Rockies trip

[glenn mcmenamin]

I did a guided mountain bike tour of the Rockies this June, so just though i'd give an idea for
anybody that fancies it.
It was a trip of a lifetime, and i thoroughly recommend it to anybody thinking about it !!!

















we cycled around 350miles over 10 days of cycling.

Crossed the following mountain passes, which were usually topped with some snow:

Hagerman pass
Searl Pass
Taylor pass
Star Pass
engineer mountain

Cycled over the following ski resorts:

Breckenridge
Copper mountain
Aspen
Crested Bute
Durango

Drank around 35 litres of sports drink

worn out 2 pairs of tyres and 1 set of disc brake pads

and nearly got killed by a lightening strike around 20metres away on top of a mountain

Hardest 2 weeks of my life, but loved every minute of it

Edited by glenn mcmenamin on Tuesday 7th November 13:11

Edited by glenn mcmenamin on Tuesday 7th November 13:31

Edited by glenn mcmenamin on Tuesday 7th November 13:35

[tombaron]

Wow awesome stuff!

Something i really want to do. We have a house and a number of friends on Vancouver Island its one of my favourite spots on the planet.

Where did you base yourself for the trip. Were you moving on each day or were you setting of and returning to the same place?

[glenn mcmenamin]

tombaron said:

Wow awesome stuff!

Something i really want to do. We have a house and a number of friends on Vancouver Island its one of my favourite spots on the planet.

Where did you base yourself for the trip. Were you moving on each day or were you setting of and returning to the same place?

it was from denver to Durango, following the Colorade trail, so mostly different place every night.

we did 3 days in breckenridge, and started the ride further on each day...

this is the company i went with:

www.rockymountain.co.uk/

some even better pics on the site...


G.

[singh911]

Looks like an awesome trip Glen. We did the canadian rockies in the summer a few years ago (car not bike) and it was stunning.

Been getting more and more into the mountain biking scene recently, - would you say you had to be a serious off roader to do the tour?

cheers

Ajit.

[glenn mcmenamin]

singh911 said:

Looks like an awesome trip Glen. We did the canadian rockies in the summer a few years ago (car not bike) and it was stunning.

Been getting more and more into the mountain biking scene recently, - would you say you had to be a serious off roader to do the tour?

cheers

Ajit.

Mate,

I was very fit before i went, and i would say this was the hardest 2 weeks of my life, some days
were 9hours in the saddle, and some pushing....
I had many times thinking i'd just had enough

I wouldn't even consider doing it if you weren't doing at least 2-3 3-5hr off road rides per week, with some good hills in there too !!!

although having said that, it is a great incentive to get fit, as one of my mates completed it, and he was 3-4 stone over weight, but lost
most of that in the year or so upto the ride...


G.

It is an awesome trip...

[singh911]

I'm trying - its just the incentive I need! - that and skiing season being upon us.

We went to Chamonix in the summer and took the bikes - there are some very well set out VTT (as they call them) trails in the Alps too.

Ajit.

[glenn mcmenamin]

singh911 said:

I'm trying - its just the incentive I need! - that and skiing season being upon us.

We went to Chamonix in the summer and took the bikes - there are some very well set out VTT (as they call them) trails in the Alps too.

Ajit.

VTT= Velo Tout terain

= Bike all terrain= Mountain bike

[racingsnake]

Lovely photos mate.

I cycled round the same area a few years back - Pikes Peak @ 14,500ft was awesome and the lack of oxygen at that altitude makes it much harder till you climatise.

Crested Butte Fat Tyre Week looked great (they have a chainless race 14 miles downhill on Kiebler pass!)it's like a cowboy town full of bike hippies and skiers - good local brewery pub too.

Found Doc Holiday's grave on the hillside near Glenwood Springs, and rode over the Continental Divide where the snow on one side melts into the Atlantic and on the other trickles into the Pacific.

Also saw the hotel where thay made "The Shining" in Estes Park went over Trailridge Road the highest road in the USA (plenty snow in August).

Wife's aunt lives in Denver, Colorado is magic.