HiYoSilver

Why Sept and not Aug?

colorado dale

Colorado wine country and a 25 mile marked winery tour bike route is about 1 1/2 hrs west

tsl

Actually, I was wondering that too.

TruF 

Sounds like fun! Have no idea what finances will look like then, but I'm sure interested in joining if we can make it.

Beverly

It would be a 20+ hour drive for me But I have a van capable of carrying 4 bikes and 4 people comfortably. Maybe I could pick someone up between Ohio and Colorado.

DnvrFox

Last September we went in the middle of September. It was about 42-45F in the am when we got going, but 80+ by noon+. We layered a LOT!

Nothing wrong with August, except guaranteed to be hotter and some of us like cool riding.

Also, the crowds are gone and the prices go down considerably after Labor Day. The Glenwood Canyon Trail can be quite busy with "tourist" types.

However, I'm open to any date - late August would be best if we chose August.

tsl

The way I heard it, you're always cool when you're riding.

Dellphinus

I'd be game. Maybe we could get a bunch from the St. Louis area to car pool or convoy...
Couple rides out that way I've got on my list of must do's- one of which is the Durango to Silverton.

DnvrFox

Then there is Redstone and McClure Pass to Paonia. Redstone is a most unique old mining town, where I lost my car keys out of my bike pannier. Came back the next day and the ranger had them. Lucky my wife had her spare set!

114 km one way.

Very scenic.



About 9,000 feet

Yen

I'm in favor of a cooler time.

DnvrFox

GLENWOOD WEATHER AVERAGE THROUGH 2005. It has been a bit warmer the last 3 years. Add a couple of degrees for the first week in September, take a couple of degrees off for the last week in August. However, CO weather is EXTREMELY changeable, and these averages can be misleading.

ALSO, YOU LOSE ABOUT 3 DEGREES PER 1,000 FEET AS YOU INCREASE ELEVATION, WHICH IS 5758 FT AT GLENWOOD

howsteepisit

I would vote for October, Days still longish, weather is cooler. You can count me in if the price of gas stays reasonable, heck I could even dovetasil it into a visit to my companies main office and get them to pay for the gas, maybe.

NOS88

Nailing this down might be like herding cats.

colorado dale

+1 for sept August tends to be the most crowded month at a lot of Colorado attractions
At 50+ less of us have to worry about kids returning to school making sept more attractive
from crowd and lower price standpoint

By Oct there could be a chance of snow average first day of snow for Denver is oct 19
Glenwood probably about the same Aspen on the other hand likely to be earlier
I70 in Kansas has already been closed twice this year

stapfam

Divert near an International Airport?

DnvrFox

Meow!

Yen

Beautiful! I guess we'd better start training at higher elevations.... Hubby recently told me his lungs give out before his legs do, which he believes is due to exposure to a toxic substance when he was younger.

DnvrFox

yes - correct! +1

HiYoSilver

Don't want to hassle with snow. Anytime from mid Aug to Mid Sept seems best to me. Only other issue for me, it don't want to go above 10,000 feet. Leadville does not work for me.

Again great idea and it sounds like a great adventure. Somewhere along the line someone will ask: do we need a special jersey, i.e. first annual BF reunion tour.

TruF 

Heard a new version of this recently: Like herding goldfish.

Road Fan

Beverly, I could come down from Ann Arbor and co-drive with you in the van.

Overall, I'd prefer the second half of August, because then Mrs. Road Fan would be available. Early August she's teaching music in northern Michigan, and in September she's back to her public school job.

Road Fan

Edit: I could also pick up Stapfam from Detroit Metro Airport and bring him to Dayton.

Red Rider

[QUOTE=DnvrFox;7854797]Then there is Redstone and McClure Pass to Paonia. Redstone is a most unique old mining town, where I lost my car keys out of my bike pannier. Came back the next day and the ranger had them. Lucky my wife had her spare set!

Very scenic.

My one and only bike ride over McClure pass was a real gut-buster. I had no idea what was required to ride up to the top of the pass. Originally my goal was to ride to Redstone but my curiosity got the best of me. Up, and up, and up I went. Whew!

I stayed with friends of friends in Paonia; as this was before the days of cells phones, and people weren't as paranoid (maybe cautious is a better adjective) about friends of friends dropping in for an overnighter.

I'd love a do-over with proper planning and equipment.

tsl

Disclaimer: Everyone is different. I'm not a doctor (nor have I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express). Your mileage may vary. Contents may have settled in shipment.

I've always lived around 400 feet ASL. According to my most recent chest X-Ray, I have only three functioning lung lobes. I also smoked heavily for 35 years, quitting only 23½ months ago.

When I started cycling, my lungs gave up before my legs too. I worked hard at it and a year ago my lungs caught up with my legs. When I made the commitment to go to the BikeJournal Reunion in Loveland, CO this past summer, I was relieved to find they were planning on easy rides in the flatlands. I didn't think I'd be able to do much more.

I trained nonetheless. The Epic Century sounded like a fantastic ride, but I found a 14-mile climb to almost 9,500 feet just a wee bit intimidating. I didn't really think I could do such a ride, but I trained as if I would be able to do it.

Then some fool said, "Hey, let's ride to the top of Mt. Evans." They say if you don't aim high... Well, they say something about aiming high, whatever it is. I figured 14,130 feet was pretty high.

I trained as best I could at 400 feet, with no coaching or "program" and when I boarded the train, I didn't think I was ready. But I decided I'd be happy with whatever rides I could do.

When I arrived in Denver I fully expected to have altitude sickness or to be gasping. Twelve hours after arriving I went out for a ride that clocked-in as a metric century by the time it was done. The following day I rode to the top of Mt. Evans. Others have done it faster, and I rested at every milepost, but I made it, damn it. Four days later I rode The Epic Century.

What I'm saying is that no one, especially me or my doc, figured I'd be able to any of those things due to physical lung damage (remember, only three functioning lobes) and voluntarily inhaling toxic gases for 35 years. What I found is that my body is truly amazing. A little bit of work, riding a little harder, and a few more miles than usual, and over several months I transformed it.

That just could happen for you and your hubby. It starts with a positive attitude.

One group I hang with says, "Don't quit before your miracle." And Cranky's sig line says, "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right."

Start from there and I'll see you in Colorado.

Beverly

That would be great.

Stapfam could even fly into Dayton International....it's just a few miles from me He could wave out the window as he flies over my home.

Road Fan

Ok, then, we should keep in touch as the event gets closer.