So after my trip to TN for the Tail of the Dragon, I decided to do another ride closer to home. Living at the foot of Pikes Peak, I have kinda taken it for granted. I have been up in a vehicle 3 or 4 times and taken the Cog Railway once. One summer my job was to sell tickets. I took my grandparents up. I had yet to ride up to the top on my bike.
I got a wild hair up you know where and on Labor Day I decided it was time. The lower 2 thirds is wonderful. Getting above timberline is where the real fun starts. When they say, "Guard rails optional" they really mean it. It is a 2 lane road with little to no shoulder. Beyond the shoulder in some spots is um, well, not a damn thing. On the inside is not too bad but, when you are on the outside it is unnerving to say the least. It was a little breezy but, not enough to worry me. Just added to the fun.
On the way down you get to multiply the fun as you have gravity working with you. Didn't have to use the brakes too much as the engine did most of the work for me. Both on the up and down when I was around cars I could smell brakes a burning. There is a brake check on the way down and I was waved on without a second look. I only used my brakes about a dozen times coming down. Most of those were because I was behind a white knuckled tourist no familiar with mountain driving. I will have to do it again sometime but, for now I have scratched that itch.
This is just below the summit. If you look just above my bike and above the ridgeline you can see the moon. This was just about 6PM. A little chilly but nothing a hoodie and vest couldn't handle.
What you don't see is to the right of my bike is a car crash. No idea how it happened but in this area you have a little more of a level area but some big boulders. Colorado Springs Police is responsible for the crashes that happen at the top as it is considered in the City. The rest of the mountain is in either El Paso or Teller County. The officers did not look very happy at having to make the long trip to where the crash was. As bad as the crash looked, it could have been much worse if it was on the parts without guardrails.
I got a wild hair up you know where and on Labor Day I decided it was time. The lower 2 thirds is wonderful. Getting above timberline is where the real fun starts. When they say, "Guard rails optional" they really mean it. It is a 2 lane road with little to no shoulder. Beyond the shoulder in some spots is um, well, not a damn thing. On the inside is not too bad but, when you are on the outside it is unnerving to say the least. It was a little breezy but, not enough to worry me. Just added to the fun.
On the way down you get to multiply the fun as you have gravity working with you. Didn't have to use the brakes too much as the engine did most of the work for me. Both on the up and down when I was around cars I could smell brakes a burning. There is a brake check on the way down and I was waved on without a second look. I only used my brakes about a dozen times coming down. Most of those were because I was behind a white knuckled tourist no familiar with mountain driving. I will have to do it again sometime but, for now I have scratched that itch.
This is just below the summit. If you look just above my bike and above the ridgeline you can see the moon. This was just about 6PM. A little chilly but nothing a hoodie and vest couldn't handle.
What you don't see is to the right of my bike is a car crash. No idea how it happened but in this area you have a little more of a level area but some big boulders. Colorado Springs Police is responsible for the crashes that happen at the top as it is considered in the City. The rest of the mountain is in either El Paso or Teller County. The officers did not look very happy at having to make the long trip to where the crash was. As bad as the crash looked, it could have been much worse if it was on the parts without guardrails.
