jppe

Two weeks and 900+ miles of Colorado climbs and descents done!! It was very enjoyable as always but I'm ready to head back to NC to see family. Tents, mobile showers and portajohns have been my friends but I'm ready to tell them goodbye.

Nice 75 miler today from Monte Vista to Pagosa Springs over Wolf Creek Pass again. Being a NC State Wolfpacker it's fitting I climbed Wolf Creek on Day 1 and also Day 14.

I felt puny after riding a couple hours this morning (slight headwinds and slight uphill) and stopped at a store for a Coke. Wouldn't you know the first bottle I'd pull out of the cooler had the name "Smith" on it. I'm sure my very good company friend "Snuffy" Smith would have loved to have ridden his bike in Colorado if he was still with us. I suspect he was helping me get my tired legs back up that long hill today. 58 is way too young to die....

I was having another good ride but flatted again just a few miles from the finish. I had picked up a wire from steel belted tire and it was really hard to remove it from the tire. A nice lady with a portable compressor stopped and pumped my tire up with a new tube.

I hope you've enjoyed following along and seeing some photos from out West!



m

nmichell

Love your posts, Jppe. Having now done RtR and BTC back to back, I'd like to hear your impressions of the two rides (aside from the obvious differences in routes). And I'm sorry you're not sticking around for the Double Triple Bypass :-)

Bmach

great ride, thanks for posting

MikeOK

What a ride! I used to go to CO every summer and mountain bike. We're going up again in August but we're not taking bikes this trip, we're taking the Jeep and 4 wheeling.

Wildwood 

@jppe
i've been following but not commenting, thank you for taking the time to update us on your most marvelous adventures.

it's posts like yours that keep me inspired to ride 100+ miles per week and live some of my dream rides through your (and others) posts.

berner

Well done Jppe. Thanks for the pics.

jppe

I talked to a few folks from Ft Collins/Loveland......one of my favorite places in CO. I love what they've done to the downtown area.

Impressions of the two rides: Both have very good routes overall. Both are well supported, well marked and you generally feel pretty safe out on the road. RTR has a LOT more participants right now and in my opinion is a better value, you get a little more for what you spend-that's because they have some great cash flow from sponsors. RTR has lots of entertainment, shuttles that will take you around as needed and makes things a little simpler.Just ore energy.

But you also have a lot more people so there are more lines, more riders on the road, competition for spots at restaurants etc. BTC is extremely well supported, maybe a touch more challenging from a riding standpoint (longer distances) but smaller crowds. This year there were only a little over 300 riders on BTC. I don't think they can continue the tour unless they get more riders though. The rest stop food at BTC is incredibly better than RTR........RTR had gone to vendors at rest stops which is fine, just a different model. Finishing where you start like BTC does has it's advantages as well. Does this help?

Steve B.

Surprised to see BTC is only 300. I did the ride in '99, there were something like 1200. It was then very well supported and organized.

Only slip up was they forget to double check that a campground in Creede was open, it wasn't and resulted in the town residents, all 300 of them, opening their doors and yards for folks to camp, literally all over town. Big party that night !.

Only comment on BTC vs. RTR, is I believe RTR is point to point ?, where as BTC is a loop, which makes it a bit easier to get too and from, logistically.

Congrats though, jppe, though after last years TransAm, nothing you do surprises me.

nmichell

Thanks Jppe, I'm also surprised to hear BTC is that small -- I hope they can keep going. I'm glad to hear both events were well run.

qcpmsame 

Good job Joe, very nice series of reports on your adventure this year. Thanks for sharing it with all of us.

Bill

Biker395 

That looks so great .... Next year!