Biking Trail Ridge Road.
- Thread starter Funrover
- Start date
I've done it. Started in Estes Park and ended in Granby. Amazing ride. It did not take as long as I thought it would. I stopped at the top and waited for some friends and then we all blasted down together, and we were still in Granby for a late lunch.
The climb is very long, but I was racing at the time, and just rode to the top, no big deal. I do remember we had a snow ball fight up at the top and that was in June. I also remember the single worst smelling public toilet ever near the top of the pass. It smelled so bad it was memorable. It must have been the thin air or something.
The really great part was the descent. It just goes on and on. We covered 35 miles in about 45 minutes, no kidding. I was drafting a tandem down, and was totally spun out in top gear.
One of the best rides ever.
The climb is very long, but I was racing at the time, and just rode to the top, no big deal. I do remember we had a snow ball fight up at the top and that was in June. I also remember the single worst smelling public toilet ever near the top of the pass. It smelled so bad it was memorable. It must have been the thin air or something.
The really great part was the descent. It just goes on and on. We covered 35 miles in about 45 minutes, no kidding. I was drafting a tandem down, and was totally spun out in top gear.
One of the best rides ever.
Funrover said:
We ate breakfast and headed out. Probably got rolling by 8 or so. I do not remember there being much traffic. I seem to remember the scenery is better on the Estes Park side, so go up that way and you'll have lots of time to look at it! You do want lots of sun screen since the whole upper ride is above the tree line.
One other thing I remember is that it was brutally cold on the first 10 miles or so of the descent. I only had a nylon vest to put on and was shivering like crazy. Fortunately, the road down levels a bit around Grand Lake (?) and we warmed up while still flying toward Granby.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
That's a great ride. My first ride from Estes to the summit was in '86 when I was 14 with a young buddy you might have heard of...Jonathan Vaughters.
When I was living in Fort Collins, Co in the early 90s I would do that ride at least 5 or 6 times a year......leaving from Fort Collins! I'd leave my house at 4500 feet, ride to Estes and to the Alpine Visitor's Center at over 12,000ft. Then, I'd head home. I can't remember the exact mileage but it was well over 120 and would eat a weekend with a day of recovery. Damn good fun. I was also a 24 year old Cat 2 at the time. As a 37 year old Cat 2 I might not be so bold.
The climb up from Grand lake isn't so bad. The only thing that sucks about that climb is the traffic. It sucks to be rippin' down the pass only to get stopped by a station wagon from Ohio blocking the road as they photograph a chipmunk.
The scenery is better on the Estes side, for sure. I'm not such a fan of downhills. I enjoy the climbs more than the downhill but the drop into Estes is actually really nice.
If you're up for another classic climb, head over to Durango and ride the Iron Horse route. That's a great climb as well with some screamer descents. If you really seek a screamer, the drop from the Climax mine on Freemont Pass to Copper Mountain is wicked fast. That is the only time I ever really got over 60mph. That was a real chamois pooper.
When I was living in Fort Collins, Co in the early 90s I would do that ride at least 5 or 6 times a year......leaving from Fort Collins! I'd leave my house at 4500 feet, ride to Estes and to the Alpine Visitor's Center at over 12,000ft. Then, I'd head home. I can't remember the exact mileage but it was well over 120 and would eat a weekend with a day of recovery. Damn good fun. I was also a 24 year old Cat 2 at the time. As a 37 year old Cat 2 I might not be so bold.
The climb up from Grand lake isn't so bad. The only thing that sucks about that climb is the traffic. It sucks to be rippin' down the pass only to get stopped by a station wagon from Ohio blocking the road as they photograph a chipmunk.
The scenery is better on the Estes side, for sure. I'm not such a fan of downhills. I enjoy the climbs more than the downhill but the drop into Estes is actually really nice.
If you're up for another classic climb, head over to Durango and ride the Iron Horse route. That's a great climb as well with some screamer descents. If you really seek a screamer, the drop from the Climax mine on Freemont Pass to Copper Mountain is wicked fast. That is the only time I ever really got over 60mph. That was a real chamois pooper.
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I live in Boulder and several years back road with a few friends from central Boulder through the park on trail ridge and on into Winter Park. It took about 7.5 hours. We spent the night in Winter Park and returned back to Boulder the same way we came the next day. The round trip was around 260 miles or so I believe. It was over memorial day weekend and the traffic was not a problem. Out of town tourists just get a little freaked out when you pass them at 55mph on a descent. There is nothing like riding the high Colorado mountains in the summer.
Jacket
2008 Expedition Trophy Champion
I've ridden from the Trail Ridge store down to Estes Park, but it was about 15 years ago. We had our bikes carried up to the store by bus, where we picked them up and journeyed back down. From what I recall, there's a 4-5 mile climb from the store to the highest point on Trail Ridge Road, followed by 20+ miles of pure wind and speed.
I did mine late in the afternoon, which is good and bad. The good: very little traffic compared to mid-day. The bad: lightning and rain. I'd say early morning would be best, and traveling from west to east should yield less traffic (although more inconvenient for Front Range folks.
I did mine late in the afternoon, which is good and bad. The good: very little traffic compared to mid-day. The bad: lightning and rain. I'd say early morning would be best, and traveling from west to east should yield less traffic (although more inconvenient for Front Range folks.