View Single Post
Old 08-04-19, 12:57 AM
  #21  
Bike Jedi
Banned.
 
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 195
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 87 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 8 Posts
Originally Posted by Eggman84
As someone noted above I would also recommend a west to east route.

I am skeptical. I think "if" you "had" to pick one of two ways to do it, then yes, west down is the better idea.


But I am still skeptical even descending a lot, with the wind at your back most of it, that someone coming from sea level can just hop on a bike and climb back out of the Rockie Mountains, especially since someone said they are climbing over 11,000 feet. That just doesn't even sound realistic. I had some family come in from New York once and I took them to the top of a 14'er that you can drive up. They literally didn't even have to take a step to do any of it. They got out of the car and I told them to be cool and not go far. They walked around for a bit and I thought they were going to pass out. Then I am sure there are folks that can come out and here and do just fine. But I recall OP saying that he was still going through the mental stages of riding or pushing himself kind of thing, and this isn't the best place to figure out if you are mentally and physically tough enough if you are questioning yourself in other places. I am not trying to pee in anyone's cheerios, but I like to try and be realistic. I also wouldn't tell someone to "not" do something as if the mountain is too big for them kind of thing. Folks should push and challenge themselves, so I am not trying to psyche anyone out of anything. If there is a mountain there for you to personally climb, go climb it is my motto. But be smart about it is all. I would personally worry about going up over 11,000 feet and I live at 5,600 now. All I am saying is be real with yourself and the variables at play. There is still plenty of ways to enjoy Denver, the mountains, and even incorporating biking into all of it for anyone's ability or level. I also don't think people understand how long some of this ascending and descending can actually be too.


If you are a natural athlete in some capacity, then I would say taking the gamble with altitude sickness isn't such a big deal. But if you are not then some of it might be really pushing your limits from what could be an amazing trip to just being miserable and winded constantly. Especially if you catch a headwind along the way, which you are cutting through canyons that the Rocky Mountains are literally escaping their winds down those corridors to burst out into the front range...so chances are pretty good you might hit one at some point if you catch a tough day.


I do like and would also suggest about what cyccommute said. I wouldn't have thought of that. Just be realistic with yourself though is all. You could always just get here, and push yourself really hard one day riding around metro Denver, even riding out to Golden and back down. Some of that will give you a slight test and idea of what to expect on your lungs. When you do go on the trip you are suggesting, you will climb up over passes, but you won't be at those altitudes for long periods of times. Ride really hard one day in metro and see how your body and head responds. If you are good doing that, and you will know if you are in tune with yourself, then you can do what cyccommute said the next day. At least you will descend a lot more naturally and will have the winds at your back for the most part if the jet streams are cooperating from his suggestion. DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Not just cycling. The entire time you are here. Drink so much water your pee looks like water. Not only are you at higher altitude but you are in desert environment for the most part. It's beautiful, sunny, dry, and your body isn't use to it all and you can lose focus on hydrating easily. You need to hydrate a lot, especially if you plan on a bike ride like that.

I might even personally do what cyccommute said and just start doing some more trips like that personally. That's actually an incredible and wonderful idea and just opened up some more stuff for me personally to go do or conquer. So thanks for the idea!

Last edited by Bike Jedi; 08-04-19 at 10:19 AM.
Bike Jedi is offline