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Bicycling the trailridge in the Rocky Mountain National Park...
We have plans to ride from Granby Lake on Highway 34, 36 and 72 to
Nederland and Denver. We start in Astoria Or and then ride the Transamerica Trail so in Granby we have allready some experience... We wonder if anybody have experience with the ride on bicycle in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The rising at a top of more than 12000 feet is that to do? How many miles we have to ride with a rising percent of more then 10? |
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#2
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Bicycling the trailridge in the Rocky Mountain National Park...
"Fer" wrote:
We have plans to ride from Granby Lake on Highway 34, 36 and 72 to Nederland and Denver. We start in Astoria Or and then ride the Transamerica Trail so in Granby we have allready some experience... We wonder if anybody have experience with the ride on bicycle in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The rising at a top of more than 12000 feet is that to do? How many miles we have to ride with a rising percent of more then 10? I did this ride more than 25 years ago. I don't recall many (if any) parts greater than 10% grade. Pretty much a long steady climb. Be prepared for cold temperatures and strong winds near the top. The scenery is great! Art Harris |
#3
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Bicycling the trailridge in the Rocky Mountain National Park...
On Jan 23, 2:35 pm, Art Harris wrote:
Pretty much a long steady climb. Be prepared for cold temperatures and strong winds near the top. The scenery is great! I second that -- long and steady, be prepared for dramatic temperature/ wind changes. The scenery is awesome, especially if you start at dawn. The first time I tried it I had to bail out 2/3 of the way up because the water bottles I had so carefully frozen the night before never thawed. That was in August. The second time I made it, but wound up wearing all my layers when I got to the top. The trip back down was a blast -- from where I started it took me 2+ hours up and 30 minutes down. Beware -- they were doing road construction on the road last year near the visitor's center. I'm not positive they finished before they closed the road for the winter. - JR |
#4
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Bicycling the trailridge in the Rocky Mountain National Park...
Spectacular is too dull and cliche to describe the ride over Trail
Ridge. The grade does start to pick up a little toward the top but just keep pedalling. There are lots of rides that are steeper. Start early. You'll spend a noticeable part of the climb above tree line. During the summer lightning storms are a regular feature of afternoons in the Rockies so it behooves riders to be over the top by 11 a.m. or so. When I rode over in August 2005 I climbed in shorts and a very light jacket and descended in tights and a heavy jacket. If I go over again this year I'll probably take arm and leg warmers instead of complete additional layers. My understanding from reading the Estes Park Trail-Gazette and e-mailing the park is that the road work is complete. cycledork.blogspot.com |
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Bicycling the trailridge in the Rocky Mountain National Park...
Fer wrote:
We have plans to ride from Granby Lake on Highway 34, 36 and 72 to Nederland and Denver. We start in Astoria Or and then ride the Transamerica Trail so in Granby we have allready some experience... We wonder if anybody have experience with the ride on bicycle in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The rising at a top of more than 12000 feet is that to do? How many miles we have to ride with a rising percent of more then 10? Having cycled and driven this road, I don't recall any sections that were 10%. A grade that steep would be signposted around here, and I saw no such signs on my various trips across that road. Like everyone said, it's a very beautiful ride, but be careful of the weather. Snowstorms are a possibility any month of the year, and afternoon thundershowers can be vicious. Check the weather forecast, if afternoon thundershowers are predicted then try to be well past the high point and on your way down hill before 1 PM. Otherwise be ready to take shelter, there are a couple of stores, public toilets and at least one visitor's center along the road. HTH, mark |
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Bicycling the trailridge in the Rocky Mountain National Park...
On Jan 24, 3:01*pm, mark wrote:
Fer wrote: We have plans to ride from Granby Lake on Highway 34, 36 and 72 to Nederland and Denver. We start in Astoria Or and then ride the Transamerica Trail so in Granby we have allready some experience... We wonder if anybody have experience with the ride on bicycle in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The rising at a top of more than 12000 feet is that to do? How many miles we have to ride with a rising percent of more then 10? Having cycled and driven this road, I don't recall any sections that were 10%. A grade that steep would be signposted around here, and I saw no such signs on my various trips across that road. Like everyone said, it's a very beautiful ride, but be careful of the weather. Snowstorms are a possibility any month of the year, and afternoon thundershowers can be vicious. Check the weather forecast, if afternoon thundershowers are predicted then try to be well past the high point and on your way down hill before 1 PM. Otherwise be ready to take shelter, there are a couple of stores, public toilets and at least one visitor's center along the road. HTH, mark Send e-mail to: that is the Rocky Mtn Natl Park e-mail and goes to a ranger who should be able to tell you the maximum grade of the roadway. I am sure it is less than 10%, probably more like 6 or 7 percent. |
#7
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Bicycling the trailridge in the Rocky Mountain National Park...
Fer wrote: We have plans to ride from Granby Lake on Highway 34, 36 and 72 to Nederland and Denver. We start in Astoria Or and then ride the Transamerica Trail so in Granby we have allready some experience... We wonder if anybody have experience with the ride on bicycle in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The rising at a top of more than 12000 feet is that to do? How many miles we have to ride with a rising percent of more then 10? Having cycled and driven this road, I don't recall any sections that were 10%. A grade that steep would be signposted around here, and I saw no such signs on my various trips across that road. Like everyone said, it's a very beautiful ride, but be careful of the weather. Snowstorms are a possibility any month of the year, and afternoon thundershowers can be vicious. Check the weather forecast, if afternoon thundershowers are predicted then try to be well past the high point and on your way down hill before 1 PM. Otherwise be ready to take shelter, there are a couple of stores, public toilets and at least one visitor's center along the road. HTH, mark Send e-mail to: that is the Rocky Mtn Natl Park e-mail and goes to a ranger who should be able to tell you the maximum grade of the roadway. I am sure it is less than 10%, probably more like 6 or 7 percent. Thanks... I did and will report the result... Fer |
#8
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Bicycling the trailridge in the Rocky Mountain National Park...
According to a National Park Service web site, the maximum grade does
not exceed 7%. http://www.nps.gov/archive/romo/visi...r/history.html Thirty-one years ago I did the Transam and also detoured over Trail Ridge Road. An early start is helpful, as it is a long ride. Google maps says it is 99.2 miles, but this depends on your exact starting and ending points. The day that I did the ride, it started to rain just as I arrived at the Alpine Visitor Center. The descent down through rain and clouds was quite a memorable adventure. |
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