# Colorado Tandem Riding



## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

With poor trails4two suffering from a brake topic derailment, I thought maybe we need a Colorado topic.

Jeanne and I are without east coast born and raised.

We have seen photos but never been to Colorado.

So, since we now have the kid grown and moved out, we talk about various places to ride or things to do.

Colorado teams, fill us in...when is the riding good?, Where are the trails to hit when time is less than unlimited?, Colorado looks big on a map, what kind of travel times from the various trails?,

Not to be picky, but are most trails as open as what trails4two posted? What is the dirt like, loamy, hardpacked or rock.

This would be a long drive or doable but tricky without a coupled tandem. Preferably some of the larger airports could be mentioned if we fly out at some point.

PK


----------



## ds2199 (Sep 16, 2008)

Terrain is varied. Out west (Fruita), terrain can be hard packed, rocky and sandy (Chris, chime in). Best riding is April/May and Sep/Oct. Downside of Fruita is that you have to drive to get to the trails. Four hour drive from Denver, Grand Junction has a regional airport and is close to Fruita.

My favorite tandem riding is in Winter Park, flowy singletrack that is 100% tandem friendly. There is quite a bit of good riding in the mountains, but I have heard some reservations regarding the higher elevation 8,000-9,000 ft above sea level (can be higher too). The plus about Winter Park is that you can do all the riding from town. July through early October are the ideal riding times. Two hr drive from Denver.

Crested Butte is another fabulous MTB destination, again at higher altitude, and rideable from town. I have not ridden tandem in CB yet, but I know others who have. Long drive from Denver. Gunnison has a regional airport, about 30 min from CB.

Buffalo Creek is about one hour from Denver and has great flowy tandem friendly trails. Would require camping, or driving to trailheads.

Large Airport is in Denver. I can't comment much about the smaller regional airports.

There are other good rides closer to Denver, but nothing that I would think of as a destination. 

I can provide more details and Trails4two will chime in on Fruita riding.

There are MANY other location here in Colorado, I a merely pointing out a few that have multiple tandem friendly trails that we have ridden.


----------



## Team Fubar Rider (Sep 3, 2003)

+1 on everything DS2199 said. 

If you're gonna do a "quick" trip out, especially if you're going to go for a spring trip, I'd go to Fruita. You can camp if you want, either one of the state park campgrounds nearby are great. If you're doing 3 days of riding, you could go and ride all the 18 Road stuff on the first day, getting your legs refreshed from either sitting in the car or in a plane (or both). Then on the second day, go out and ride the Loma exit stuff (Kokopelli trail) on the second day. On the third day, you have the option to ride some of the other stuff again OR travel about 1 1/2 hours to Moab and do a day over there. 

The nice thing about Fruita is typically the weather is better in late March/April/May than in the rest of Colorado (and the trails are ridable, unlike in the mountains), although I've been there in late April and have had snow. Just avoid Fruita during the Fat Tire Festival, unless you want to partake in the festivities.


----------



## banks (Feb 2, 2004)

I live in Salida, south central and we have ridden our tandem on Monarch Crest, Rainbow trails, Starvation creek, the local intown single track for years with no problems with a Deja Tu being steered by a DSC90 WB triple clamp. 
Also Hart Man Rocks would be epic as will Phil's World.


----------



## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

*CO trails*

Basically there are two distinct riding zones in Colorado. Mountains and Desert (Banks, I know Salida is in the middle of those). Mountain rides have been pretty well covered by Dan, although there are many other areas with good trails such as Breckenridge. Seasons are July/ Aug/ Sept. I love the trails at Winter Park for tandem although, as mentioned, altitude can be a factor. Out here in GJ/Fruita the season is longer but really hot in July/ Aug. GJ trails are not very tandem friendly but we are going to try some this winter just to see how bad they are. Fruita is a super-fun-happy-slide trail set. Altitude is about 4500ft. Some challenges but very ridable. Technically it is notably harder than Bent Creek, with numerous rocks. Also Moab trails are about 2 hours away. Durango also has some trails that should tandem, but I haven't tried those yet.

Anytime someone wants to come out to GJ/Fruita and ride we will guide, cook for, and/or consume drinks with you.


----------



## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

*Photos from CO*

Tried to load photos but denied today...I'll try later.


----------



## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

Trails4Two said:


> Basically there are two distinct riding zones in Colorado. Mountains and Desert (Banks, I know Salida is in the middle of those). Mountain rides have been pretty well covered by Dan, although there are many other areas with good trails such as Breckenridge. Seasons are July/ Aug/ Sept. I love the trails at Winter Park for tandem although, as mentioned, altitude can be a factor. Out here in GJ/Fruita the season is longer but really hot in July/ Aug. GJ trails are not very tandem friendly but we are going to try some this winter just to see how bad they are. Fruita is a super-fun-happy-slide trail set. Altitude is about 4500ft. Some challenges but very ridable. Technically it is notably harder than Bent Creek, with numerous rocks. Also Moab trails are about 2 hours away. Durango also has some trails that should tandem, but I haven't tried those yet.
> 
> Anytime someone wants to come out to GJ/Fruita and ride we will guide, cook for, and/or consume drinks with you.


When you mention really hot...can you give more details, are we talking Africa hot, or just temps in the 90's with how much humidity. I ask, since we live near Cuba, to us most places are always cold.

The comparison to Bent Creek. Typically at home in South Florida we ride sand and shellrock (limestone / coral / almost like sharp concrete). From riding in New England, there are always many trails with granite outcroppings, boulders and other various rocks, all very ridable. For us, Bent Creek would be deemed as hardpack with silt clad slippery spots where we often spin the tire. Yes there are stones and some rock, but nothing like the Northeast. Will your photos show the rocks and offer an idea of difficulty?

A while back some video was posted by Dale,

http://forums.mtbr.com/tandem-mountain-bikes/stoker-cam-hall-ranch-colorado-548608.html

Is the rocky shown in the video typical and is his video at Hill Ranch in Lyons a nearby trail?

This video from a couple years ago had a bunch of you riding Winter Park area I believe,

http://forums.mtbr.com/tandem-mountain-bikes/colorado-mtb-tandem-rally-549196.html

This was taken in California, is it rocks like this?

http://forums.mtbr.com/tandem-mountain-bikes/ss-tandem-video-sswc08-course-462314.html

FWIW, yes we are trying to sort out some ideas for places to ride next year. We have some very good friends that have a second home for when they retire, it is in Colorado and they constantly ask us to come stay with them. Maybe next summer.

PK


----------



## Team Fubar Rider (Sep 3, 2003)

PMK said:


> When you mention really hot...can you give more details, are we talking Africa hot, or just temps in the 90's with how much humidity. I ask, since we live near Cuba, to us most places are always cold.


Colorado itself isn't "hot", but the areas like Fruita/GJ get over 100 in the summer time, but very little humidity. A bigger problem, especially since you're coming from FL is the elevation combined with the heat. It _feels_ hotter than it is since you're higher up. If you're here in the summer, I'd ride trails in the mountains where it is RARE you'd see temps much above 80.



PMK said:


> Is the rocky shown in the video typical and is his video at Hill Ranch in Lyons a nearby trail?


 The trails of Hall Ranch are pretty typical of "Front Range" trails (anything in the foothills along the I-25 corridor). Hall Ranch is near Lyons, north of Boulder and NW of Longmont.



PMK said:


> FWIW, yes we are trying to sort out some ideas for places to ride next year. We have some very good friends that have a second home for when they retire, it is in Colorado and they constantly ask us to come stay with them. Maybe next summer.


 Where in CO is their second home? Unless its location is way out on the eastern plains of the state, it probably has some trails close by.


----------



## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

LOVE Hall Ranch! That's where we learned to ride tandem. We would try Hall almost every week, then hit Winter Park for weekends after snow melt.


----------



## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

*Colorado Trails Pics*

I'll try again

1) 18 RD near Fruita
2-5) Loma - Mary's Loop, Horsethief, Rustler's


----------



## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

*And More*

More:
1-3) Western Rim (Just West of Fruita)
4) an old shot from Winter Park

Salida (Monarch) and Winter Park coming up!


----------



## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

Here are some random Monarch Crest shots.


----------



## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

Some more of 18 RD


----------



## ds2199 (Sep 16, 2008)

Now that's what I'm talkin bout!!! I know most of those trails but don't have many photos to show for it.

Just shows that we need to stop to take more pictures!


----------



## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

OK guys and girls, looking at the photos from the locals, it seems that the Western Rim Trail is the most rocky. Do those photos show rocky highlights or is the entire trails as in the photos.

Most of the other photos do not show any extremes for dirt or terrain, excepting of course altitude and amount of climbing. Is that a fair statement?

I will see our friends with the second home in Colorado this weekend. I'll find out exactly where it is. I remember him saying the house was at around 8 thousand. He does have riding from his house. Might be near the Colorado Trail ? or something like that.

Still working some logistics of maybe doing this, but the wife has been promised Alaska so we may not get two big trips in one year.

PK


----------



## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

ds2199 said:


> Now that's what I'm talkin bout!!! I know most of those trails but don't have many photos to show for it.
> 
> Just shows that we need to stop to take more pictures!


Aren't you in some of these photos, having your stoker make you look good...just like some of our photos. The girls always seem to be having fun, and most times we are too serious looking.

PK


----------



## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

PMK,

It's just the shots. Western Rim is actually not bad at all. It has about 8-10 notably rocky sections over 22 miles. Usually in the rocky stuff, I'm holding the bars too tightly to take pics. Of the tandem ridable trails, I would say some of the Loma trails are the most rocky but I don't have pics of those sections. 8000 is mountians for sure. Look at July/Aug/Sept.


----------



## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

ds2199 said:


> Now that's what I'm talkin bout!!! I know most of those trails but don't have many photos to show for it.
> 
> Just shows that we need to stop to take more pictures!


 You are usually racing so no time for pics! Now that your team retired you should get many more photo ops.


----------



## ds2199 (Sep 16, 2008)

Trails4Two said:


> You are usually racing so no time for pics! Now that your team retired you should get many more photo ops.


Roger that. :thumbsup:


----------



## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

Trails4Two said:


> PMK,
> 
> It's just the shots. Western Rim is actually not bad at all. It has about 8-10 notably rocky sections over 22 miles. Usually in the rocky stuff, I'm holding the bars too tightly to take pics. Of the tandem ridable trails, I would say some of the Loma trails are the most rocky but I don't have pics of those sections. 8000 is mountians for sure. Look at July/Aug/Sept.


Dare I ask, the trail is 22 miles, what kind of average speeds and total ride duration including a stop or stops if needed.

From the photos, the wife is ok with all of it except the edge of rock cliff.

PK


----------



## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

FWIW, Fairplay, Colorado, near Breckenridge.

PK


----------



## Team Fubar Rider (Sep 3, 2003)

Well, getting to Breck in the summer time isn't a problem (kind of a gnarly pass to cross if it is in the winter). Tons of riding in Breck...don't know what the trails around Fairplay are like.


----------



## ds2199 (Sep 16, 2008)

PMK said:


> Dare I ask, the trail is 22 miles, what kind of average speeds and total ride duration including a stop or stops if needed.
> 
> From the photos, the wife is ok with all of it except the edge of rock cliff.
> 
> PK


Untitled by dan.orlinski at Garmin Connect - Details

Untitled by dan.orlinski at Garmin Connect - Player


----------



## TandemNut (Mar 12, 2004)

I KNEW I shouldn't have opened this thread. When're we leaving? Helluva drive, but after seeing the photos, we gotta do it. 
AORTA West?


----------



## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

I would suggest a scouting trip first. Then do the full thing. Fly out and borrow one of the two bikes out here that you built, check out the trails and hospitality (read as beer) then you would be better informed as to what to plan for a group.


----------



## Team Fubar Rider (Sep 3, 2003)

If you do an AORTA West in Colorado, we would try our best to make it!


----------



## Trails4Two (May 12, 2008)

*AORTA west (or WORTA)*

We have meet many teams out on the trails in Colorado. DS knows about 4-5 teams in Denver, and I know of teams in Boise, Colo, and scattered throughout New Mexico. There is also a good chance that some of the California teams would try to make it. I like the idea!


----------



## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

Alex, my apologies for starting this topic, but honestly I have no regrets. 

I really need to win Powerball, buy a nice Falconjet 900 or a bargain Gulfstream GIV. Convert a portion of the cabin to carry tandems, the remaining cabin with seats, and then just pick up the East Coast teams and get them West for some killer riding.

With my luck and wealth, I'll do much better to build a S&S coupled tandem...

PK


----------

