Looking for a nice hilly ride? Check out the Bike With Pike Westcliffe Adventure next Saturday in my old hometown. The ride, which is a fundraiser for the Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway, starts in scenic downtown Weirdcliffe and heads to either San Isabel or Colorado City and back, depending upon whether you choose a metric century or the real deal.
The course uses part of the old Hardscrabble Century, albeit in reverse (from Weirdcliffe to Mackenzie Junction). And there is a ton of climbing in both directions — 9,000 feet in the century and 5,900 feet in the metric — which should be an excellent opportunity for folks to debate the relative merits of traditional gearing vs. compact cranksets vs. triple-ring setups, if they have any breath left for idle chit-chat.
If you’re interested, you can register here. Be sure to keep an eye peeled for deer, especially at mile marker six on Highway 96. Stupid buggers love to leap out of nowhere and into the road right about there. I once saw a black bear chugging up a hillside near there, too.
Mad Blog Media 
Dang, Patrick. That’s the same day as the Red River Century and I already made reservations up in Molybdenumville. Are you going to ride the Tour de Weirdville?
I had to laugh when I read “…Be prepared for a possible afternoon shower which could include snow or sleet so it is wise to carry a rain jacket and/or leg and arm warmers. However we expect sun – so wear sunscreen! This is a rain or shine event so be prepared.”
In 2003, we indeed started out the Red River in sun and pleasant temperatures. Started looking ominous as some of us rode through the Moreno Valley. I crested Bobcat Pass in driving rain, Zots, and plummeting temperatures and got to the finish shivering uncontrollably and soaked to the skin. Some folks behind me had to be rescued from snow and sleet as they struggled up to the 9900 foot crest of the Big Kitty.
Yeah, folks. These are really mountains here. Take care of yourselves and pack carefully. Better to finish a little slow with extra clothing than to be sagged off the course half frozen.
Hey, K,
Naw, I haven’t got the legs for it. I know those roads real well. Beautiful ride, to be sure, but even the metric would be a nut-crusher. Wixson Divide and Bigelow Divide are a couple tough little climbs, and there are plenty of long, gradual grades, too. Plus if the notorious Wet Mountain winds make an appearance — as they always did during the Hardscrabble Century — I bet it’s a head wind all the way back to Weirdcliffe.
Definitely got to pack the gear for that one. Hal said it looked like snow up there last weekend (though it never materialized). Probably start in the usual road kit plus arm warmers, knee warmers and long-fingered gloves, with a jacket in the center pocket and maybe a tuque. Add or remove kit as indicated. Preferred color is blaze orange if one is to avoid being mistaken for a deer by a Pueblo nimrod with a blunderbuss and a skinful of Beam.
Sounds like a nice ride, especially the metric century. 100 kms is more than enough for me these days. In Italy we offer 100 kms on average each day with around 5-6000 feet of elevation gain for Classic Road Vacations in Piedmont, Umbria & Marche, etc. Colorado climbs are longer but less steep vs the small mountains in Italy. Go to the Dolomites and things change, both long AND steep with a 100 km day giving you 7-10,000 feet of climbing fun. More fun for me are the descents where my hard-earned, aerodynamic, “descending muscle” can be used to enjoy the sweeping, high speed turns while admiring the spectacular views. Granted, yours truly usually can only do half the day’s route before trading places with the wife in the support van, but it makes for a good appetite when it’s time to enjoy REAL Italian food of the kind you can only duplicate in the US at places like Denver’s Barolo Grill.
Larry,
A fellow rider takes great pride in his ‘aero belly’ and the advantage it imparts on decent. Out here in the flat lands its potential is mostly wasted, but pulling into a plains head wind we can ride two up in his wake no problem.
Hey BEn S…get it right, it’s “DESCENDING MUSCLE” a product of countless hours of training with fork, spoon, knife and wine glass!