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

[DK Custom Products]

Day 10 Concluded-

We're all the way down the mountain now, on the 285. Another cloud pic.

After some flat miles, we're climbing another little pass...

...this is some beautiful country!

Back down the other side.

After riding a bit more in the flat land, we are headed up a pretty good pass...now we're in Pikes Peak country.

I don't know if the folks that live in Colorado know how great they have it with all these fantastic riding roads and great scenery....Colorado is an Amazing Place to ride!

Here we are at the Summit of Wilkerson Pass. Off in the distance is Pikes Peak. We're riding to the top of that tomorrow!

Getting close to Woodland Park now...just a few more "E" rides thru some fun roads...

...and we'll be there.

Mary's preference is for a Super 8 motel, but this was what we found available. It is really nice, and comparable in price.

Tomorrow we headed up to the top of Pikes Peak, and then a little riding around the area before heading over to Scott & Karin's place.

Kevin

 

[1dn5up]

That's some beautiful riding there...so a silly question from a Texas boy surrounded by flat land. What was that marker out on the lege of that rock overlooking the canyon representing? Sorry...I know enjoying your posts, be safe :wave4:

GPS mile marker. Surprised it still there as they end up as soulvineers!

 

[427dave]

Love the pictures Kevin and Mary. Thanks a lot. I followed your pictures to Alaska and back few years back on the 2011 trike and loved them.

 

[olddawg]

Just wondering how you like your new tires? Doing a great job on your trip .Thanks and be safe..

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 11-

We had a nice stay at the Eagle Fire Lodge last night. First thing this morning was a stop at the Post Office to ship some things back home that we do not want to carry with us the rest of the trip.

Then down the road a bit is the turn off for the North Pole and Pikes Peak.

Up we go! We've been up this road once before....but it's definitely worth doing a second time.

We got to the entrance...

...and they told us the road was closed to the top. It was open to mile 18, but the last 3 miles (some of the most fun) was closed due to high winds (40-50 mph gusts). AND, even though it was open to mile 18, they did not recommend bikes past mile 15.

HMMMM...we pulled over and looked at the map, seeing what else we might want to ride today. We are spending the next two days riding some great roads in the area with Scott and Karin, so we don't want to ride those today and turn around do them again a day later.

SOOO, we decided to ride on up to mile 18, have lunch, and then maybe they will be able to open up the last 3 miles.

8,000 feet, we have over a mile in elevation more to the top (14,110 ft).

The riding is easy, scenic, and fun down this low....

...as we continue up it starts getting a bit more steep and sharper turns.

I'm not sure how high we are now, but the trees are mostly gone, and the car drivers are freaking out, going ultra slow, I guess they are afraid they will make a mistake and drive off the edge of the road. lol

It is not that windy up here....the winds we battled on the 10 a few days ago make what is up here seem like just a stiff breeze.

The road is definitely getting more fun, and we fortunately do not have a bunch of cars we have to get around to avoid crawling up at 5-10 mph.

We're having fun now!!!!

More on Pikes Peak coming soon.

Kevin

 

[trikeman]

Just curious Kevin. Have y’all rode to the summit of Mt. Evans? It’s the highest paved road in US. West of Denver on I 70. It’s got great views also.

 

[DK Custom Products]

GPS mile marker. Surprised it still there as they end up as soulvineers!

It looked pretty securely attached, but I guess if a person were to get out a screw driver, they could pry it up.

Love the pictures Kevin and Mary. Thanks a lot. I followed your pictures to Alaska and back few years back on the 2011 trike and loved them.

Glad you're liking them. A lot more to come!

Just wondering how you like your new tires? Doing a great job on your trip .Thanks and be safe..

We've put them thru the paces...I am really liking them. The front tire has the best traction of any front tire I've run on a trike. The rears are very comfortable, and they seem to have as good, or better, traction as the stock.

I did do a full review on them somewhere just a few days ago, can't find it right now. At speed 75+ mph, they do feel a bit squirelly, but it is a weird thing...they just feel that way...in actuality they are more planted.

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Just curious Kevin. Have y’all rode to the summit of Mt. Evans? It’s the highest paved road in US. West of Denver on I 70. It’s got great views also.

That's the day after Pikes Peak, with Scott and Karin.

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 11 Continued- (but not completed)

Three levels of switchbacks in this pic-

Looks a bit like the edge of the world while riding up...

...you wanna stay on the road...it's a ways down off the edge.

If you like curves, you can see why we like this road...I think there are 6 levels in this pic, and the lake we passed on the way up is quite a ways down there.

Taking the very inside of the curve, where the right tire can really drop down and stay on the ground as we go thru at a good clip.

It is a crazy road, I can't even figure out how many levels are in this pic....it's a mess...but fun to ride!

Yes, We are ON the road in this pic...it give you an idea of how sharp it is, while at the same time, very steep.

Well, the road is closed at the 18 mile mark. We parked, got our lunch, and walked out about 100 yards across the road...

...to get behind a big rock, and try and get out of the wind. As you can see by our hair, even behind this big boulder, the wind is still pretty stout.

Dunno what I was looking at, Mary stayed behind the rock while I was out taking a few pics.

Will finish up Day 11 as I have time.

Kevin

 

[ol' school]

Looks like an awesome ride Kevin! Great pics Mary!!! Thanks for letting us ride along!!!

 

[trikeman]

:clapping:

 

[LadyonaMission]

Looks like an awesome ride Kevin! Great pics Mary!!! Thanks for letting us ride along!!!

:Agree::wave4:

 

[paws]

Great pics - as if we were on the bike with you.... speaking of which.... the pics are so good that I get queasy looking at those “edge” and “top” pictures! LOL!

It’s kind-of like putting your hand over your eyes and peaking between the fingers - ya just can’t resist looking!

Keep on riding safe and posting those pics you two!

 

[radismukes]

Sure wish we could make the same trip this years. We already have a wedding to attend in Denver and a Cruise to Alaska in Sept.

Great Pic's thanks for sharing them. Be care and live the high life!

 

[DK Custom Products]

Looks like an awesome ride Kevin! Great pics Mary!!! Thanks for letting us ride along!!!

:clapping:

:Agree::wave4:

Glad y'all are enjoying!

Great pics - as if we were on the bike with you.... speaking of which.... the pics are so good that I get queasy looking at those “edge” and “top” pictures! LOL!

It’s kind-of like putting your hand over your eyes and peaking between the fingers - ya just can’t resist looking!

Keep on riding safe and posting those pics you two!

lol, glad you're peaking out and taking a look! Lot's more to come.

Sure wish we could make the same trip this years. We already have a wedding to attend in Denver and a Cruise to Alaska in Sept.

Great Pic's thanks for sharing them. Be care and live the high life!

Have fun on the cruise, Alaska is amazing.

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 11 Continued-

Look in the upper right of the photo...you can see the TG and the cones are gone!* We did not even start eating our lunch...

...back on the road, all the way to the top!

Heading on up, not close to the edge...

...but the road is pretty steep!

Closer to the edge now, better for taking photo's looking down...

...this one's better.* So steep it is hard to even tell what you're looking at, at first.* That is a LONG Way down!

This V-Twin powered Trike? came up behind us, really moving out...

...the V-Twin is at the very front.* I did not want to slow him down, motioned him to go around us.* Very cool 2 seater.

I've skipped a ton a great pics going up, but am going to share some of us heading down too.* This is one of the last turns before reaching the summit.

Obligatory pic at the sign.

​​​​​​​More coming as time allows.

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 11 Continued-

A panoramic shot to give an idea of how high up we are-

Mary with a range of snow covered mountains in the distance-

End of the line for the cog train-

Last time we were here I walked down to this look-out. The walk down, I guess it is about 50-60 yards, is easy...at 14,000 feet, the walk up is a bit of a different story. Anyway, Mary must have take 5-6 photos of it, teasing me to go down...I passed today. lol

We messed around at the top for a while, then got back on the TG to head on down a ways for lunch.

The TG is running really well. Last 111 miles we've averaged 35.6 mpg, and that includes the climb to the top here.

Note, it's 46 degrees...it's still pretty windy too.

Headed down, no better way to start than a sharp descending curve!

This is a fun road, with amazing views...note there's still snow here and there.

Mary in the mirror in a sharp left curve.

This pic gives a little bit of an idea of just how crazy this road is....looks a bit like a 3-D slot car track. My quick count is that there are 31 curves in this photo.

Mary in the mirror as we head into a sharp descending, cambered right U in the road. FUN!!!

Will finish up Day 11 soon.

Kevin

 

[1dn5up]

That V-Twin that passed you looks like a vintage Morgan :Shrug:

 

[ol' school]

Glad it worked out that you got to finish the ride to the top! I was disappointed when I saw the road block in the picture... Amazing pictures!

 

[ultrafxr]

I've not done Pike's Peak but you got me revved up to do it for sure! Looks like a great road. Now I did ride to the top of Mount Evans two up on my two wheeler several years ago. It looks a lot like the Pike's Peak road but it is even more narrow and twisty. You're going to love it on the TG.

 

[DK Custom Products]

That V-Twin that passed you looks like a vintage Morgan :Shrug:

Yes, I'm told it is a British Morgan with a S&S engine, top speed in the 115 mph.

Glad it worked out that you got to finish the ride to the top! I was disappointed when I saw the road block in the picture... Amazing pictures!

Yes, it was very nice that it got opened up.

Happy you're liking the photo's.

I've not done Pike's Peak but you got me revved up to do it for sure! Looks like a great road. Now I did ride to the top of Mount Evans two up on my two wheeler several years ago. It looks a lot like the Pike's Peak road but it is even more narrow and twisty. You're going to love it on the TG.

I'm getting ready to post the Mt. Evans pics soon (need a better internet connection). It IS more narrow and twisty, and the biggy is that the road is not currently in very good condition. Pikes Peak is in great condition. You'll like it!!!

Kevin

 

[ultrafxr]

I'm getting ready to post the Mt. Evans pics soon (need a better internet connection). It IS more narrow and twisty, and the biggy is that the road is not currently in very good condition. Pikes Peak is in great condition. You'll like it!!!

Kevin

I remember that the road was pretty narrow and about half way up there is a sign that says 'road narrows', lol. In any case it is a great ride up and down. Glad you made it.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 11 Concluded-

Headed down, same story, gotta stay on the road!

But it is just as much fun headed down as up...

WOW! I rode close to the edge for Mary to take a pic, but I did not look down...that's a long, steep, way down!

A look back, a little further from the edge. lol

Not down to the elevation where the trees are yet...

We're now in the trees, AND at the brake check area where they use infra-red guns to measure the temp of the brake rotors. If you don't know how to use your gears to control your speed, resulting in the brakes being too hot, they send you to the parking lot to let them cool off before you can continue down the hill.

We stopped at the same corner as a couple of year ago (when we rode PP with Scott & Karin) to watch folks thru this curve and to eat lunch.

Back rolling, still lot's more curves and fun...

...but I gotta wrap up Day 11, so here we are back at the entrance.

We started out for Scott and Karins, outside of Colorado Springs, but we got distracted by Cave of the Winds. It's just a short ride up, a look around, and then the very twisty road back down. Fun!

After that we are on our way to join up with Scott and Karin for a ride tomorrow to Mt. Evans and Independence Pass.

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 12-

This is going to be a busy and long day!* We're riding with our friends, Scott and Karin.* First we're taking backroads to Mt. Evans, then thru Leadville, then up and over Independence Pass, then thru* Aspen and on up to Glenwood Springs.

Leaving out early...

...almost thru the traffic...we were just here yesterday, this is the road between Colorado Springs and the base of Pikes Peak.

Fantastic riding all the way to Mt. Evans...

Even though the occasional 2 wheeler slowed us down in the curves.* lol

Most of the riding was traffic free.

The TG's laugh at these signs...

30 mph seems like a more comfortable pace.

This is absolutely beautiful countryside!* I think I already mentioned it a few days ago, I wonder if the folks in Colorado know how good they have it!

We're starting to climb higher now, seeing little spots of snow on the sides of the road....

...and seeing the snow capped mountains are getting closer and closer!

More on Day 12 coming as I have time.

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

:clapping::clapping::clapping:

Kevin

 

[Jack Klarich]

Kevin, how is your mileage in the mountains?

 

[Fearless]

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

 

[radismukes]

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.