Colorodo Climb Routes

On Aug 31, 2:26 pm, "Doug" wrote:
Hi everyone .. thinking about a trip to Colorado next summer to ride some US
climbs. Been over all the French and Italian big passes, time to check out
the home front. Can anyone suggest some good resources for some good climbs
.. preferably loops, but that's not as important.

Also, if you were going to ride for about a week doing climbs, would you
pick Colorado, Utah, California, or Montana ? Or somewhere else?

Thanks Doug

I spent four days in Golden, CO this summer and climbed Mt. Evans. As
someone else mentioned, it is 14,000 feet, the highest paved road in
America. The notes from my riding record spreadsheet says

"Rode from Bergen Park west of Denver. Went up Squaw Pass Road until
I got to Echo Lake. Then I turned up Mt. Evans Rd. None of the climb
was really steep but the elevation peaked out at 14,000 ft. From just
under 12,000 ft on up I would periodically feel good and then bad."

It was 33 miles and about 8000 feet of climbing. I live in San Diego
so I'm used to the climbing but not the altitude. I was so nauseated
at the top that I hitched a ride down. It was 100 degrees in Golden
but at the top I had all my cold weather gear on. I did it on a
Saturday so there was a lot of motor traffic and a lot of cyclists. I
can't say it was dangerous, however.

Bottom line is, if I'm ever back in Denver I'll do it again.

Tom

Doug wrote:
if you were going to ride for about a week doing climbs, would you pick
Colorado, Utah, California, or Montana ?

California. I think the mountains in California tend to me more "pointy". My
experience is that the Colorado mountains visible from paved roads tend to
more rounded, like overgrown hills -- exception is southwest Colorado. Maybe
you could get into more spectacular areas of Colorado if you get off the
paved roads.

Also California has greater variety in its non-mountainous riding. And
non-mountainous non-riding.

I'd want to go to California in late May or June (when there was still lots
of snow visible), soon after the passes opened. Some of the climbs I'd be
interested to try would be: Sonora Pass from the west, Tioga Pass from the
east (and continue riding into Tuolumne Meadows). Onion Valley (not a pass)
from Independence, perhaps Mt Whitney portal, perhaps the view from climbing
east from Big Pine toward the ancient bristlecone pines and White Mt,
perhaps riding some sections of Rt 395 along the east side of the Sierra
mountains between Bridgeport + Mt Whitney, or something around Death Valley,

I hear there's worthwhile climbs on the west side of the Sierra and near
the Bay area, but I've never spent much time there.

Been over all the French and Italian big passes

All ??
? Colle del Nivolet
? Colle dell'Agnello
? Finestre between Susa + Sestriere
? Gran San Bernardo and Col du Grand Ferret

Ken

wrote:
On Aug 31, 2:26 pm, "Doug" wrote:

Hi everyone .. thinking about a trip to Colorado next summer to ride some US
climbs. Been over all the French and Italian big passes, time to check out
the home front. Can anyone suggest some good resources for some good climbs
.. preferably loops, but that's not as important.

Also, if you were going to ride for about a week doing climbs, would you
pick Colorado, Utah, California, or Montana ? Or somewhere else?

Thanks Doug


I spent four days in Golden, CO this summer and climbed Mt. Evans. As
someone else mentioned, it is 14,000 feet, the highest paved road in
America. The notes from my riding record spreadsheet says

"Rode from Bergen Park west of Denver. Went up Squaw Pass Road until
I got to Echo Lake. Then I turned up Mt. Evans Rd. None of the climb
was really steep but the elevation peaked out at 14,000 ft. From just
under 12,000 ft on up I would periodically feel good and then bad."

It was 33 miles and about 8000 feet of climbing. I live in San Diego
so I'm used to the climbing but not the altitude.


Hi Tom,

That got my attention. I may move to San Diego in the next couple of
years. I really don't want to leave the convenient mountain riding here
right out of Boulder, but all the same, San Diego may be where I will be
living in a couple of years. My first thought was that it's flat, but
you make it sound like there is a lot of climbing. Can you give me an
idea of how close the climbs are (to the immediate San Diego area) and
what nature of climbs they are (wooded mountains?, how high?, how
steep?, how long?).

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
The world is my country,
Science, my religion.
*****************************

wrote:
On Aug 31, 2:26 pm, "Doug" wrote:

Hi everyone .. thinking about a trip to Colorado next summer to ride some US
climbs. Been over all the French and Italian big passes, time to check out
the home front. Can anyone suggest some good resources for some good climbs
.. preferably loops, but that's not as important.

Also, if you were going to ride for about a week doing climbs, would you
pick Colorado, Utah, California, or Montana ? Or somewhere else?

Thanks Doug


I spent four days in Golden, CO this summer and climbed Mt. Evans. As
someone else mentioned, it is 14,000 feet, the highest paved road in
America. The notes from my riding record spreadsheet says

"Rode from Bergen Park west of Denver. Went up Squaw Pass Road until
I got to Echo Lake. Then I turned up Mt. Evans Rd. None of the climb
was really steep but the elevation peaked out at 14,000 ft. From just
under 12,000 ft on up I would periodically feel good and then bad."

It was 33 miles and about 8000 feet of climbing. I live in San Diego
so I'm used to the climbing but not the altitude.


Hi Tom,

That got my attention. I may move to San Diego in the next couple of
years. I really don't want to leave the convenient mountain riding here
right out of Boulder, but all the same, San Diego may be where I will be
living in a couple of years. My first thought was that it's flat, but
you make it sound like there is a lot of climbing. Can you give me an
idea of how close the climbs are (to the immediate San Diego area) and
what nature of climbs they are (wooded mountains?, how high?, how
steep?, how long?).

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
The world is my country,
Science, my religion.
*****************************

In article ,
Chuck Anderson wrote:

Hi Tom,

That got my attention. I may move to San Diego in the next couple of
years. I really don't want to leave the convenient mountain riding here
right out of Boulder, but all the same, San Diego may be where I will be
living in a couple of years. My first thought was that it's flat, but
you make it sound like there is a lot of climbing.

San Diego proper is generally pretty hilly, it's flat mesa
separated by steep river cut valleys and dry washes. There are
many short steep climbs and a couple longer ones. ( La Jolla ).

Can you give me an
idea of how close the climbs are (to the immediate San Diego area) and
what nature of climbs they are (wooded mountains?, how high?, how
steep?, how long?).

East of San Diego is a range of mountains that goes up to around
6K feet. It's been a while and I was mostly riding my MTB and
hiking when I lived there, but I'd guess the rides are a lot like
the Front Range Canyon rides. Point Google earth at Julian,
California to get some idea of the roads. East of these mountains
is a fairly steep drop back to near sea level and hot desert.

In a car it's about a hour up to Julian, but that's with no
traffic.

_ Booker C. Bense

On Sep 27, 6:01 pm, Chuck Anderson wrote:
wrote:
It was 33 miles and about 8000 feet of climbing. I live in San Diego
so I'm used to the climbing but not the altitude.

Hi Tom,

That got my attention. I may move to San Diego in the next couple of
years. I really don't want to leave the convenient mountain riding here
right out of Boulder, but all the same, San Diego may be where I will be
living in a couple of years. My first thought was that it's flat, but
you make it sound like there is a lot of climbing. Can you give me an
idea of how close the climbs are (to the immediate San Diego area) and
what nature of climbs they are (wooded mountains?, how high?, how
steep?, how long?).

Sorry it took a couple days to reply. Booker Bense's reply was pretty
accurate. San Diego is definitely not a flat place to ride (like
LA). It is a city built in the hills.

The rural riding is great and very hilly. From my limited experience
in Colorado I could say that the biggest difference (besides altitude)
is that in Colorado it's easy to find a 10-15 mile climb but the
climbing is generally not as steep. In rural SD County there are
probably only a dozen climbs that long but finding roads with long
sections of 15% grade is probably easier.

Urban riding is also hilly, with some steep grades but in the city you
won't find climbs over a mile or so. There are also flat mesas where
you can get in a couple miles of flat riding before the road drops
off. (But riding with motorists around sucks).

Email me directly if you are interested in some specific routes.
Tom

wrote:
On Sep 27, 6:01 pm, Chuck Anderson wrote:

wrote:

It was 33 miles and about 8000 feet of climbing. I live in San Diego
so I'm used to the climbing but not the altitude.

Hi Tom,

That got my attention. I may move to San Diego in the next couple of
years. I really don't want to leave the convenient mountain riding here
right out of Boulder, but all the same, San Diego may be where I will be
living in a couple of years. My first thought was that it's flat, but
you make it sound like there is a lot of climbing. Can you give me an
idea of how close the climbs are (to the immediate San Diego area) and
what nature of climbs they are (wooded mountains?, how high?, how
steep?, how long?).


Sorry it took a couple days to reply. Booker Bense's reply was pretty
accurate. San Diego is definitely not a flat place to ride (like
LA). It is a city built in the hills.


Sorry it took me over a week to reply .... but I thank you and Booker
for taking the time to address my questions. I really do appreciate it.
I'm sure I'll have time to visit before I end up moving there (if I do).
My immediate will very likely be moving to San Diego sometime before the
fall of next year and then I'll be compelled to move somewhere close by.

I think I'm going to miss the high elevations and the closeness of the
mountains where I live (my usual climb starts about a mile from my house
and others are only 4 or 5 miles before I am truly in the mountains.)
Hopefully, if I end up in or near San Diego, I'll find some rides to my
liking. As it is, I am virtually addicted to the riding here.

Email me directly if you are interested in some specific routes.


I'll keep that in mind if (when?) I go down there next year - even for a
visit. Thanks.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
Nothing he's got he really needs
Twenty first century schizoid man.
***********************************