DK's Definitive Ride Report - Some of the Best Scenic Roads Out West - Tons of Photo'

[DK Custom Products]

Kevin, how is your mileage in the mountains?

Really good! The altitude always gives a nice bump to the MPG, plus never really going that fast gives another bump, plus the new tune I got from Fuzzy is another bump! I think that about 70 miles of riding in the 50-70 range, then going up and back down Pikes peak, and the MPG was 41 or 42!

All I can add is Wow! what a ride and thank you for taking us along with you. Also please as always travel safe... Fred

Thank you Fred! Glad you're liking. Lots more to come.

We got back from Denver Tuesday. Sunday I hope you and Mary did not run into the bad weather around Golden Sunday!

Wish we able to have ridden up this trip.

View attachment 58867View attachment 58868

Wow, that's some crazy weather in your photo's!

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 12 Continued-

Starting to head up the "serious" part of the road...

...to the summit of Mt. Evans. It is in poor condition, and, as always, little room for error. But...

...the views are stunning!

Always good to see a fellow biker enjoying the ride!

A nice photo showing the treeline. Even though the trees can't breathe up this high, we are doing fine with the oxygen boost. lol

Past the treeline and into where it is cold enough that there is still plenty of snow and ice!

I started laughing when I saw this sign, because pretty much the whole road is damaged...

...but then we saw that there were some pretty good potholes...

...then there were a couple of these 10" deep trenches across the entire road...BUT, they did put rocks in them so if you placed your tires on the rocks in the hole you did not drop down as much. lol

There are a bunch of fun switchbacks on the way up!

Will continue Day 12 as time allows.

Kevin

 

[trikeman]

Highest paved road in US needs to be paved.

Love the 360 view at the summit. :wave4:

 

[ultrafxr]

There are a bunch of fun switchbacks on the way up!

For sure. I recall going up there on my two wheeler a few years back. Some of the switchback are so sharp that you're in a full lock turn and the rock wall on your right completely blocks your view. You just hope and pray that if someone is coming down they are in their lane . . . and not yours!

Looking forward to doing it again on my trike. i think it'll be a lot more fun and less tense.

 

[rwhgme]

Imagine riding it on a bicycle...and the descent!!! It was so fun!!

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Imagine riding it on a bicycle...and the descent!!! It was so fun!!

Pretty sure the assent wouldn't be much fun for and old fat guy like me ... :AGGHH:

 

[bikerbillone]

rdhgme, you rode this decent on a bicycle?

 

[DK Custom Products]

Highest paved road in US needs to be paved.

Love the 360 view at the summit. :wave4:

You nailed it with both your statements!

There are a bunch of fun switchbacks on the way up!

For sure. I recall going up there on my two wheeler a few years back. Some of the switchback are so sharp that you're in a full lock turn and the rock wall on your right completely blocks your view. You just hope and pray that if someone is coming down they are in their lane . . . and not yours!

Looking forward to doing it again on my trike. i think it'll be a lot more fun and less tense.

Yeah, you gotta be ready to hit them or the wall, just don't steer away from them into the air! :xzqxz:

Imagine riding it on a bicycle...and the descent!!! It was so fun!!

I can almost imagine riding a bicycle down....up....no thank you.:laugh:

Pretty sure the assent wouldn't be much fun for and old fat guy like me ... :AGGHH:

Pretty sure most of us would not make it...at least not in one day. haha

rdhgme, you rode this decent on a bicycle?

I think he rode up it too!

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 12 Continued-

Continuing up to the summit.* Here are a couple of photo's riding close to the edge of the road for some photo's...

...and another...

...this is a fantastic ride with...

...amazing views!

I wanted to touch the snow while riding...

...guess what?* It isn't snow, it's very hard ice!* Burned a bit.* lol

Check out the view in the upper left of the photo....yeah, where the road just disappears into the sky.

Lotta mountains in the distance.

I did not count the switchbacks, but there were a lot, and they were all fun!

Just breathtaking views!* This is a ride we'll always remember!

Hey!* There's a traffic jam at the top!* lol

More of Day 12 in next post.

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 12 Continued-

As soon as we parked, Mary saw some Mountain Goats and went up close to get some photo's. This was the last photo she took...this one was starting to get to close for comfort. lol

We all ate our lunch up at the top, enjoying the views...but I discovered, we did not take very many photos at the top.

Here we are at the sign, 15 feet higher than Pikes Peak.

Left to right- Scott, Karin, Mary, Kevin.

There used to be a house at the top here...

It was destroyed in a fire back in 1979 and never rebuilt.

We're on our way back down now...looking up, you can see what is left of the Crest House.

Whole different perspective when we headed back down....

...we're encountering less slow moving cages too, so that is nice.

Saw this little guy on the side of the road in a switchback.

Either Scott & Karin, or myself and Mary....one of us is going the wrong way! lol

Will post more on this epic day of riding as time allows.

Kevin

 

[trikeman]

:clapping::wave4:

 

[bikerbillone]

Wow, big salute to the bicycle man, big salute as well to Kevin and Mary for fantastic pics and comments. Most enjoyable as I savor them over coffee.

 

[DK Custom Products]

:clapping::wave4:

Wow, big salute to the bicycle man, big salute as well to Kevin and Mary for fantastic pics and comments. Most enjoyable as I savor them over coffee.

Cool! Lots more to come!

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 12 Continued-

Mary grabbed this photo as we were riding down the mountain...

...and this one too.* Just one of over a dozen switchbacks still to go.*

Came up on a 2 wheeler who was riding cautiously...

...and with good reason!* The road is bad, rocks fall, and any variety of other challenges to keeping those 2 wheels on the road.

Plus the view is absolutely amazing!

All three of us in a turn...

...and another one.

We are out of the snow now, down where the trees are, and no big drop-offs.* The bagger is more comfortable to go.

Awesome riding.* Can you see we are behind a different kind of 2 wheeler now (in front of the truck).

On the I-70 for a short distance, headed for Leadville, and then Independence Pass.

​​​​​​​

More coming soon.

Kevin

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

My folks lived in Leadville for three months. My dad (God rest his soul) got snowed out of a golf tournament up there on the 4th of July. By the 1st of August they moved to Grand Junction ... LOL. That ride up there with Independence Pass is gorgeous ... Looking forward to the pics.

 

[DK Custom Products]

My folks lived in Leadville for three months. My dad (God rest his soul) got snowed out of a golf tournament up there on the 4th of July. By the 1st of August they moved to Grand Junction ... LOL. That ride up there with Independence Pass is gorgeous ... Looking forward to the pics.

Hey Fuzzy,

We were talking about you and your family when we were riding toward, and thru, Leadville. Got a few pics thinking about you!

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 12 Continued-

The Eisenhower Tunnel.* It's over 1.6 miles long and at an elevation of over 11,000 feet!* eeek!

I really don't like caves, and this is just a man-made cave...at least it's well lit.* But riding through it I was thinking of all that rock above us!!!

Just WOW!*

Taking the turn-off toward Leadville, and then on to Independence Pass.

Scott and Karin have gone out of their way to take us on some great rides...

...photo's of them taken at 70 mph on our climb to Leadville.

One of hundreds of amazing views taken while riding today!

Downtown Leadville....been there a long time!

This is the first curve in the ride up to Independence Pass.* A great way to start!

We've just barely started and the views are stunning!

​​​​​​​Will continue Day 12 as time allows.

Kevin

 

[Dave59]

Awesome job with all the pics, thanks for sharing!!! Stay safe!

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Ahhh ... That takes me back ... need to get up there again ... soon ... LOL.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Awesome job with all the pics, thanks for sharing!!! Stay safe!

Thank you! Glad you're enjoying. Much more to come.

Ahhh ... That takes me back ... need to get up there again ... soon ... LOL.

We just rode thru, would have like to stop, but already a long day as it is.

Kevin