Jason Settles said:We are planning a trip to Colorado in September 2006. Among other things, we
would like to bicycle down Pikes Peak.
At this point, I am looking at Challenges Unlimited and Pikes Peak MTB Tours
as possible choices.
You do realize it's a van ride up the mountain and then just coast down
the mountainside, don't you? If you're into scenery without expending
effort, it's a lot more enjoyable and cheaper and just as scenic to
take the Cog railway up to the summit of Pikes.
If you're going with Challenge Unlimited only because it's the only
option for riding a bike on Pikes Peak, consider Mount Evans. That's
another Colorado 14er, but bikes are permitted on the road to the top
of Evans. This is a very *tough* climb; do this only if you're fit.
The Challenge Unlimited recommends taking the morning trip. I'll
endorse that recommendation. Afternoon weather in the mountains --
especially in September -- can get pretty wild in the afternoon. You
want to be below timberline by noon or so. In September, there's a good
chance of snow at high altitudes.
I don't have any experience with the guided MTB tours, but that seems
like a reasonable way to cover some good trails in a limited amount of
time. A lot of places in Pike National Forest are also popular with
4-wheelers and dirt bikers; the tours will probably know which roads to
avoid and which to take.
Estes Park and environs is surrounded by National Park and Wilderness
Area designations. That means mountain bikes aren't aloud in big chunks
of federal land, so you need to pick your trails carefully. Outside of
the restricted areas, many of the forest roads I've been on in the area
are inundated with motorized 4-wheelers and dirt bikes.
That said, there's plenty of good mountain biking in Roosevelt and
Arapaho National Forests. The Boulder Area Trails Coalition just
released a comprehensive Boulder County trails map that you can check
out if you like, though I think the better mountain biking is in
Larimer County. Info about this map is here:
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/batco/batcomap.htm
If you just want to toodle around the roads in Estes Park, you can do
that too. You must be comfortable riding in heavy traffic, but other
than that it's a reasonable thing to do.
If you want to bike inside Rocky Mountain National Park, again you must
be comfortable riding in heavy traffic. September is elk bugling
season, so traffic may be insanely heavy. It's not dangerous, but there
are no shoulders on most of the park roads and there's lots of RV and
SUV traffic.
It's all beautiful country. Whatever you decide to do, it'll take your
breath away.
RFM
http://www.cyclelicio.us/
