Author Topic: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21 *ride report added*  (Read 13078 times)

Offline rocker59

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2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21 *ride report added*
« on: February 03, 2015, 08:57:19 AM »
Thought I'd post this for Eric (LongRanger).  Fun event.  Are any Denver-area Guzzisti planning on participating?? 

I missed it last year due to a work related conflict.  However, it looks like my time was approved, so I've just put in my registration.



1000 miles in 24 hours
Denver to Cripple Creek, CO, the long way around!

Online Registration for the 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 is now open! 

The Colorado Classic 1000 is the signature long-distance riding event of the BMW Motorcycle Club of Colorado and will challenge you to complete a scenic 1000+ mile route featuring many of our favorite high-country back roads and mountain passes within 24 hours! This event is sanctioned by the Iron Butt Association as an official SaddleSore 1000 endurance ride.

When and Where: The route opens at 5:00 AM, Saturday, June 20, at the Holiday Inn in Lakewood, Colorado and closes 24 hours later at 5:00 AM, Sunday, June 21, at the Double Eagle Hotel & Casino in Cripple Creek, Colorado. All qualified finishers will receive a commemorative award in recognition of their accomplishment and the opportunity to register with the Iron Butt Association for SaddleSore 1000 certification (additional fee applies).

http://www.bmwmcc.org/colorado_classic_1000.php

« Last Edit: June 25, 2015, 09:09:50 PM by rocker59 »
Michael T.
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2004 California EV Touring II
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Offline rocker59

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2015, 09:10:01 AM »
Bump.   :bike
Michael T.
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"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Offline Guzzistajohn

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2015, 07:08:33 PM »
Bump.     Double checking the date. I think I'll take 160 across southern Kansas  :bike
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Offline rocker59

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Re:
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2015, 09:23:20 PM »
Yep. Getting close.
Michael T.
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2004 California EV Touring II
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

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Re:
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2015, 09:23:20 PM »

Offline Guzzistajohn

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2015, 05:08:42 PM »
Bumpity bump bump for his lateness ;-T
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Offline rocker59

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2015, 08:35:01 PM »
Bumpity bump bump for his lateness ;-T

"his lateness?"

Michael T.
Aux Arcs de Akansea
2004 California EV Touring II
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Offline Guzzistajohn

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2015, 08:54:00 PM »
"his lateness?"



Late to the party, Mike. (Brian) I'm gettin pumped up for the ride! Can't wait to get some time on the bike and NOT @ work!!!! :bike :bike :bike
« Last Edit: May 20, 2015, 08:55:26 PM by Guzzistajohn »
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Offline rocker59

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2015, 03:17:17 PM »
I'll try to post a few pix when we're done next week.

I'm anxious to see how the Sport 1100 and these old bones will hold up!

Weather is looking good, so should be a great time!

 :bike-037:
Michael T.
Aux Arcs de Akansea
2004 California EV Touring II
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Offline tiger_one

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2015, 06:34:38 PM »
 :popcorn:
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Offline rocker59

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2015, 12:18:27 AM »
LongRanger,

Thanks for putting on such a nice LD event!

I've been wanting to knock out an SS1000 on the Sport 1100 for sometime now, and was finally able to do it on what is arguably one of the toughest SS1000 events in the country!

 :thumb:
« Last Edit: June 24, 2015, 10:33:31 AM by rocker59 »
Michael T.
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"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Offline rocker59

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #10 on: June 24, 2015, 03:48:16 PM »
Since the CC1000 was finishing in Cripple Creek, we decided to have our WildGuzzi Western Adventure NAR at Cripple Creek, too. 

So, Red and I arrived in Cripple Creek Thursday evening and checked into the KOA and setup our Kabin.





We went down into Cripple Creek to find some dinner, but at 9pm all the restaurants were closed, and I didn't feel like eating at a casino.  We were treated to a little light show off to the southwest of town, though, and fixed our own grub back at the Kabin.



Friday morning came soon enough, and the weather was looking good.  Cool, Crisp, and Clear.



Lunch at "The Creek" bar & grill.  Thoughts of tomorrow's ride creeping in...



Then, I geared up and headed down to Denver to check in at the Holiday Inn Lakewood, our starting point for the CC1000.  New Olympia Odyssey 1pc riding suit.  Cortech tankbag and tailbag.  Water, trail mix, tools, flat repair kit, extra clothing layers, and 1gal of fuel snuggly packed in the two bags.







Because of a bridge outage at Deckers, I took "the long way" to Denver, through Fairplay.  A nice 144 mile ride:  google map link

Lakewood welcomed me at 5pm with 90-degree heat, but surprisingly manageable Friday Rush Hour traffic.  I checked in to the hotel, then checked in with Eric to get my packet for the Colorado Classic 1000.  The packet includes the route map and turn-by-turn directions, along with information on the route.





Around 7pm, Mark, James, and I met in the hotel bar/restaurant to talk Guzzi and plan our ride.   Mark (Mile High Guzzi) and I decided to team up and ride together, while James decided to ride with a friend who had joined him for the CC1000.  After a nice meal, and a nice visit with Mark and James, I rode down the street to top off my fuel, and was in the rack by 10pm for 5-hours sleep before the start. 

My alarm sounded at 330am, and I got up and got down to the bike around 4am, where Mark was already getting his Sport 1200 ready to roll.  After strapping down my luggage, and getting our Start Cards from an official, we lined up for the start.







And, went back into the hotel for the riders meeting where Eric (LongRanger) lined us out on the route and the rules.



At 5am officials began accepting start cards and releasing bikes in pairs about 15-secs apart.  Mile High and I were on the road and rolling just a couple minutes after 05:00, heading South on US-285 up into the mountains in a miles-long line of 52 other starters.  Tail lights in front, and head lights behind, as far as I could see in the morning twighlight.

A long, long day of riding had begun.



« Last Edit: June 24, 2015, 09:46:40 PM by rocker59 »
Michael T.
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"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Offline rocker59

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #11 on: June 24, 2015, 09:21:19 PM »
The ride up from Lakewood to Kenosha Pass is a long sweeping, rolling ascent from 5,500 feet at Lakewood to 10,000 feet at the Kenosha Pass summit, 52 miles into the ride.  An interesting mixture of things run through one's mind at the beginning of a thousand mile day:  Thoughts of the day ahead.  Thoughts of the last time I was on this road at 5am on a Saturday.  Thoughts of our previous night's trip planning.  And, simply enjoying the rhythm of the bike and the road, and the view of all the bike's tail lights and head lights meandering up the canyon.

Mark and I discussed our fuel stops and our ride on Friday Night.  Based on my 2009 time of 20:55, I was hoping to improve my finish down to 18 or 19 hours.  That was before I saw the route in the route information package Eric handed out.  Mark and I both agreed that we were looking at a 21 hour ride, best case.  I was disappointed in this realization, not because I wanted to finish ahead of any other riders, but because I wanted to reduce the number of hours we'd have riding in the dark.  As I was riding up the canyon, following Mark on his 1200 Sport, I was thinking about these five or six dark hours waiting at the end of the ride.



Giving 54 individuals a task and watching how they each decide to perform it is interesting.  Most of the riders formed small teams, but there were some solo riders out there going it alone.  Mark and I had decided to pair up our Guzzis for mutual support.  Mechanical support, sure, but moral support more than anything else. 

The initial long train of bikes climbing up US-285 doesn't last long.  It was 60-degrees in Lakewood at the start.  Near the top of Kenosha, Mark's dash read 39-degrees!  A lot of riders were under-dressed and as we crossed South Park and approached Fairplay, we saw many riders on the side of the road adding layers.  So much for that long train of motorcycles!

The first mandatory fuel stop was Carbondale, 200 miles into the ride.  I wasn't sure the Sport 1100 could make that, and we were both sure our bladders couldn't make that, so we stopped and splashed gas hit the John at Buena Vista, about 100 miles into the ride.  There were some other riders doing the same.  There were some riders still adding layers.  Many riders didn't have to stop and we watched them turn from US-285 onto US-24, rolling on towards our first big obstacle, 12,095-foot Independence Pass on CO-82.



After our quick stop in Buena Vista, it wasn't long before we were climbing towards the summit of Independence Pass.  I've climbed many passes in The Rockies.  I've been up Pikes Peak and Mount Evans.  But, for some reason, Independence makes me nervous.  The climb up the eastern side is thrilling, to say the least!  Once over the top, and down the long western descent, we make our way through Aspen and on to our mandatory stop at Carbondale and 200 miles where we top off the tanks and save the reciept to show the ride officials at the Cripple Creek finish line.

As expected, we arrive in Carbondale about 9am, four hours into the ride.  And, on Mark's estimate of 21+ hours to the finish.

Michael T.
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"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #12 on: June 24, 2015, 10:08:00 PM »
 :popcorn:

Offline rocker59

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #13 on: June 24, 2015, 10:17:08 PM »
Just South of Carbondale on CO-133 we cross over 8755-foot McClure Pass , enjoying a beautiful ride down the canyon, passing Paonia Reservoir, and riding through the little coal mining town of Somerset, which has some pretty extensive coaling operations.



The bikes are running good.  It's a beautiful day, five hours in.  I'm nursing a weepy bevel box on the Sport 1100, but so far, so good.  Just a little oil on the rear wheel.  Nothing serious, and I wasn't going to let it stop me from attempting this ride.  As assurance, I had my Versa-Haul loaded in the Suburban back at Cripple Creek, and let Red know she'd need to keep her phone on, in case I had to make "the call".   Mark's Sport 1200 seemed to be running well, too.  We were both feeling good, but looking forward to gaining some elevation, as the temperature had steadily been climbing since coming down off of McClure.

A place I'd always heard of, and wanted to ride, just happened to be included in this year's CC1000.  Grand Mesa was next for us, and would take us from the warm 5,000 foot level at Cedaredge to 11,000 feet up on the large flat-topped mesa.  After plowing through five miles of chip & seal makng the ascent, we were treated to 60 degree temps and some beautiful alpine scenery for about an hour.  Much too soon, we descended the mesa's beautiful twisty pavement and caught our third fuel stop in very warm Clifton, near Grand Junction.  At 360 miles, we were 1/3 into the route.  Other than the 92-degrees temperature everything was good.  We sucked down some Gatorade, ate a couple power bars, opened our gear's venting, then journeyed on knowing the next four hours would be the hottest of the day. 

They were.
Michael T.
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"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Offline LowRyter

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #14 on: June 24, 2015, 10:30:01 PM »
I have to agree that Independence Pass can get your nerves up.  I can't think of any that offer a bigger challenge, even the ones I ride two up on dirt like Cottonwood.   Bev and me going to Aspen two up on the EV, yeah, it gets your attention- seems easier heading east. 

The only time I ever turned around was the downhill in Black Canyon of the Gunnison.  Didn't even notice it when I rode it one up, but two up, was a little scary. 

Riding a 1000 miles.  No way for me.
John L 
When life gets you down remember it's one down and the rest are up.  (1-N-23456)

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #15 on: June 24, 2015, 10:35:42 PM »
 Did you see Kyle and Stan ? :laugh:

  Dusty

Offline rocker59

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #16 on: June 24, 2015, 10:45:10 PM »
Did you see Kyle and Stan ? :laugh:

  Dusty

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Michael T.
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"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #17 on: June 24, 2015, 11:12:47 PM »
I flipped Cartman the bird and told him to take his Author-it-eye and stick it.



 That little fella would be no match for a Guzzi rider  :laugh:

  Dusty

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #18 on: June 25, 2015, 06:58:14 AM »
I rode Independance Pass in August 2013, was a chilly and wet ride then.  Debra and I are gonna be doing it again next week.  Hope it is dry this time, for her sake/enjoyment as well as mine!   :grin:

Oh, and enjoying your ride report, Michael!  Looking forward to next installments.   :thumb:
« Last Edit: June 25, 2015, 07:00:44 AM by biking sailor »

Offline rocker59

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #19 on: June 25, 2015, 10:03:09 AM »
If you've never ridden CO-141 in Western Colorado, you should.  It's one of the must-do rides in Colorado.  From Clifton/Grand Junction, our route took us down 141, through Gateway, and on to its Southern Terminus at Dove Creek.  map link  Do it on a cool day, though, as the canyons are low and warm.

Heading South from Clifton, we were quickly in Western Colorado's Canyon Country, heading towards Gateway.  Temperature around 95-degrees, so not as enjoyable as it could be.  Beautiful road though.  The kind of road these two Guzzis were made for.  Sweeping, Rolling two-lane blacktop that motorcyclists dream of.  Except for the sage brush growing close along the road, blocking sight lines in places, the ride was nice and uneventful.  And HOT. 



Soon we passed Gateway Canyons Resort and some saw some ride participants catching a break at the small store/gas station there.  The Automobile Museum at the resort is worth the ride, and in fact we did a lunch ride to this place from Ouray two years ago.  Check it out.

From Gateway southward is more canyon riding along the San Miguel and Dolores Rivers.  The Sport 1100 is running well, and my reservations about bringing this bike for this ride are diminishing.  Despite the heat, I'm having a blast on the old bike.







Just past Naturita, CO-141 turns right.  If you keep straight, the road become CO-145 and takes you to Placerville, and the wrong way over Lizard Head Pass on our route map!  We later saw some riders who had made this mistake.  We made the right turn and continued down CO-141's southern half.  A part of this road I'd never ridden before.  The country really opens up here.  Ranch/BLM/Reservation lands.  We rarely saw another automobile and didn't see any other motorcycles.  This was a section where we were able to make up some time.  65mph speed limit on much of this section, but our speedo needles rarely dipped down there.  Until Slick Rock Hill.

In the middle of this wide-open route, the road comes to a hill with a tight, technical section. 25/35/45 mph riding, and unfortunately we were held up by some cars here.  "Slick Rock" isn't really slick, but the name was given to these rock formations in SE Utah and SW Colorado because steel horse shoes will slide on it.  It's a name coined by the old Mormon Ranchers back in the 1800s.  Once we got past the cars, and over Slick Rock Hill, the road opened back up and we made good time to Dove Creek, our next fuel stop.

Dove Creek was just past the halfway point of our ride.  I looked at the time after I fueled and it was 3:30pm.  Then it happened.  Mark reached to turn his ignition key and it was stuck.  it wouldn't turn to the on position!  All this time, I'd been worried about my old Sport 1100, and it's the newer Guzzi that stops us in our tracks!

We decided to grab some crap deli food at the little store, drink some more Gatorade, then work on the problem.  I recommended Mark buy some WD-40 (it fixes everything, right?!), and after a few minutes of jimmying the key, it finally turned on with a dirty, gritty feel.  But it turned on!  It was now 4pm, still over 90-degrees, and we had a long way to go.

Cooler temps were on the way, though!  And, thankfully!



 
Michael T.
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"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Offline LowRyter

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #20 on: June 25, 2015, 10:13:51 AM »
I've gone through Naturita on to Paradox and Moab.  Two roads I want to take on my bike and haven't are 141 N and also Slumgullion Pass 149.  Perhaps work a loop 550 to 149.  I'd like to spend a couple of nights in Crested Butte too. 
John L 
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Offline rocker59

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #21 on: June 25, 2015, 10:38:06 AM »
I've gone through Naturita on to Paradox and Moab.  Two roads I want to take on my bike and haven't are 141 N and also Slumgullion Pass 149.  Perhaps work a loop 550 to 149.  I'd like to spend a couple of nights in Crested Butte too.

CO-149 is a fun road, all the way from US-50 to US-160.  Slumgullion is a fun pass to ride over and not as skeery as some of the other big ones.

A 550/50/149/160 loop would be fun.  It would be a long day, but if you had a nice hotel room in Durango it would be all good.

It's an almost 400 mile loop, and I'd run it clockwise, so finishing the day would be on the relaxing US-160, rather than the more intense US-550.

Mark and I ran US-550 southbound in the 6pm to 8pm window last Saturday.  That was after 13-hours on the road.  Luckily there wasn't much traffic and we just ran our pace.  It would've been more "fun" earlier in the day when we were fresher.  Later in the day does have less traffic, though, so I guess it's a trade-off.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2015, 10:44:26 AM by rocker59 »
Michael T.
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Offline rocker59

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #22 on: June 25, 2015, 12:50:39 PM »
For those who are interested, this is the route map. 

Sitting in Dove Creek in the Southwest Corner of Colorado at hour 11, Mark's ignition problem fixed and my Sport 1100's bevel box holding up, we still have 500 miles ahead with Lizard Head, Red Mountain, Molas, Coal Bank, Wolf Creek, and Ponchas Passes awaiting us.  And one more mandatory fuel stop at Durango, four hours in the future...

« Last Edit: June 25, 2015, 12:52:58 PM by rocker59 »
Michael T.
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"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Offline LowRyter

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #23 on: June 25, 2015, 01:08:20 PM »
<24 hrs?  That's freakin' nuts.

joy turns to agony. 

play turns to work.


Glad you made it home safe.   :thumb:
« Last Edit: June 25, 2015, 01:09:55 PM by LowRyter »
John L 
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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #24 on: June 25, 2015, 01:34:07 PM »
<24 hrs?  That's freakin' nuts.


You may be right.  Of the 54 riders who started, 40 of them finished. 

About half of the finishers arrived in the last two hours of the 24hr window.  3am to 5am on Sunday.

It was a tough ride.  The last 300 miles (Durango to Cripple Creek), mostly in the dark, was a test. 

No doubt about it.
Michael T.
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2004 California EV Touring II
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #25 on: June 25, 2015, 01:53:34 PM »
Great ride report  :thumb:
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Offline O

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #26 on: June 25, 2015, 04:22:47 PM »
Great ride report  :thumb:

 :1:

Agreed!  While nothing I'd ever partake in, it's quite an achievement and an interesting story.  I'm enjoying the pics too.  Thanks for documenting the adventure, R59!

 :popcorn:
Owen

2014 V7 Special

Offline rocker59

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #27 on: June 25, 2015, 08:31:48 PM »
With Mark's bike running, we departed Dove Creek at 4pm.  Despite 11 hours of riding, we were re-energized knowing the temps would cool as we climbed up out of Dolores.  And, not to mention, Highways 145, 62, and 550 are some of the best roads in SW Colorado!  Map Link

We unexpectedly passed dawdish and his crew in Dolores, they were headed back home after presumably spending the day in Telluride.  The climb up CO-145 to Lizard Head Pass is always a good one.  It's a beautiful road, and we were blessed with light traffic despite the music festival in Telluride.   





7pm at Silverton, we pulled in to splash gas and hit the bathrooms, then drink some water and check my bevel box.  It's a little low, so I add a few CCs.  Then, it's down US-550, "the million dollar highway".  Again, we were blessed with light traffic and made good time over this beautiful road.  Unfortunately, we're riding this at 14 hours, making it much less fun than it is when riding fresh, and in the day time.  Bikes are running good, and we're feeling good in the cooler temps.



About 9pm we enter Durango, and our second mandatory fuel stop.  Departing the gas station in downtown, three BMW riders we'd been playing hopscotch with all day were also pulling out of another gas station.  Since darkness was upon us, and our Guzzi headlghts both left something to be desired, we latched on to the BMW riders for the trip east on US-160.

map link

Thank Goodness for BMW riders and their lights!  We made good time through Pagosa Springs and over Wolf Creek Pass following their electrons.  As all the roads do, Wolf Creek Pass looked much different in the dark.  We crossed over it at a good pace, only having to slow for one critter: a porcupine, of all things!.  It was growing cooler, but we'd closed all our vents on our riding gear back at Durango.  The breeze was just cool enough to  keep us alert!

At South Fork, the BMW riders pulled in to let one of their guys rest for a minute.  He was having a hard time stayng awake.  Mark and I calculated the miles and decided we'd top off the tanks for the last time, since the finish was now only 184 miles away!  Within a few minutes, we were all back on the road and rolling behind those glorious lights!

At Saguache, the BMW riders pulled in again.  Their tired rider was having trouble continuing.  Mark and I determined to keep going.  It was late and we were wanting to get to the finish.  Unfortunately, this meant riding with only the light of our two stock Guzzis, so the going was slow.  US-285 is pretty wide open to Poncha Springs and we were able to maintain a good pace, but once we turned East on US-50, we slowed dramatically.  US-50 is a great road in the daylight, but in the dark with dim lights we were having trouble maintaining the speed limit.  At this hour of the morning, there were no other bikes and no cars for us to follow, so we just soldiered on.  Mark led for a bit, then to give him a break, I led.

After what seemed like an eternity, we turned North on CO-9, then North on CR-11.  We could almost see the lights of Cripple Creek, which made the tight and curvy county road almost tolerable, though we were only travelling 45 mph.

Then it happened...

We came over a rise and were dazzled by the headlights of an HD Roadglide which was facing our direction and parked on the shoulder.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a road sign, but couldn't make it out, so I continued past the junction where this HD was parked.  Fifteen miles we continued until arriving at the edge of the town of Guffey.  Since it was also fifteen miles from that junction to Cripple Creek, I realize that we missed a turn at the junction we passed.  With the HD rider now in tow, Mark and I turned around and headed back.  Arriving at that junction, I could now clearly see the road sign for Cripple Creek.  Great!  30 miles and 45 minutes wasted with that mistake, but the finish was near!

I made my best time the rest of the way into Cripple Creek, stopping at the gas station on the edge of town to top off.  With the detour, I'd run myself low on fuel.  The fuel light had been on for sometime.  I was surprised and comforted when I only was able to add 3.7 gallons for 184 miles.  49 mpg with FCR41s in these altitudes was great!  In fact, the bike maintained about 50 mpg for the entire ride!

While fueling, Mark noticed his rear tire was losing air.  He'd picked up a nail and was losing air.  He quickly added some fix-a-flat and we finished the mile long ride across town to the Double Eagle Casino and check in with Eric to close our ride.

Arrival time was noted at 3:30 am.  We'd departed the previous morning at 5:00 am.  22-1/2 hours on the road to complete the 2015 Colorado Classic 1000.  I asked Eric how many were in, and he said "about half"!  Half?  Wow!  With an arrival of 3:30, I figured we would be among the last.  As it turns out, I think 18 of the 40 riders finished after 3:00 am.  A dozen of them between 4:00 and 5:00 am.  From Eric's tone when mentioning this, I think it was very unusual, and was an indication of how tough the route had been.

I left Mark in the valet parking at the casino, plugging his tire with the help of the three BMW guys we'd left at Saguache, but who had arrived only minutes after us, due to our detour to Guffey.  I slowly climbed out of town and headed to the campground, trying to be as responsible as possible with the loud handle and the Staintunes at this hour of the morning.

A few hours rest at the Kabin, and it was back down to the Casino at 9:00 for the Finishers Breakfast where Eric welcomed us and went over the stats of the ride, the times, the DNFs, etc.  Then we ate a hardy breakfast and visited for a bit.











I was pretty tired, so just after breakfast broke up, we headed back to the Kabin where I napped off an on for a few more hours.  It took awhile, but I was finally feeling human again around dinnertime and enjoyed some campfire time with the WildGuzzi Western Adventure crew.

No, these events aren't for everyone, but they are fun for some.  Every now and then.  This makes the third official SaddleSore1000 I've run in the past ten years.  The second time I've run the Colorado Classic 1000.  I enjoy the challenge.  And this year, I really enjoyed finishing the ride on a very unlikely machine.  In a field full of Harley FLs and BMW GSs, I made the thousand mile trip on my 1996 model Sport 1100.  Mark made it on his 2008 Breva Sport 1200.  The one other Guzzi in the event was a Norge 1200 8v.  Three Guzzis started.  Three Guzzis finished.

And now my Sport 1100 will be on the IBA books, along with my V11 Nero Corsa, and my Quota 1100 ES !!!



Thanks again to Mark (Mile High Guzzi) for teaming up for the ride and Eric (LongRanger) for putting it on!  It really is the premier, no holds barred, organized SaddleSore1000 ride in the country !!!

 :thumb:   :bike-037:   :clock:

Michael T.
Aux Arcs de Akansea
2004 California EV Touring II
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Offline Lannis

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21
« Reply #28 on: June 25, 2015, 08:38:05 PM »
Thanks much for the account of the ride; very atmospheric, we've all been "sort of" there (maybe not the whole thing) and can appreciate how you felt.

Takes a certain sort of rider to enjoy that kind of ride.   For me, it would be a nightmare.   I'll ride a long way in a long time on my own terms, but pushing hard through the dark in the mountains with a nail in your tire, following someone else's lights, not having slept for way too long, dodging animals in the road ... I wouldn't do it if someone offered me a new Guzzi to ride and to keep as my own afterward ....

But I'll just experience it through you guys!!

Lannis
"Hard pounding, this, gentlemen; let's see who pounds the longest".

ozarksguzzi

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Re: 2015 Colorado Classic 1000 - June 20/21 *ride report added*
« Reply #29 on: June 26, 2015, 08:52:39 AM »
Great thread Mike. Thanks for sharing and enjoyed the weekend in Cripple Creek.

 

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