bjjoondo 

Sorry for being such a PIA but I've got a touring question I'd like to ask if anyone else has done or has any "info" on the types of roads this "tour" has.

My wife Jo and I will be taking some vacation and doing our "FIRST" multi-day bicycle tour. LOL, for a lot of you, this would be a great "one day ride" or overnight at best but we have to start somewhere.

Here is a link to the route we are taking, (hope it works, I'm not skilled at google maps!!!)

https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...&z=14&lci=bike
It's a Loop from the Springs, to Canon City, to Cripple Creek to Victor, to Woodland Park back to the Springs. Via motorcycle, I'd have taken CO. Hwy. 9N. to Teller County Rd. 11 to Teller County Rd. 1 to Cripple Creek. This map has us going north thru Canon City to pick up the "Shelf Road (CO.88?)" to Cripple Creek, "Is this a PAVED Road"?? We ride MTB's converted to "road/touring hybrid's", don't use "knobby tires" so we'd rather stay on "pavement" but could ride "hard packed dirt".

2nd. veriation from the normal would be that on the motorcycle, we would have taken, CO. 67 off Bennet Ave. heading South to Victor, the map shows heading EAST out of Cripple Creek on CO. Road 82, joining to CO. Road 81 into Victor, again is this route "Paved or Dirt"?? We will be taking 3 or 4 days to do this route and have up to "6 days" to complete it. At the moment we are "moteling" but could change to "Tent Camping". Thanks for any information you can give us, it's very much appreciated.

cyccommute 

I've never been on Shelf Road or Phantom Canyon Road (an alternative) although I've always wanted to do them. Both appear to be dirt. See a video of Shelf Road here (Ignore the idiots taping the video and their lack of knowledge of rules of the road Hint: Uphill has the right of way) Here's a video of Phantom Canyon Road. These look like they are relatively smooth roads that you could do with wider tires on a touring bike (or anything on a mountain bike) but it's hard to tell. They don't look too rocky.

An alternative would be to go to Hwy 9 above Royal Gorge and then to Fremont Co 11 (High Park Road). It's at least partially paved according to the Fremont County website. Contact them to see how far up the paving goes.

I've ridden US 24 down hill out of Woodland Park and it's a very fast ride down. Be aware that the road narrows a lot once you get past the entrance to Pikes Peak. You can go down it very fast on a bike but the cars think they should pass you so proceed with caution.

Shifty

I've ridden both Shelf and Phantom Canyon roads, you'll enjoy Phantom Canyon better I think, it's a pretty ride. I'd do it early in the day, you'll beat any car traffic, and it won't be so hot riding from Canon City to Colo Springs. Should be lodging in Cripple Creek or Victor, and camping just out of Victor before you drop into Phantom Canyon. You won't need knobby tires here, street tires on your mtb should be just fine. Have fun!

cyccommute 

An alternative to going through Woodland Park is to come back on Gold Camp Road. Take Colorado 67 out of Victor to County 81 and take a right on Upper Gold Camp Road and head down hill. Google doesn't recongnize the Upper Gold Camp as a road but there are houses out there so the road shouldn't be closed. Gold Camp Road will take you all the way back to Manitou Springs without all the traffic. The middle section of the road is closed to traffic because of a tunnel collapse but Google shows it as a valid road...go figure Gold Camp is kind of sandy but rideable and you'll avoid the craziness on US24

Shifty

I was thinking doing the ride the other way around, Woodland Park, Cripple Creek, Canon City,Springs. I also thought of Gold Camp Road, but then so much of the ride would be on dirt, and there can be so much car traffic on Gold Camp road, so very dusty. I use to commute from Woodland Park to the east side of COS four days a week, so I guess I got use to 24, so it never seems so crazy to me, actually I'd only ride on the highway between Manitou and Cascade, then off onto side roads, it was never too bad. On these roads timing is the key to enjoying the ride, beat the traffic and you'll love it.