2up Routes

[coaz4x4]

So I'm trying to work on some places to take the lady this year on the 9'er and am seeking your recommendations!

Couple of requirements:
1) prefer to stay off the routes that people go 'crazy' on because getting passed on a double yellow in a corner by someone not happy with my limit+5 page scares her sh*tless (Golden Gate Canyon ie.)
2) need to be able to stop hourly(ish) for bathroom breaks
3) scenic is good

We've done Copper-Leadville-Minturn, Garden of the Gods, Idaho Springs-Evergreen and P2P... and she enjoyed those. All good day-trips.

Also considering we're going to be out the next couple weeks, considerations for gravel are appreciated.

Thanks for the $.02 in advance.

[grim]

So I'm trying to work on some places to take the lady this year on the 9'er and am seeking your recommendations!

Couple of requirements:
1) prefer to stay off the routes that people go 'crazy' on because getting passed on a double yellow in a corner by someone not happy with my limit+5 page scares her sh*tless (Golden Gate Canyon ie.)
2) need to be able to stop hourly(ish) for bathroom breaks
3) scenic is good

We've done Copper-Leadville-Minturn, Garden of the Gods, Idaho Springs-Evergreen and P2P... and she enjoyed those. All good day-trips.

Also considering we're going to be out the next couple weeks, considerations for gravel are appreciated.

Thanks for the $.02 in advance.

On the warmer days its going to be hard to avoid the other riders that will pass you.

if you like keeping a slower pace and want some scenery Lookout mountain is a good one.

I wouldnt suggest Mt. evans unless they paved it because the road is really shitty and your woman will be adjusting herself constantly.

Pikes peak is a good one, great scenery and smooth clean roads, just make sure im not there that day, people here can attest to what happens when im on pikes peak.

If you want to do a long distance trip i highly recommend going to Cortez its beautiful the whole way there and there are plenty of places to stop.

[coaz4x4]

On the warmer days its going to be hard to avoid the other riders that will pass you.

Amen to that. I'm just trying to be smarter about the route selection until she has a couple seasons under her belt. We all know where people like to 'go for it' and those stretches are what I'm looking to avoid with her for the time being.

We are planning on Cortez, hopefully in late July. I'd also like to do Glenwood in a roundabout way and spend a day there at the hot spring.

[grim]

Amen to that. I'm just trying to be smarter about the route selection until she has a couple seasons under her belt. We all know where people like to 'go for it' and those stretches are what I'm looking to avoid with her for the time being.

We are planning on Cortez, hopefully in late July. I'd also like to do Glenwood in a roundabout way and spend a day there at the hot spring.

Cortez is awesome be sure to go to the Ancient ruins, Your best bet to stay away from the crazy fast peeps is to stay off hwy 7, P2P, and possibly Deckers, or you could just do what i do and go riding butt ass early before everyone else is awake.

[coaz4x4]

I enjoy a 'grim' pace typically on fridays when I am off work. maybe we will head up 285 this weekend and then over to deckers. who knows, since it's a non official plan it's not bad luck to post it on the interwebs.

[JonnyD]

Went over trail ridge road a couple times last year with passengers, first couple weeks they open is pretty surreal. 6' snowbanks on either side of a perfectly dry road. And you won't get over the speed limit there either.

I've also taken 285 out to fairplay, up to dillon for lunch, then head out north from there and back down through Berthoud pass. Makes for a longer day but plenty of scenery.

+1 to heading out early!

[asp_125]

Head out of town, west into the mountains. I find hooliganism decreases the further away from the metro area you go. Poudre - Walden - Winter Park - Berthoud is a good loop. Steamboat for the weekend, McClure Pass, Aspen over Independence, Gunnison - Lake City - Durango, all make for good overnighters.

[coaz4x4]

Any comments on Poudre Canyon, Red Feather Lakes and Buckhorn Road (all in the Ft Fun area)?

[Drano]

Poudre Canyon is a fun ride.

[LivingPools]

Seconded, Poudre to Walden to Winter Park is a great ride. I did encounter the worst wind of my life between Walden and Granby, still did well enough that my passenger didn't know that until our next stop.

And, last time I rode it, Mt Evans was paved all the way to the top. Still not a great choice for a new passenger. Other traffic is well behaved enough, but lots of 10 mph corners with no guardrails, and always a chance of hail, even in the middle of summer.

105, which goes from Evergreen by Mt Evans to Idaho springs, can be a good passenger ride though.