Originally Posted by
PeregrineA1
I'd watch the Wx. Probably dicey that time of year. Maybe Easter week would better.
Makes sense to watch the weather. While I remember a Thanksgiving blizzard (1983?), typically I'd expect higher probability of larger snow storms in March as the jet stream has weakened and you can get more upslope storms. Easter is going to have longer hours of daylight than Thanksgiving which is close to earliest sunset (e.g. ~4:30pm in Longmont). In any case, if in reasonable shape this is a pretty straightforward two day ride and you should get reasonable picture on weather forecasts.
Originally Posted by
saddlesores
2. plan your route. colorado has hills. the interstate cuts through the mountains
with tunnels and bridges. 100 miles flat/direct could be 140 with lotsa climbing.
you might even consider driving your route (and an alternate) in the car beforehand
to know what to expect.
Note, in this case the equivalent interstate is I-25. I goes in front of the front range, not through the mountains. Longmont is roughly at 5000ft and Colorado Springs is roughly at 6000ft. Monument is roughly 7000ft and there are few hills but overall this is a reasonably flat route.