NoGaBiker

Howdy. I'll be vacationing with the family in Aspen and then Vail in August. I'm taking my bike to get in some miles in the mountains. Anybody recommend any "must do" rides for a guy going out for 2-3 hours at a time? I am in okay shape, able to stay in the A group in some of our north Atlanta rides, average 18-19.5 in rolling hills. Last time I was in Aspen (sept '06) I saw TONS of riders out on the road and I was very envious of your awesome bike-friendly atmosphere. However, I was not envious of your oxygen-deficient atmosphere!

So without leaving me with my lung linings hanging out of my nostrils, can you natives help me out here?

Thanks,

Matt

Pedal Wench

Sorry - from GA too, but just got back from a week in CO. The ride from Aspen up Independence Pass is incredible, but we had lots of traffic controls, which made it much safer. We took backroads and the bike path into town from Glenwood Springs. They have an amazing path system, and the little road that goes through Woody Creek was gorgeous, and the short but steep climb up to McLain Flats was a fun little challenge. You could probably follow our route arrows in reverse- orange spray-paint, but the paper arrows are most likely gone already.

FixdGearHead

I'll piggy back onto this thread with: how about the Breckenridge area as well? Well aware of the Frisco/Dillion MUP, curious about the highways around Breck.

VT Biker

Maybe the most famous ride in the area is what is known as the Copper Triangle. It is a loop, so you can start at any point in the ride. It is absolutely beautiful, 3 passes and the roads are for the most part in really good condition save for the final 2 miles of Highway 91 heading into Copper. I have posted the link. It is 80 miles, and if you take some breaks, will probably take you between 4 - 7 hours depending on your speed.


https://www.coppertriangle.com/course.html

cyccommute 

There aren't really that many choices of highways around Breckenridge. The only continuous one through town is CO 9. You could do a circuit of Dillon Res by riding to Fisco, then Dillon, then to Keystone and come back over Swan Mountain. Or you could ride to the top of Hoosier Pass on CO9. Or Loveland Pass out of Keystone on US6. Pretty much covers everything of any interest for road riding in the Breckenridge area...outside of the MUPs.

Over around Vail, you could go down valley to Eagle or the aforementioned Copper Triangle. If you want to go to Copper Mountain or Frisco from Vail those aren't bad rides but you have to ride the MUP.

stapfam

Just been to France to climb Ventoux and best advice I can offer is to train well beforehand. When I got to France- I went out on some-Or so I thought- testing hills to get the legs in. Glad I did as those mountains are steep. Altitude was not a problem but heat was. Aclimatise before you try the real mountains.

NoGaBiker

Stapfam: Where is this "France" you speak of? They have mountains?
I'd love to acclimatize, but the highest mountain in Georgia is 4900' (Brasstown Bald, a real beast, but no oxygen deprivation problems), and VTBiker has me going through passes in the 13s. What's a boy to do?

VT: that loop looks delicious; if it was 40 miles I'd be all over it, but I swear, they'd have to collect my remains in little sandwich bags if I tried that. 80 miles PLUS that kind of altitude PLUS the climbing would be fatal for me (I live at a thousand feet.) But maybe I can ride the first pass and ask my wife to come rescue my sorry butt on the side of the road.

Pedal Wench: Were you on an organized ride? Indy Pass is a brute of a climb, that's for sure. I'd thought about doing that. But I've only been there in the shoulder season (Sept.) and I imagined the traffic might get kinda nasty in summer.

Thanks,
Matt

Portis

https://forums.bicycling.com/eve/foru...7/m/9911029492

chass

Someone was asking a similar question not too long ago:
Vail area rides

Hope that helps!

Pedal Wench

www.ridetherockies.com We started and finished in Frisco, and did some great riding around there. Training up in the gaps was all I did, and it was fine. The climbs are longer than what we have, but not as steep -- I would take Independence Pass over Hogpen any day. I'm really bad at climbing but I survived.

NoGaBiker

The hardest short hike I've ever done (and I've done it twice) was the Maroon Bells loop; 28-ish miles with 4 passes over 13k, and a knee buster called the North Fork Cutoff trail that isn't even a pass but climbs like one. But yeah, to your point, the ride up there from town was a nice one and I saw a lot of cyclists having a lot of fun riding back down on the way out.

Matt

VT Biker

If you start in Vail, and then go to Copper-Freemont Pass-Leasdville-Tennessee Pass - Vail you can do it. You get the two big climbs (Vail and Freemont) out of the way in the first 30 miles. After that, it is really either downhill most of the way from Leadvill to Vail. You can do it. Just take your time. \

Note: if you want, have your wife take you to Copper mountain, skipping Vail pass. Climbing Vail pass from Vail is in my opinion the toughest part of the route. If you do Copper to Vail (skipping Vail pass), you would only have Freemont pass to deal with. Tennessee pass if you are heading towards Vail is not a diffifult climb at all. And it is mostly downhill from Leadville.

Plus ~ there are no 13,000 foot passes here. I mean it, you should ride this, you will not be disapointed. The views and scenery are amazing.

Tennessee Pass: 10,424
Vail Pass: 10,666
Freemont Pass: 11,318

NoGaBiker

Well, VT, you make it sound so delicious that I just might give it a try. Yeah, maybe I'll skip the first pass. Good advice. THat sounds like it would be one very memorable day for a flatlander like myself.
Thanks for the detailed directions.

Matt

cyccommute 

Silly lowlander! 4000' feet barely gets you in the door in Colorado Lowest point in the whole state is on the Arikaree River at 3315'. And then wait until you get here and breathe the clean dry mountain air. Do make sure you drink lots of water when you get here. If you go ride, take lots more.

I'd suggest riding from Frisco to Breckenridge along the trail for a first outing. Not terribly difficult, up hill to Breck and downhill back (mostly ) For a more challenging ride go from Frisco to the top of Vail Pass...it should half kill ya! If you wanna kill yourself dead, do Vail Pass from the Vail side.

Take a couple of days to get used to the altitude first, however.

velorapide

You have to make the trek up to Maroon Bells just outside of Aspen. 18 miles round trip, a little over 1000 feet elevation gain, great descent, and you get pics like this:



That's me heading up to the Maroon Bells after finishing Day 5 of Ride the Rockies this year making it a 60 mile day just the day before we were to traverse Independence Pass. Only shuttles taking visitors to the road end are allowed on the road and there is little to no traffic.