Bishop's Castle and Westcliffe - Sunday 8 April

[Corporate MacGyver]

An Easter Sunday ride...

Meet at Caribou Coffee south of the DTC at Lincoln and Peoria at 7:45 ... KSU at at 8am ... Please have tanks topped prior to Caribou... Ride thru Parker to COS where we will meet up with Clovis.. and head to Bishop's Castle. :applause: Down to Walsenburg.. and back thru Westcliffe to US50.. and homeward bound thru Palmer Lake to Sedaila ...

Should be great weather, great roads ... several 'bail' points if you need to shorten the route...

Let me know if you are planning to be there...

Bob
720-984-1788 (cell)

[mdub]

I just acquired a motorcycle. My neighbor says the bike might be a lil too much ....but if u don't mind I would like to take it for the ride.

[summit82]

I'm game. This should be an awesome ride. I've heard about this eccentric castle but never had a good opportunity to visit yet.



I just acquired a motorcycle. My neighbor says the bike might be a lil too much ....but if u don't mind I would like to take it for the ride.

What bike did you get? Can I have your old one?

[Corporate MacGyver]

Dave... It's still early in the season... I really don't consider too much of the ride all that boring, but to each his own ... If you decide you want to join us on Zanex... we would be happy to have you along for the 'boring' ride..

Bob

[Ezzzzy1]

Sounds like a bit of a boring route...at least going down. When my group goes to Bishop's, the destination is secondary to the ride through the twisties (Bear Creek, Deckers, Woodland Park, Cripple Creek, Hwy 50, Westcliffe, Bishop's...and back the same way). Makes for a long day (10-14 hrs, depending on group size, breaks, etc.) but it's worth it, IMO. I've already done it once this year and plan on 2 or 3 more over the summer.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p55/Ezzzzy1/5116916182_2af2373afc.jpg

[mdub]

Whew... I thought ezzzy was going ... I almost bailed out....

[Cornfed]

Hmmm, I might be up for this. Are you willing to adjust your route at all? Sounds like a lot of 4lane roads.

[Ezzzzy1]

Whew... I thought ezzzy was going ... I almost bailed out....

Yeah that guy is a prick... Er. Wait. :doublefinger:

[oh10raven]

I might make this ride. If I'm out, I'll post up in the AM, if not see ya there.

[Corporate MacGyver]

Hmmm, I might be up for this. Are you willing to adjust your route at all? Sounds like a lot of 4lane roads.

Corn...

Actually not a lot of 4 lane.. only in and out of from the north of COS to S Academy.. and a retrace of that route... on the way home... if we decide to include Deckers.. then there will be the US24 run to Woodland Park...

So not much at all.. we are running CO83 from Parker to COS.. and that's almost all 2 lane... there is a small section on I25 to Walsenburg.. but even that isn't all that long..

Come join us...

See you in the morning... If want to meet us at Franktown instead of riding north to go south... let me know...

Bob
720-984-1788

[Cornfed]

Been a long week and needed some sleep. Couldn't seem to get out of bed. I'm sure u guys will have a great ride. Catch ya next time

[mdub]

Hope you all are having a Grt ride. Went to a party with wife last nite. Oh man .. Too much partying....

[summit82]

Just returned home, thoroughly exhausted. Great riding with you guys today. I enjoyed trying out some new roads and seeing Bishops Castle. Matt, come ride with us again.

To everyone else, be very careful riding east bound on HW50 right before HW9.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=38.498038,-105.360028

The 1/2 mile long stretch up the hill is 90% covered by fresh tar patches (Thanks CDOT). Some of us (maybe all) lost traction and ended up in the left lane. :shock: We were lucky that there was no oncoming traffic making it possible to safely remain in the left lane to bypass all of the tar.

[summit82]

Clovis, what happened to you after Fairplay?

[oh10raven]

Great weather and ride. I think I did just shy of 400 miles for the day.

I had a scare from a LEO after I left Fairplay. I came up on a group of car's, one of them was making multiple passes to try to get to the front, I followed behind him, but further back and at different times. I ended up making it to the front just behind him and proceeded to pass him; until he lit his lights up. I immediately pulled behind him ready to be pulled over, but he killed the lights and kept speeding along. He was on 285 the rest of the way to Morrison. Lucked out there I guess.

[Corporate MacGyver]

To all.. It was a great ride.. my trip odo shows a 387.2 door to door. Thanks to Clovis for leading from COS, to Bishop's Castle and then back to FairPlay ... It was getting a little late for all of us.. so we headed home ... No LEO threats... one had already pulled someone over... but I didn't push it after we left FairPlay.

Road were all very good... with the exception of the final 12 miles to Bishop's.. lot of rocks in the road.. not much sand... especially northbound...

Have a great week.. and see you on the next ride!

[Corporate MacGyver]

Just returned home, thoroughly exhausted. Great riding with you guys today. I enjoyed trying out some new roads and seeing Bishops Castle. Matt, come ride with us again.

To everyone else, be very careful riding east bound on HW50 right before HW9.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=38.498038,-105.360028

The 1/2 mile long stretch up the hill is 90% covered by fresh tar patches (Thanks CDOT). Some of us (maybe all) lost traction and ended up in the left lane. :shock: We were lucky that there was no oncoming traffic making it possible to safely remain in the left lane to bypass all of the tar.

The tar on US50 where Summit pointed out is right down dangerous. Warning signs should be posted for motorcycles... and CDOT should be banned from using that method of fixing cracks... On a right hand sweep, the tar gave way... and I crossed over the double yellow line and COULD not get the bike back into the my lane... Damn lucky that was NO oncoming traffic... I mean DAMN LUCKY!

[mdub]

Will you guys have pictures??

[oh10raven]

Will you guys have pictures??
Here's a couple
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n105/Djones8040/Group1-008_010-3images.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n105/Djones8040/Group1-016_017-2images.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n105/Djones8040/018.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n105/Djones8040/015.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n105/Djones8040/Group1-013_014-2images.jpg

[Clovis]

I dropped my scala rider while changing it out for a fresh one and pulled over to pick it up. It took me about 5 minutes to find it off the side of the road.

I tried to catch up but there was no catching this group =P


Clovis, what happened to you after Fairplay?

[madvlad]

Nice, gotta make that ride out there this year. Never been there

[mdub]

Grt pics raven.

A lot of miles.

[Corporate MacGyver]

Matt.. if you see this... can you private message me with phone number and email... I have a great pic of you.. :) Bob

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

Hell, if I'd know the X was going to screw me out of my Easter visitation with my daughter i'd have gone. Glad you guys got a good ride in. I saw another serious crash yesterday on P2P, 3 miles South of where 7 up from Lyons connects. I totally agree on the tar snakes too, they are the suck. Be safe out there guys!

[mastap07]

Nice, gotta make that ride out there this year. Never been there

what he says

[Ghost]

Hell, if I'd know the X was going to screw me out of my Easter visitation with my daughter i'd have gone. Glad you guys got a good ride in. I saw another serious crash yesterday on P2P, 3 miles South of where 7 up from Lyons connects. I totally agree on the tar snakes too, they are the suck. Be safe out there guys!

I'm more afraid of clambering around that rickety-shit-bucket of a castle created by King Loon than I am of riding over tar snakes.

Every time I go all the way up to that top metal orb thing I swear it's all about to crash to the ground.

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

I'm more afraid of clambering around that rickety-shit-bucket of a castle created by King Loon than I am of riding over tar snakes.

Every time I go all the way up to that top metal orb thing I swear it's all about to crash to the ground.
Hah! Yeah, it looks, ahhhh, interesting. I've never been there, and am looking forward to a ride there to see it, and ride some of the good roads in the area. Unlike last year when I was unemployed, I have a little money to spend on gas now, and some vacation to go places. Definately want to see that, and go to see the Maroon Bells again for the first time in, ohhhh, 34 years or so.

[Ghost]

Be sure you spend time talking to BC's owner/builder. You'll love it.

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

Be sure you spend time talking to BC's owner/builder. You'll love it.
I'll make sure to do my best to do that. Thanks!

[spdu4ia]

So whats the best/easy route to take to Bishops from COS. It may be a good first longer distance ride for my wife to make.

[Corporate MacGyver]

Depending on where you live in COS...

It's only about 75 miles...
Google Maps will get you to the door step of the Castle...

Bob