Archive for the ‘Colorado motorcycle rides’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Where To Go On A Warm, Sunny Day?

Thursday, March 12th, 2026

Get out and ride on these nice days.

I told Judy on Monday that we will have to move.

It was a warm, sunny day and I was going to go ride but where to? We have lived in this house for 30 years; just had our 30-year anniversary of moving in a few days ago. What road in any direction have I not ridden countless times?

I headed out looping past Cherry Creek State Park and continued south on Peoria, Broncos Parkway to Chambers and then south on Chambers. I was still wondering where to go but I had just read in this morning’s Denver Post about a proposed housing development where Chambers intersects Crowfoot Valley Road. I had just written about this newly opened section of Chambers and I had assumed that with all that area now much more accessible there would inevitably be a lot more development, and soon.

Well, the article in the paper was about a group of neighboring homeowners who oppose this new development. As in “I’m on board, pull up the ladder.” A woman who was the main organizer of this opposition was quoted as saying that she could see no benefit at all to the folks who live around there of having these homes go in. Gosh, do you suppose someone who lived in that area before her development was built might have said the same thing?

So I was curious to take a look at the area the article was talking about and all I had to do was stay on Chambers. And my memory was correct. There is new development everywhere around here. There are so many homes that were not there three years ago. Anyone who thinks this is not going to continue is a bit out of touch with reality.

Anyway, with curiosity satisfied, I decided I would turn onto Crowfoot Valley Road and see just how close this new intersection is to Castle Rock. OK, that question got answered. Now I guess I’ll just keep going across I-25 over to US 85 and up on the west side of town. So basically, I headed southeast quite a ways and then looped around the south end of the metro area and came up on the west side. That’s a loop I’ve considered doing any number of times but never had before. Now I have.

US 85 eventually turns into Santa Fe and I took that north to Belleview, turned east on Belleview, and home. Nothing exciting but a nice ride on a nice day for riding. And boy did I see a lot of other bikes out, too. I’m not the only one who can’t resist. Who doesn’t want to resist. Why the heck would I resist the urge to ride on a nice day?

Biker Quote for Today

A true biker knows that roads are meant to be explored, not just traveled.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Colorado motorcycle rides | No Comments »

Avoiding Parker Road Entirely

Thursday, February 26th, 2026

The weather on Tuesday was fabulous and I would have ridden but Roy called to say there would be an RMMRC ride out to Kiowa, to Patty Ann’s, on Wednesday, so I changed my plans.

Google Maps already has this new Chambers Road  extension even though it has just opened.

On Wednesday, along with three other guys from the RMMRC, we met up at Performance Cycle and headed south. Dave was leading and he took a common route, heading south on Clinton, then Inverness Drive West, to where we got on Liberty Boulevard, which loops around the south end of Centennial Airport. Then south on Peoria to Ridgegate Parkway where we headed east to Chambers, and then south.

It was then that the surprise came. We came up to Hess Road and the extension past Hess, which they had been working on for some time, was now open and we went straight. I had assumed this was going to be just an entrance into the new housing development that was going up there but boy was I wrong!

A full-blown four-lane semi-expressway now continues south from Hess, and then Chambers bends around to the southeast, crosses Crowfoot Valley Road (which runs diagonally between Parker and Castle Rock), and becomes Bayou Gulch Road, which I knew connected with Parker Road (CO 83) south of the Pinery.

Holy smokes! This newly opened stretch is in fact kind of a beltway through the southeastern part of the metro area that now allows you to get out town without going anywhere near Parker Road except where you cross it on Bayou Gulch Road. This is fabulous!

As I said, Dave was leading and he lives out there just off of Bayou Gulch Road on the east side of Parker Road, and he knew all about this for some time, I guess. He said they had been eagerly awaiting its opening and they are so glad it finally is. Wow, so am I.

So the rest of the ride was good. As we often do, we took Bayou Gulch on to where it hits Flintwood Road and then took that south to CO 86, then east to Kiowa. Had a good breakfast at Patty Ann’s–as always–and then headed back via the same route so I got to see it again and get a better idea of this new road.

I like this. I can tell I’m going to be riding this road a lot in the future.

Biker Quote for Today

Riding a motorcycle is like living life in high definition.

Tags:,
Posted in Colorado motorcycle rides, Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club | 1 Comment »

Errands Become Exploration

Monday, January 5th, 2026

Is this shot in January? July? Who knows, this is one reason why we love living in Colorado.

It’s so much about the weather this time of year. On Sunday it was about 70 degrees and the forecast was for progressively cooler all week. It only made sense to get in my first (and you never know, maybe last) ride of January. I had a couple errands I needed to run and when possible I like to do them on a bike rather than in a car.

My first stop was Swallow Hill Music. That meant heading west on Hampden and then north on Downing to Yale, then west to Swallow Hill.

I was in no hurry and when I’m poking along I like to look more closely at the neighborhoods as I cruise along. There on Downing was the first interesting thing I spotted. There was a house with an exterior of brick up to about waist height and then wood up from there. And they had painted the brick turquoise. Yeah, that will catch your eye.

The funny thing was it didn’t actually look terrible. The terrible it brought to mind was when, in 2024, Judy and I were on a road trip in the Midwest and we routed ourselves through Decatur, Illinois, because that was where my family lived when I was a senior in high school. We drove past our old house and could not believe it. This wood-siding house has been painted blue. Rough wood that had been stained dark brown–now bright blue. Ghastly! The turquoise brick is nowhere near as bad.

From Swallow Hill I headed north on Broadway as far as Mississippi, turned east, north on Logan to Alameda and east to University. Then north to 3rd and east to the wine store we always shop at. Nothing much of interest to be seen along this route.

From The Vineyard I continued east on 3rd to Colorado and then south. Normally I’ll take Colorado to I-25 and take that home. This time I decided to stay off the highway and turned southeast on Leetsdale. I had gone about 10 blocks when I came upon a scene that reminded me I had seen the news about this. There had been a big fire on the north side of Leetsdale, with a four-story apartment complex that was under construction reduced to a total ruin.

And the road was blocked. Nothing to do but follow the detour sign and go south. Well, along with everyone else, I was looking for a cross-street going east, but there was none. I turned into a condo complex and there was no exit except right back onto the street I had come in on. Continuing south you had no choice but to turn west. OK, this is called exploring. There was no choice but to follow that road all the way back to Cherry. I guess I know why I’ve never been into that neighborhood before.

The rest of the way home was no problem. So I got in a ride, ran two errands, and saw a few interesting sights. I’m fine with that as a first ride of 2026.

Biker Quote for Today

In a world full of followers, be a biker.

Tags:
Posted in Colorado motorcycle rides, Suzuki motorcycles, V-Strom | No Comments »

Super Day For The Last Brass Monkey Run

Thursday, January 1st, 2026

You couldn’t ask for a nicer day for a December 31 ride.

Hey, this year (last year now) people actually got to ride to ABATE of Colorado‘s Last Brass Monkey Run. Always held on December 31 as the last ride of the year, it’s no surprise that many times riding is just not an option. But this year Denver came just one degree short of the record high and it was a warm, sunny day. Yahoo!

I headed west on the V-Strom and while it was warm and the streets were clear in east Denver, where I live, I wondered about out west by the foothills. Golden. But out there it was just as warm and the streets were just as clear. Considering we had a bit of snow just three days ago this had not been a certainty.

As always, it was good to see the folks. I used to attend my ABATE meetings each month but have not done so for a few years, so I only see folks at events like this. The Last Brass Monkey Run used to be an actual poker run but these days it is all held in one place so you get your sheet and then move from station to station picking up your cards. I did well. I got a full house, queens over nines. Could be good.

But no. It was best five of seven cards and both the first place winner and the second place winner had four of a kind. So much for my full house.

They also hand out door prizes. Last year my ticket was the absolute, very last one to be drawn. Think about it. Someone has to have the last ticket drawn, and last year that someone was me. You don’t get much to choose from when literally everyone else has already taken all the good stuff. This year I was still late in the draw but not the very last. I got a card game that we hope our seven-year-old grandson will like. That’s OK, you don’t go to these things looking to bring home a bounty. That’s just a bonus if you do.

Heading home I couldn’t help but notice as I pulled up at a red light that the guy to my left was on his phone. Illegal in Colorado these days. His lane moved faster than mine so I watched as he drifted out of his lane to the left. You dip. Hang up and drive!

But I got home safely and got out of 2025 alive. Obviously you did too. Congratulations to each of us. Here’s to an even better 2026.

Biker Quote for Today

Live Free and Ride

Tags:,
Posted in ABATE, Biker Issues, Colorado motorcycle rides, Suzuki motorcycles, V-Strom | 1 Comment »

Try This Again

Monday, December 29th, 2025

Who knows, if they did the Elephant Ride this year they might make it over to Georgetown.

Monday before Christmas and it’s 73 degrees and my piano lesson got canceled. Need I say more?

It’s funny how I no longer need to specify that I was on the V-Strom. It’s my only bike now. Still a bit odd.

I wondered where to go and it hit me: do what I tried to do last time. Figure out how, in Parker, to get onto Motsenbacher Road south to Crowfoot Valley Road down to Castle Rock. By golly, this time I was going to get this clear in my head once and for all.

I started out on the same route, south to Bellview, east to Peoria, south on Peoria and the east on Bronco Parkway. This time, though, instead of taking Bronco Parkway all the way to Parker Road I turned south on Jordan Road. Parker is a major highway and there’s a lot less traffic on Jordan. At Main Street I turned east to get right back to where I had gone wrong before.

Reaching Parker Road I did as I should have done before, continuing southeast on it. This time I got to Twenty Mile Road and I didn’t really want to turn on that but the street signs are so small in this area that by the time I could read it I was committed. Fine, I’ll do a Uey if I need to.

But then I saw ahead on the left a bridge, now open and in use, that I had seen last while it was under construction. This was Dransfeldt Road and I took that left. I crossed over this new bridge, this brand new connection, and as I approached the upcoming intersection saw a sign that read “End Dransfeldt, Begin Motsenbacher.” Yahoo!

So essentially, I didn’t figure out how to get to Motsenbacher the way I would have needed to before, I discovered the newest, more direct way to get to it. And what’s more, I had crossed Twenty Mile Road going east on Main Street. It takes off from Parker Road heading west but soon bends north. So in the future I can skip going all the way to Parker Road and just go south on Twenty Mile Road to get to Dransfeldt to get to Motsenbacher. I’ve got this baby nailed now. And I can go all this way without once getting on super busy Parker Road. Nice.

As I knew it would, Motsenbacher became Crowfoot Valley Road and I soon came to Castle Rock. Along the way, as I so often do, I marveled at the development. When I first started riding Crowfoot Valley Road, not that many years ago, it was all rural and there was a little farmhouse out there that was all alone. Now you go mile and mile with hundreds upon hundreds of homes everywhere. That farmhouse now seems to be converted to a construction operations site. Further along you come to an area of large houses on large acreages but there is also open land with For Sale signs. This is all gonna pass, and sooner rather than later.

I passed through Castle Rock, across I-25 to catch US 85 northwest and made the turn onto Happy Canyon Road. I had forgotten that when that road reaches I-25 there is nowhere to go but onto the highway, so I found myself briefly on I-25 northbound.

I got off at the next interchange, Hess Road, and intended to jog east and then go north again on Havana, running alongside I-25, but there was construction and Havana did not appear to be accessible. So I continued east on Hess, finally turning north on Chambers, and from there worked my way on home.

Was this the warmest day on record here for December 22? I don’t know but it might as well have been. Heck, our mailman was wearing shorts and a short-sleeve shirt. I love Colorado.

Biker Quote for Today

Motorcyclists are always happy but never quite satisfied.

Posted in Colorado motorcycle rides | No Comments »

Contracted Expansion Joints

Monday, December 22nd, 2025

A good day to ride.

Concrete is such a solid material that the idea of it moving or flowing is kind of hard to imagine. Except it does move.

When bridges are built they are designed with gaps between the bridge and the abutment it rests on. That way, in the summer when it gets hot there is room for the concrete and metal to expand with the heat. In the winter it contracts with the cold.

This is winter. All the expansion joints on bridges and in concrete roads have contracted. That leaves gaps in places, sometimes really big gaps. If you’re on a motorcycle at this time of year, watch out!

I’m talking about this now because last week when I was out on the V-Strom I was seeing gaping expansion joints everywhere. Head out southeast on Parker Road and they’re all over the place. And some of them look like they’re just waiting to trap my front tire into the groove, with possibly very bad results.

The thing is, paving roads is not an exact science. Most expansion gaps are small enough that they are no problem. But some are a lot bigger.

I think the first time I started noticing these large joints was on I-225 where it runs into I-70. As you get off onto the lane that feeds onto eastbound I-70 you really need to watch out. But then the other day I was coming up Monarch Boulevard, which becomes Quebec, from Daniels Park and they were all over down there. Some that must have been two inches wide. That’s certainly enough to channel a wheel in a direction you don’t necessarily want to go.

Nothing we can do about it. Just pay attention and stay alert. And cross those babies at as sharp an angle as you can.

Biker Quote for Today

A biker’s heart beats to the rhythm of the engine.

Tags:
Posted in Colorado motorcycle rides | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »