rbent Forum - Print Page

rbent Forum
https://rbentonline.org/YaBB.pl
General Category >> Ride Reports >> Colorado Rocky Mountain Bike Tour (part 3)
https://rbentonline.org/YaBB.pl?num=1345694515

Message started by square_corners on Aug 22^nd, 2012, 11:01pm

Title: Colorado Rocky Mountain Bike Tour (part 3)
Post by square_corners on Aug 22^nd, 2012, 11:01pm

2012-08-11 Saturday
CRMBT ride day 6: Mancos to Pagosa Springs

95.92 miles / 15.40 avg speed / 5,860 ft of climbing

Final day of CRMBT: Had some concern about this one as I knew it would be a lot of climbing and riding on busy roads. But our "Garmin" elevation range of 6602 to 8430 was actually a portent of easier riding, as riding at lower elevation helps the breathing. So the climbs were easier as a result and I only used the granny on a very steep hill in Durango.

As for busy roads, no problem there - we had nice wide shoulders on the main roads. After climbing to the summit of Hesperus Pass at 8377 ft, we have a 1900 ft drop to Durango. Once again, I reach the 50 mph mark! This is the longest steep descent of the week, I think. I hold in the upper 40 mph range for much of it. The secondary roads we used to go around Durango were relatively low traffic roads and we seldom saw a gradient greater than 6%. The final climb before Pagosa Springs was an 18 mph climb - about a 3% grade. I passed a group of road cyclists - they seem surprised to be passed by a recumbent on an up-hill but I really can't see why.

Start elevation in Mancos was 7000; low elevation was Durango at 6500; end elevation in Pagosa Springs was 7150.

2012-08-12 Sunday
Pagosa Springs to Chama NM and return
100.19 miles/ 14.40 avg speed/ 5,593 ft of climbing
This was a post CRMBT ride to take advantage of location in Colorado and a bit more acclimation to elevation.
Today it is a fairly pleasant ride as we once again relive a portion of our Pac Tour Ridge of the Rockies trip. That day, we were riding from Durango to Chama NM in an icy cold rain. We rode the part from Durango to Pagosa Springs that day, but bailed for the remainder, to Chama, because of hypothermia and with the idea that safety comes first! Now we are presented with an opportunity to see what we missed out on, riding wise, and it was a good way to close out our final riding day in Colorado.
We had several significant climbs going to Chama, which is higher in elevation than Pagosa Springs. We had a headwind, too, so our pace was pretty slow. But the scenery was awesome and there were photo opportunities as we crossed the New Mexico state line and later the Continental Divide. In Chama, we looked for the hotel we stayed in on the Pac Tour trip and found it (it looked so different than the rainy day and night we stayed there). We crossed a couple sets of railroad tracks – narrow gauge tracks. A little farther up there appeared to be nothing more to look for, but after turning back, on our left were a few steam locos and one was fired up, belching black smoke. Our concern about getting caught out in a storm overrode our curiosity about the ancient engines and we hurried down to a convenience store to restock our liquids. We headed north then, for the return to Pagosa Springs. There were storm clouds looming over the mountains to our left, with obvious rain already falling. We skirted those mountains and headed north. As we neared the mountains just south of Pagosa Springs, rain was falling there and to our right. I was sure we would get caught in it and as the wind changed around to a headwind and got cooler, from the outflow, I was keeping an eye out for any shelter we could retreat to. As it happens, we did get rained on. It was beginning to dump on us and James started to get out his raingear. But I thought “to heck with that – I’m turning back to that barn I saw with the open gate and open door”. James followed but fortunately we were able to take refuge in that nearby barn while waiting out the downpour! We would have been soaked to the bone. The rain came down heavily for several minutes but after about 20 minutes, tapered to sprinkles. I had put on my arm and leg warmers by then and so had James. After we got going again, we climbed the next big hill, now in full sun, and just absolutely roasting. I was convinced it would rain again and I kept mine on. James was at the top of that hill busily taking that stuff off. We were both right - it did rain again, but lightly over the course of the next few miles and it wasn't cold.

At the point where James had stopped, I stopped for a nature break and there by my front tire was a tan colored horny toad (short horned lizard). I hadn't seen one of those since growing up in San Gabriel California. We used to find them and play with them as kids. Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo - if I had moved a muscle, it would have darted off!
Later, after the ride, we satisfied our craving for a milk shake by walking over to a Malt Shop. While walking back to the hotel, we notice some "deer" statuary in a yard. But wait a minute, I think it moved. Yes indeed, not statuary but a living, breathing fawn. It seemed completely tame, and walked right by us before unhurriedly crossing the road and hopping over the fence.

I wouldn't want anyone to get the idea that riding a recumbent in the Rockies is easy. I glossed over the climbing somewhat and talked about the "fun" descents, but it was very tough, and not to be taken lightly. There was hard stuff on every day but I kept going thanks to strong perseverance and the will power I use to get me through randonneuring events. This was the biggest challenge I've ever undertaken on a recumbent. I had no idea if I could do it. The fact that I did, speaks to good endurance and some good luck as well, that the climbing wasn't even more difficult. It most certainly could have been. Yes, I had fun riding a recumbent. But I think my next tour with CRMBT will be on a triple chain-ring road bike!

Garmin elevation range: 6910 to 7882 / start and end elevation 7150; Chama NM is at 7871 ft