year milestone is just a way to sell it to the missus.  That wasn't a tough sell by the way.  It went something like this:

Me - "Honey, I think when I hit 50 I want to take a ride across the country."
Best wife in the world - "Okay."

So with that I ran up stairs and immediately signed up for Adventure Rider Motorcycle Forum.  There are some hardcore dudes over there and a bunch of them are impressive photographers as well.  For the next two years I will be pouring over maps and Google Earth and The Insight Guides United States On The Road book I bought several years ago and almost sold in a garage sale.

I'll be fantasizing about this one for awhile.  Thinking out the minutiae and figuring out the logistics every time I take a shower or a ride.

The thing that will make this dream a reality is the purchase of a (almost) new '12 FZ1.  I took a spin on a co-workers '08 and the difference in comfort and wind protection between mine and his is like the difference between...I was going to say Democrats and Republicans but that comparison doesn't hold up so much any more.  Let's just say day and night.  Riding his bike really makes me believe I can do a long distance trip on a motorcycle relatively easy.  Hopefully I'll get the chance to see soon. 

Rain, Rain Go Away. No Seriously, GO ALREADY!

Colorado, September 2013 - This is how I'll remember this month...

Commuting

I just read a blog entry at Road Runner Magazine (a great magazine by the way) about commuting on the bike.  I've thought about posting something similar but haven't gotten around to it.  I thought I might take the time to do it now.

I got a late start on the riding season this year for some reason.  It was July before I took my first real, good ride.  I've been making up for it since.  Aside from the Labor Day ride I've ridden up to Denver a few times and just cruised around town for the heck of it quite a bit.  I like riding around town to get to know it.  Even though I've lived in Colorado Springs since '09 this town is a hard place to get to know.  It's always a lot more fun to explore a place on a bike.

On top of all the leisure riding I've done I've also been commuting a lot more.  The commute is a mile to the interstate and then about 15 miles down I-25 with another 3 mile jaunt on surface roads.  The roads are all pretty hectic and traffic usually flows fast.

I had a hard time getting myself to ride to work because I think I've gotten lazy and spoiled.  I like not fighting wind blast.  I like being able to drink coffee and listen to Bob & Tom on the radio.  And I like not worrying about putting my feet down when I stop.  The more I ride though the less I miss that stuff.  I'm sure I'll get tired of the wind blast again and go back to driving the truck for a while.  I'm okay with that.  I used to be one of those guys that would pride myself on riding everyday, rain or shine, hardcore style.  Now not so much.  I'm kind of old and more concerned about comfort and pleasing myself than some guy on a message board.  This was a comment to the blog post I was referring to
  

"I guess your really not a hard core motorcyclist but a fair weather rider. I ride daily, most everywhere, taking my daughter to school and back to work, to clients, shopping, every where. I do just over 100,000 a year."  

Harsh!  Well whatever.

I myself have really been into the commute because the weather has been perfect for riding most days.  It's rained on me the last two days but like I've mentioned before, I like riding in the rain.  The temperature has been just perfect so that I'm warm but don't sweat in my rain suit.  That's ideal to me.  As a matter of fact it was so beautiful out I was tempted to just call off sick and head for the mountains (which looked just like the Misty Mountains from The Lord of the Rings this morning.  It's a good thing I didn't though, CO 24 was closed due to flash flooding.   I stayed off the interstate though.  I don't like riding the freeway in the rain.

So, you have the weather but the other element is the, I hesitate to say it, Zen state I get into.  I don't think a lot about outside things when riding.  I focus on the road and the guy with the gauge, tattoos and sideways trucker cap in the WRX about to cut me off.  Even when it's not that hectic I'm scanning the road for deer or just checking the rearview mirror.  I just don't have time to think about stressful things.  If someone pulls into my lane I get mad but don't (or can't) stay mad.  I have to move on to the next threat.  I don't want to make it sound like a round of Death Race 2000 or Thunderdome.  There isn't that constant challenge, you just have to constantly watch for it.

By the time I get to work I'm relaxed and happy and ready for the day.

Location Is Everything

I both love and hate checking out the European and Japanese websites of motorcycle builders.  Love it because it's fascinating to see what other countries are offered and hate it because it's painful to see what we don't get offered.  Take for example my old trusty FZ1.  I have the first generation bike but when the second generation or "Gen II" bike came out Europe got a beautiful naked bike with no fairing.  The US FZ1 with the mini-fairing is known over seas as the Fazer.  Not only do they get a non-faired version they get better paint schemes in my opinion.

Europe's FZ1

It also has a lower chin spoiler.

 The FZ1 is a little long in the tooth however but the trend continues with the smaller sibling to the Fazer, the FZ8 Touring.  Sure you can buy the bags and brackets after market or even through Yamaha's accessory catalog but how nifty is that?

 And lastly here's one I don't even know!  The XJ6 Diversion.  A half-faired variant of the FZ6R I believe.  There is also a 660 Ténéré where only the 1200 Super Ténéré is offered in the states.  Check out the UK site here.

As for the other bike companies you'll just have to check them out for yourself.  I don't know enough about Suzuki or Kawasaki to tell you the differences.  I can tell you that they have a lot of bikes though.  Check out Suzuki UK and Kawasaki UK, if nothing else they give the bikes different names.  Apparently you still have to settle for green on your Kawi in London.

So what's the deal?  I'm as patriotic as the next guy if that guy is patriotic but it seems to me we get stuck with less variety because we have less imagination.  Somewhere along the way through the decades of motorcycle design we all decided we wanted either a Harley or a GSX-R1000.  And they all have to have every cubic inch available.  Don't misunderstand, there are niche markets.  Niche may be too restrictive a word.  I see plenty of sport and adventure tourers but they're all very similar too.  It wasn't that long ago that the V-Strom was a one bike market on the affordable adventure bike scene.

I do think that things are turning around, Honda likes to make fun, interesting bikes but again, they like to make more fun interesting bikes for Europe.

This is not a photo from the early 80's, it's a Cb1300s.  Click the photo for more info

To sum it up, Europe in general and the UK in particular have some sweet bikes we don't but they also have a 20% VAT tax and crazy congestion and traffic laws.  I think I'll keep my small selection (you can only ride one at a time right?) and my big open spaces.

Gunnison Ride - Labor Day Weekend 2013

I took a Labor Day ride with my brother-in-law this weekend.  I left the Springs yesterday morning at 0930, met Chris in Buena Vista and arrived in Gunnison at 1500 or so after 201 miles.  We stayed at the Inn at Tomichi Village over night.  It is a pretty nice motel.  I like staying at motels on motorcycle rides better than hotels.  Hotels might be more secure but I like being able to open the door and see the bike parked right out front.  If it's raining and I have a couple of beers to drink that's all the better.

The motel was the cheapest listed on Hotels.com.  It had a two out of five star rating but a 4.1 of 5 on the number scale.  Not sure what the difference is but it is definitely a 4.5 out of 5 in my book.  So once we got settled in we headed 30 minutes north on Colorado Route 135 to Crested Butte for dinner.  We got there in the middle of a festival and the downtown was blocked off to traffic.  The last time Lisa and I were there there was also a festival and the street was blocked.  It made me wonder if the street is blocked off every weekend.  So we walked around looking for a steak house and found a pub that served steak, close enough. The West End Public House has a great 12 oz. New York strip. Chris had chicken and waffles which made me envious but it's not in my diet plan.

West End Public House

Afterward we rode a few miles up to the ski resort and took some photos.  In a state lousy with scenery this was some of the most scenic.  We got there at an optimal photo time.  It was sunset and thunderstorms had just passed through.  Everything was fresh and pinkish-orange.

View Larger MapDriving Directions

It was just turning dark on the way back to the hotel and it was getting a little chilly.  We made a stop for a 6 pack of my favorite beer, Paulaner Hefe-Weizen and got back to the room for some local news.  I was out by 9 o'clock with a well earned sleep.

I got up at seven the next morning and realized that I had forgotten my toothbrush so it was off to the local Walmart for that and toothpaste.  This was one of the older Walmarts like you don't see anymore.  It was very small with a little electronics section in the middle of the store.  Anyone remember that lay out?

We rode west to the Blue Mesa Reservoir for a few more scenic shots then turned the bikes back east.  While stopped at a rest stop an older guy on a V-Strom pulled in and said hello.  I noticed the Oregon plates and talked to him for a little bit.  He had just come through Grand Junction visiting his son and was on his way to Texas to visit his other son.  I thought "There's one lucky guy" but then so am I.

We made one last stop in Gunnison on the way back through for gas.  I got to talking with a guy on a Harley with New Mexico plates.  The bike had the same dirty look form rain that our had.  The guy had rode up Saturday from Albuquerque and was on his way home.  On the way to Monarch Pass I questioned why I love to ride so much.  I mean it's really nothing more than a mode of transportation, one in which you're exposed to the elements and vulnerable to careless drivers and wild animals.  I couldn't come up with an answer that satisfied.  All I know is that I spend a lot of time laughing or singing out loud when I ride.  I know the guy on the Harley, the older gentleman on the V-Strom and Chris could identify.

Poor Man's GPS

Chris and I made it up over Monarch and got rained on (again) briefly.  Traffic was light Sunday afternoon going west but was pretty busy on Labor Day headed back east.  I drove way to fast up the mountain but took it slow down the other side.  Chris and I parted ways at Poncha Springs (I love these old west town names).  He headed for Silverthorn via Beuna Vista and Leadville and I decided to try a different way than I had come and headed for Salida and on to Canon City.  It's a great ride through a twisty canyon.  The road runs alongside the Arkansas River.  The headwaters for the river are just north of Leadville and the river is still narrow enough to walk across in spots in Colorado.

The traffic was heavier through here but a lot better than it would have been had I come through Woodland Park and across route 24.  I stopped for a little water break in Canon City.  Canon City's chief industry appears to be prisons by the way.

I finally pulled in around 4 o'clock.  I got in and was met with the greeting I always look forward to from Moon, Dash and Ruby the three wonder dogs.  The wife was still at work unfortunately.  It was a great ride.

Influences

This month's issue of Motorcyclist Magazine had a series of articles on first motorcycles. The special section was called "Roots" and it looked was an interesting trip through some of the staff's first riding experiences. It detailed who influenced them and how they came to be involved in our great sport.

It got me thinking about my first bike. I'm not exactly sure who influenced me into my interest in bikes. My earliest memories of motorcycles are of my Dad's cousin Jack and Evil Knievel. Jack had been in the Air Force and travelled all over the word, which is obviously very exotic to a four year old. I remember one summer he road into town on a bike and how much of an impression it left on me. I never saw him on a bike again and he never really came around much as it was. I don't know what brand of bike it was it it didn't matter. It was the epitome of two wheeled freedom and adventure.

The other formative influence was probably Evil Knievel. My dad was never a motorcyclist but he loved watching Evil jump. I have the image of Knievel's unsuccessful landing at Cesar's Palace burned into my memory. Every Saturday I saw it at the beginning of Wide World of Sports.

Of course there was the t.v. showThen Came Bronson. I think it was on two seasons when I was a kid but it's impact went on long after that. Or there was the Batcycle Adam West piloted, you know, the one with Robin's rocket sidecar.

Who knows where my love of motorcycles first started. It seems like all children have an instinctual fascination with motorcycles. I remember being stopped at a red light in Salinas, California a few years ago. I looked over and there on the sidewalk I saw a mother leading her daughter along by the hand. The little girl looked to be three years old and about the tiniest little thing I've ever seen. She looked over and saw my Vmax and stopped right in her tracks. Her mom started tugging her along but she stood there, pulling back, mouth agape and eyes wide. It made me laugh out loud and I remember thinking even then, "There goes a future motorcycle rider".

Retro Bikes

From an article on CycleWorld.com

Around Town

I was riding around town today doing chores and thinking about how great riding around town is. I had a lot of thoughts going through my mind that I had planned on writing here. Thoughts about how great it is to be able to zip around town easier and faster than in a car. The ease of parking, the savings of gas and so on. Today of all days has been a great riding around town day. The temperature was 56 degrees but it was sunny and I had a long sleeve shirt which kept my comfort level perfect. Like I said, I had a bunch of stuff to write about but if you are already one of those people that makes up an excuse to run down to the corner store or would rather pay utility bills in person on a hot summer day then you already know the joys of riding around your city and there's nothing more I can add except go out and ride to the 7-11 on the other side of town for a Big Gulp.

Mt Evans Ride

29 August 20
224 miles

I finally got to take a ride I’ve been wanting to do since 2004. I lived in Denver for that year and my wife took me to the Mt Evans Road. It’s a fourteen mile road in Mt Evans State Park that winds its way up the mountain to come to a stop at 14,130 miles high. It’s what is known as a 14er to people who hike or climb. There are over fifty 14ers in Colorado which makes it the state with the most. Of those 50 some, two have roads to the top, Mt Evans and Pikes Peak. Mt Evans’s road is the only one that’s paved, which makes it the highest paved road in the U.S and the one easiest to climb on my street going 2001 Yamaha FZ1. One of the things I used to like to do in my other life as a contractor on the road was to visit the highest point in each state I visited if possible. As you can imagine, in a state with over 50 mountains including the second highest peak in the continental U.S. it’s a little hard for me as a non-climber to make that trip. As a result I’m willing to settle for the highest road.

I rode up to Idaho Springs on I-70 just west of Denver. Idaho Springs leads to the Mt Evans Park and also happens to be where my brother-in-law, Chris, lives with his 2007 Aprillia RSV4. I got to Idaho Springs in time to catch my nephew’s soccer game (which they won) and then it was off with Chris. It had been lightly sprinkling all day and just on the cool side. I had decided to wear my Joe Rocket mesh jacket and leave my rain suit at home, so while I wasn’t too worried I was hoping the rain would hold off. It did for the most part.

It’s actually fourteen miles of scenic twisty road to the entrance of the park. At about the 7 mile mark I glanced down at the gas needle and was quickly reminded that I needed to fill up before leaving Idaho Springs. Oops. Oh well, I was sure there would be at least one gas station somewhere around the base of the mountain. With that thought I motored on in happy, ignorant bliss.

The road to the park is really a great joy. It’s lightly travelled for the most part with quite a few passing zones for those times when there is someone in your way. It’s almost all uphill so it’s easy to go into the hairpins a little faster. If it has one drawback, it’s that it’s so scenic it can be dangerously distracting. Conifers and Aspen trees lined the road with plenty of breaks to look out over the valleys and the numerous mountains in the Rocky Mountain range. The air was fresh and crisp and getting crisper as we gained altitude. I can’t think of a more intoxicating feeling then riding a motorcycle through the mountains of Colorado.

Once we got to the entrance to the toll road I realized there would be no gas fill up for me. Trusting in the familiarity with the limits of my bike I decided to press on. That could have come back to haunt me, fortunately it didn’t. More on that later. There was a line of about seven cars ahead and the same number behind. There was a bright green Kawasaki Ninja and a Harley a few cars behind us so we weren’t the only bikes on the road. I paid the three dollar toll for motorcycles and found it so cheap I paid for Chris too. Cars are ten dollars which makes for one of the best motorcycle discounts of this type I’ve ever seen. The first part of the road continued along like the stretch from Idaho Springs but that didn’t last long. Before I knew it I was climbing out of the tree line at 12,000 ft and into an alien terrain one doesn’t often get to experience. The traffic was building a little and moving slow. This doesn’t prove to be too much of an obstacle though. The twisty bits have, by this point, developed the nasty trait of dropping off hundreds of feet nearly straight down. You really get to notice the little things going twenty miles per hour also. For a place that looks desolate, dry and hostile there are a slew of flora and fauna. I saw a fat marmot making use of what sun there was lounging on a rock.

At the 11 mile marker there was some severe road damage in an area that had the same problem in 2004, when the wife and I were there. It looks like it’s a result of a low lying marshy area. It’s quite a roller coaster but the FZ1 handled it with aplomb. On one of the final switchbacks there was a group of 4x4 vehicles with light bars and mountain rescue stickers parked on the corner. In a field was a group of guys in climbing gear and a stretcher. I never did find out what happened, you often see search and rescue teams practicing mountain rescues and I was hoping that was the case this time. A few turns later there was a group of cars stopped for a happier occasion. There was a bright white mountain goat chewing some thorny mountain shrub.

After roughly 45 minutes we made the top. The last two miles I had been feeling the effects of the thin air and was starting to get a little nervous. Once to the top I drank all the water I had brought with me, having suffered altitude sickness twice before. I didn’t have any problems (except shortness of breath) the rest of the time.

The view from the top was as spectacular as I remember. You really do feel as if you’re on top of the world. The sky was amazing. Some spots were clear, other spots had huge, towering gray and white clouds and snow was coming our way. It did snow briefly but after putting on the polar fleece sweater I had packed with me I was comfortable the rest of the trip. The Harley and Ninja pulled in behind us and the guy on the Harley was not as fortunate as me however.
He decided to not wear his gloves. Doh! Despite that they loved ride. Chris hikes the 14ers and has several already under his belt. He was excited to add another so we climbed the last 250 feet or so to the geological survey marker to make it official then headed back down. With no real traffic ahead of us and a downhill trip we made it down a lot faster, even with a stop to get a bad photo of some mountain sheep. It was almost a flawless trip from then on except for two problems. The first was the appearance of my low fuel light with about 21 miles to the closest gas station. I did a lot of coasting. The other, more serious issue was a brief attack of altitude sickness Chris experienced about half way down. We stopped a few times and Chris finally recovered. Even someone experienced is susceptible to altitude sickness.

I split from Chris back in Idaho Springs, got my gas and headed home toward a spectacular Colorado thunder storm in the distance. After a quick call to my wife to reassure myself that I wasn’t driving into a landlocked hurricane I was able to enjoy the beautiful light show the rest of the way home. Nine hours and 224 miles after I started the trip I was home, safe, dry and thoroughly satisfied.

Honda Gold Wing Bulldog Bobber

Honda Gold Wing Bulldog Bobber

Posted using ShareThis

What a gorgeous bike. Thanks to my brother for the link.

You Meet The Nicest People On A Honda

Including John Travolta delivering your mail.

Wish My Dog Would Do This

dog on a motorcycle
Originally uploaded by atomly

It would make getting her to the vet a lot more fun and a lot easier.

Sunday Ride From Denver To Sedalia

This was a short fun ride. I met up with my brother-in-law, Chris, at about the half way point. He lives in Idaho Springs and I live in Colorado Springs so we met at the mother-in-law's place in Littleton. It was sunny and clear when I left at about 8:00 in the morning so I took my Joe Rocket mesh jacket and left the rain suit at home. Of course this being Colorado, I would eventually end up wet (but just a little). We took off toward Deer Creek Canyon at the end of Kipling Blvd. There were several bicyclist's going up through the canyon, I'm not sure if this was a normal thing or if they were having an organized bike event. Colorado is a big bicycle state and the canyon seemed to be popular with bikes as well as sport bikes. As soon as we headed up the road several sport bike riders gave us the slow down sign. Cops ahead. Sure enough as we rounded a lovely tight corner there was "the Man" with a radar gun pointed right at us. Chris was in the lead and had the good sense to stick to the speed limit. Apparently the road is such a popular place for sport bikes it's a prime spot for Johnny Law too, we passed about three speed traps in less than four miles of road. While I don't advocate breaking the law or excessive speeding I do think that the speed limit in that canyon is set way to low to test even a beginner's skill. Before we even got through the end of the canyon I was promising myself I would be back on a week day when it's not so busy. We passed a lot of frustrated CBR, Ninja and Ducati riders.

Eventually we popped out on 285 and headed south toward Pine Junction. From here we headed down County Road 126 towards Deckers, site of my last ride. This time we were headed in the opposite direction. This road was less crowded and less heavily patrolled by the Police. We were still keeping the speeds reasonable. Chris just got a new Aprillia RSV and was getting use to the feel of it. CR 126 is a beautiful stretch of sweeping curves, long down hills and beautiful views. As you would expect, we passed whole buffalo herds of bikes, everything from more Ducatis and Ninjas to Harleys and Goldwings and several BMW dual sports. I like riding on the weekends for the feeling of community you get.

We made our way to Deckers and stopped for a few photos then headed for that stretch of dirt road that connects CR 67 to Sprucewood. It's a short four miles on decent graded road, treated with manganese to keep the dust down. Waiting for us on the other end was a decent meal at the Sprucewood Inn. It's a little hole in the wall diner catering to the trail riders that pass by on a popular dirt trail that runs right in front of the inn. There were several dusty families with satisfied looks on their faces coming and going for some pretty decent mexican food.

By the time we ate the clouds had rolled in and we took off a little faster. We got to Sedalia and split, Chris for Denver and me for home. As I topped Monument Pass I got a little rained on but had such a good ride I didn't mind. It's nice to have someone to ride with. I like to ride alone most of the time but it's always good to have someone that can share in the experience of a great ride.

Huh?!? Whu?!?

Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a typically incoherent statement suggested people sell off their motorcycles to help pay for food for their children. A better idea, especially in sunny California would be to sell their cars. The LA Times article is here. And a response letter to the Governor with some well thought out opinions is posted at the Iron Works blog, here. I, for one, am tired of hearing every stupid politician's opinion on how we should live our lives and this is just one more example.

4:34 PM | May 26, 2009

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been talking a lot about how the state’s leaders need to live just like ordinary citizens do: within their means. To that end, he has proposed addressing billions of dollars in projected deficits by selling off state landmarks, cutting off healthcare to children and adults, closing parks and more.

But the movie star turned governor clearly isn’t one of the ordinary Californians he is talking about. Before giving a speech about the budget crisis in Sacramento this morning to small business leaders, he took a few seconds to banter with an audience member about making a deal to buy some new motorcycles.

“And so I heard even there is someone out there that is from a Harley-Davidson shop in Orange County. Who is that? It's you? OK, I'm going to come to your table very soon after my speech and we'll make a deal to buy an extra few hogs, because I love motorcycles and I ride them every Sunday, OK? So it's good to have you here.”

Later in his speech, Schwarzenegger spoke of the people in the state who, unlike him, are unable to afford the motorcycles they already have.

“This is something that businesses have to do and individuals have to do in California. When they are in financial trouble they have to sell off their motorcycle or their boat, because they know that it doesn't make any sense to have a boat at the dock when you can't feed your family.… And that's exactly what California has to do and this is why we are having on the block today for sale San Quentin, Cal Expo, the Coliseum and the list goes on and on and on.”

-- Michael Rothfeld

Colorado Springs>Trumbull>Castle Rock

Had a great ride today that thanks to Google Maps turned into a bigger adventure than expected. I mapped out a 123 mile circle from Colorado Springs to Trumbull Colorado on Colorado Route 67 and on to Castle Rock. The plan was to jump on I-25 for the last leg of the journey.

Everything started out innocently enough, the ride through town to CR24 was routine. The weather was 62 degrees and perfect. The stretch from Manitou Springs to Woodland Park was the usual, a twisty spot allows me to escape the pack of cars that always coagulates half way up the mountain. I started getting excited once I hit CR67, new untravelled road, my favorite kind. The first sign out of town placed Deckers 23 miles up the road. I remembered from the map (which I forgot at home) that was the area I was headed. The first part of this stretch was pretty high speed and straight with a few long sweepers and light traffic. There were just a few cars to pass and plenty of places to do it. After a while the curves started to tighten up and it really got fun. Most of the road was down hill so I got the speed up a few times and the corners really got my heart thumping. People always compare that kind of ride to a roller coaster but I've never been that thrilled on coaster.

I got into Deckers, a small fishing spot on the left of the road and a coffee shop, liquor store and bait shop on the right. I pulled in for a bottle of water and ended up getting a hot dog too. While I was sitting outside an older gentleman pulled up on a pristine '79 BMW R65. We talked for a little while and he gave me some advice about the route. If I had gone the way I told him I was headed it would have been more accurate advice. He was justifiably proud of the bike, it had one previous owner and a mere 35,000 miles on the odometer when he bought it. It was garaged and well tended to and had quite a few miles more on it by now. After sharing the remains of my hot dog with the neighborhood dog I was off.

Deckers is actually at the crossroads of where I should have turned. I decided to follow Goggle not the directions of the motorcyclist obviously familiar with the area. This led me across some more great twisty road but also to Platte River Road. For the next 17 miles I was making my way down a very twisty, very dusty dirt road. Fortunately it was a well maintained dirt road, one that I had been down a few years ago when my wife and I were looking for ghost towns. The bike actually handled the washboards better than her Tacoma. The ride was scenic as all get out and I stopped and took several photos. I eventually ran past this creepy old abandoned hotel Lisa had taken me to before. I finally came out on paved road. It turned out to be the road I would have taken if I had followed the local's directions back at Deckers. The road sign said Deckers was ten miles, I had gone about 25 extra miles, 17 of them on dirt. I guess there are two ways to look at it, I had to go 25 extra miles or I got to go 25 extra miles. Anyway, after getting the bike up to speed and just getting back in the groove, I came to my next turn - back onto gravel! This was an interesting road with some steep inclines and narrow stretches hanging on the side of the hills. It struck me as a logging road almost, albeit nicely maintained. I passed a few SUVs and received a few curious glances as well.

This stretch of dirt turned out to be a mere four miles and I popped back out on CR67 and headed north to Sedalia. This section was another cork screw dream come true. It felt good to be leaning at extreme angles on smooth pavement again. I took a right at CR150 and there the tale basically ends. I rode into Castle Rock and got an angry stare from some short little guy on a big custom (apparently because I had the audacity to be in the lane next to him during a red light). But that was about it. I-25 was I-25 but by this time I didn't care, I was tired and thirsty.

All in all this was an exceptional ride. I couldn't help but notice while going down the dirt road how I was in a state of zen (not to overuse that term). After a while my speed started to pick up and I started to learn something new about the bike I've been riding for the past seven years. And here I thought I knew it inside and out. I also learned a little something about my own abilities. I surprised myself by not turning around from the unknown. This ride gets a ten out of ten. The ride was a total of 168 miles when it was all said and done.

The Daily Commute

Now that stricter CAFE standards have been introduced my motorcycle is more important to me than ever.  I've long bragged about the muscle car performance with two-thirds the price tag I get with my two bikes.  Mine aren't even two of the hottest performers although the Vmax had his day in the sun.  Now with the hope of buying myself a 2009 Dodge Challenger quickly fading in the rearview mirror I'm really learning to love my bikes.

Since I got the tire repaired last month, I've ridden to work every day but two, which had nothing to do with weather (I'm a rain or shine kinda guy).  My only regret is that the commute isn't a little longer, I'm just starting to get my groove by the time I'm pulling in to the parking lot.  My fellow commuters can present quite a challenge sometimes.  I know people say this to the point of cliché but I think people really are becoming worse drivers.  I don't notice a lot of people on the cell phone these days, maybe that message is finally sinking in.  But despite that one blessing, I see more and more drivers running red lights making left hand turns across traffic, tailgating, not yielding and just more road raging in general.  I may have mentioned it before but I've always enjoyed that element of motorcycle riding to a certain sick degree.  I liken it to a video game.  I enjoy looking in the minivan two cars ahead of me to read what the diver is going to do.  I watch the rearview to keep an eye on the twenty something girl weaving from one lane and back to speed past everyone else.  I always try to remember where she is and calculate where she'll be.

I really believe as I get lazier and lazier in my other pursuits, this is the one thing that keeps my mind active.  It's also the thing that clears my mind for the coming day on the way to work, and brings me down from a stressful day on the way home.  Really if I were to think about it (which obviously I am) I would say that riding is the most important thing I do for my mental health and the reason I have 120/80 blood pressure.  I used to have a t-shirt that said "You never see a motorcycle parked outside a psychiatrist's office".  Truer worlds were never silk-screened.